Qualitative research approaches and methods that broadly fall under abservations and interviewsrnare the principal methods employed to uncover and understand what lies behind any phenomenonrninvolved in the daily experiences of the children because the natural context of the children's livesrnand the inte/personal and socia-cultural fabric injluences their livelihood perspectives, experiencesrnand actions. Besides, using the case study research approach, we attempted to assess the socialrnnetworks and or relationships constructed by the children. In fact, the whole process of generatingrnthe research data was primarily made on the basis of the children's own perspectives andrnunderstanding of their work and livelihood conditions. In doing so, I asked them how they think ofrntheir lives in their own terms and gave their own viewpoints.rnPoor rural parents are unable to provide education and basic survival needs to their children. As arnconsequence, children are ojlen obliged to quit school and joined the city streets in search ofrnemployment in the informal sector. In fact, working (shoe -shinning) children discontinued educationrnnot because they are uncaring to school rather due to lacking assistance from their parents becausernof families' impoverishment, and death or disharmony. Mostly, children are obliged to dropout atrnschool and migrated 10 the city in search of work not because of the net benefits of attending schoolrnare low relative to the rewards from shoe-shinning work. Even though, the study children properlyrnacknowledged that attending school is absolutely vital for their life, it was beyond their capability tornpursue education because their families are impoverished and unable to send them to school. It wasrnmainly due to lacking basic survival needs that children are obliged to work. Thus, survival is thernforemost and an irreplaceable agenda than schooling for the needy children.rnThe study reveals that the livelihoods of the shoe shiners are dynamiC and there is an intensernsolidarity among shoe-shinning children in Addis Ababa city. Most of them maintain very closernsocial ties and networks with peer groups, relatives, customers, and with other street actors. Thernmost predominant social tie and or network is peer group socialization which is mainly constructedrnon the basis of identical work and geographical origin. Those who came from the same geographicalrnorigin and or rural village form a unified functional group and develop high sense of belongingness.rnThey live and work together for getting the benefits of communal life style. Children conceived thatrnliving together is the sale livelihood strategy which enables to reduce urban living cost and perhapsrnmakes life easier and enjoyable. They use their social networks and bonds to overcome some of thernchallenges they face such as redUCing their meals and sharing apartments with colleagues as well asrnrelying on each other's help in times of scarcity. Moreover, they create a new sense of family-hood'rnwith their social groups and exercise a sense of enthusiastic love and care to each other. At timesrnthey suffer, they usually share material and financ ial benefits from each other. For instance, if arnchild lacks income to get food, friends will invite and or lend some money. If somebody is sick orrninjured they would take him to the clinic or give treatment at home. Shoe-shinning children onernamong the urban poor in Addis city, have been exposed to various vulnerable living conditions. Mostrnof them lack adequate livelihood income and basic necessities which in turn affected their spatialrnwell being and health conditions as well. Miserable life due to the failure to completely acclimatizernand mitigate the urban life constraints (such as the high cost of living (rising food price, and highrnhouse rent cost), injlation, poor housing access, insecure wage, and poor sanitation), have beenrnaggravating the vulnerability conditions of these children. In general, lack of access to suffiCientrnresources and vulnerability to the aforementioned urban life hazards, stresses and shocks arernresponsible for the unsustainable livelihoods, poor wellbeing and lack of the children's basicrnnecessities.