Many speak of the street as being safer and cleaner than the slums, offering greater opportunities and challenging adventures. Some of the working children sleep on the streets during the weekdays to save on transport costs, returning home at the weekends. The government acknowledges child abandonment is one of its principle social problems. Several mission agencies have ministries to street children. The missionaries have reported that many of the children steal, sell and use drugs, or take up prostitution as a way of life.
Poverty is one of the main reasons they end up living on the streets.
Parents living in conditions of squalor are driven to sending their children out to work the streets. Some abandon them. The children sell sweets, wash cars, polish shoes and do odd jobs. The higher paid jobs can sometimes be found if the children are prepared to help drug couriers or become a prostitute. Many children who start by working on the streets end up living there.