Street mothers’ well-being and motivation to leave street life in Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia: A phenomenological study

Abstract

Background Being-street mother is a challenging life situation for both the mothers and their children. However, the lived experiences of motherhood in street families are not explored very well in Ethiopia in general. Hence, this study explored street mothers’ well-being, perception of street life, and motivation to leave street life in Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia. Methods A phenomenological study was conducted on 10 street mothers from July 13, 2021 to July 17, 2021. The mothers were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using face-to-face in-depth interview method. Data were analyzed using framework approach. Results Four themes emerged from the data: well-being of mothers and their children with four subthemes (physical, social, mental, and spiritual wellbeing), perception of street life, motivations to leave street life and efforts to end street life. Nearly all of the street mothers perceived that living on the street was terrible for them and their kids. They described it as an absolutely revolting, bitter, awful, horrible, and difficult life. Generally, street mothers had the motivation to leave street life, but only some had exerted tangible efforts to end the street life. Conclusion Street mothers had a very poor status in almost all dimensions of well-being. The perception of mother about their street life was negative. The mothers had strong motivation to end street life but were unable to make strong tangible efforts showing that they need assistance mechanisms before they change to street extended families under misery.