Table 3 Emotions expressed by street-connected children and youth in Kenya with respect to how they feel and are treated in the community
Emotions / Attitudes | Definition of the emotion | # of times language used | Example of a quote from SCY community |
|---|---|---|---|
Negative emotions | |||
Alienated | Experiencing or inducing feelings of isolation or estrangement | 7 | You feel bad, you ask why they isolate you, yet you are one of them? But I know we are different because they have it [all] while I don’t. |
Sad | Feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy. | 7 | We feel very bad and often ask God what did I do to deserve this! |
Pity | A feeling of sadness or sympathy for someone else’s unhappiness or difficult situation ‘I acknowledge your suffering’ | 1 | I pity them [SCY] and I pray to God to assist them. |
Stressed | Experiencing mental or emotional strain or tension | 1 | I am usually stressed at the cell. When they arrest me, I usually cry and ask God for help. |
Ambivalence | The state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone | 1 | Some [people] care about me and some don’t |
Positive emotions | |||
Happy | Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. | 3 | There are some who take us well. People at OSCAR and Berur who help us. I feel good because if it weren’t for them, we would be suffering like not being able to get treatment. |
Grateful | Feeling or showing an appreciation for something done or received | 2 | I can say this.... there are people in town who love us. I can tell them about my problems at home and they get money from their pockets to help me. But there are those who will say no because we are street children. I do my own work and I am grateful for the little I get. |