Thesis (M.S.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2006. / Thesis advisor: Cynthia Pope. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in International Studies." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-90). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This study focused on how the political environment affects the governance of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) by non-state actors in Mutare, Zimbabwe. The increase in the number of OVC has led to non-state actors intervening to care and support for OVC because the government is no longer able to do so. Traditionally, extended families worked as the safety net for OVC but due to certain government policies and failures, the burden of caring for the children has increasingly fallen on non-state actors. Governance determines who has power, who makes decisions, how people make their voices heard, and how account is rendered. It aims to promote and strengthen participation by civil society in governing. This research looked at people involved in decision making, who the actors are, and who they report to. A qualitative research design and case study approach was used to provide answers to the research problem which is an investigation of the effects of the political environment on the governance of OVC. Primary data collection was obtained through interviews in organizations in Mutare that assists OVCs. The researcher made use of content analysis to analyse the data that was obtained through interviews. This research found that although the government of Zimbabwe created policies to support the care of the OVC, they have also created an undesirable environment that affects the governance of OVCs. Some of the policies were created to monitor the functioning of non-state actors which resulted in most of the organizations to relocate to neighbouring countries. The outcomes of this study will assist policymakers and childcare programmes to review and design effective intervention policies aimed at helping OVC in Zimbabwe. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / UP postgraduate bursary for Masters and Doctoral students. / Political Sciences / MA / Unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2013 / The study focused on the emotional experiences of orphaned children. Attention was given to the long term emotional cost of children who might grow up lacking the attachment figures’ love and guidance. Previously, concern was for material and educational needs of orphaned children. Now there is a need to couple this concern with an awareness of their psychological needs. Children whose parents are deceased often experience a number of negative changes in their lives and are often likely to start suffering from factors such as emotional neglect and rejection from their extended family members. Qualitative research design was employed in this study. Convenience sampling method was used to recruit eight orphans. Data was collected via semi- structured interviews and thematic analysis was used. It was found that children who were orphaned experience different kinds of emotions challenges such as: sadness, anxiety, feelings of rejection and abandonment. The study’ findings recommended that when placing children after the passing away of a parent or parents, they should be placed with caregivers who are still capable of taking care of the orphan’s diverse needs. It was also found, that although orphaned children were still young, consulting them about decisions or issues that affect their lives, lessens the anxiety and the feeling of being hopeless. / National Research Foundation of South Africa

This pilot study investigated the impact of group activity play therapy (GAPT) on displaced orphans aged 10 to 12 years living in a large children.s village in Uganda. Teachers and housemothers identified 60 preadolescents exhibiting clinical levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The participants ethnicity was African and included an equal number of females and males. Participants were randomly assigned to GAPT (n = 30) or reading mentoring (RM; n = 30), which served as an active control. Preadolescents in both treatment groups participated in an average of 16 sessions, twice weekly with each session lasting 50 minutes. Sessions were held in the school located within the village complex. A two (group) by two (repeated measures) split plot ANOVA was used to analyze the data. According to teacher reports using the Teacher Report Form (TRF) and housemother reports using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), children receiving the GAPT intervention demonstrated statistically significant decreases (p < .025) in internalizing behaviors (TRF: p < .001; CBCL: p < .001 ) and externalizing behaviors (TRF: p = .006; CBCL: p < .001) from pretest to posttest compared to children who received RM. The GAPT intervention demonstrated a large treatment effect on reducing orphaned childrenÆs internalizing problems (TRF: ?p2= .213; CBCL: ?p2 = . 244) and a moderate to large treatment effect on reducing externalizing problems (TRF: ?p2= .121; CBCL: ?p2 = .217). The statistical, practical, and clinical significance of the findings provided strong, preliminary support for using GAPT as a developmentally and culturally responsive school-based intervention for troubled Ugandan orphans.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Masters of Art (Community Work) in the Department of Social Work University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The researcher in this study wanted to get a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding orphans in Ulundi Local Municipality. It was found that there were more paternal/maternal orphans rather than double orphans. The findings also revealed that most orphans were living with grandparents and were well taken care of as a result a majority of orphans’ school performance was not disturbed after their parents passed away. This research also revealed that most orphans were still grieving the death of their parents. The results of this study also revealed that there were no Non-Profit Organisations that offered grief counselling and built resilience in orphans. As a result of these findings the researcher recommended that the Municipalities should have a department that will employ community workers who will organise communities in order to form Non-Profit-Organisations (NPOs) that will focus on a holistic approach in meeting the needs of orphans. This means these NPOs should use programs that will meet the needs of orphans physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER of ARTS in Community Work in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2003. / This study is about the attitudes of primary care givers who are caring for HIV/ AIDS orphans in the Ingwavuma area. As an evaluative research semi-structured interviews were conducted. A sample of -twenty primary care givers was drawn, 10 files were drawn from the Department of Welfare and Population Development Office and 10 files were drawn from the local non-government organisation called Ingwavuma Orphan Care. Permission to use departmental files was sought from the department concerned. Related literature that focuses on a HIV/AIDS and Orphanhood has been reviewed. Various recommendations have been made based on the findings of the study. The findings indicate that a need exist for training on parenting and coping skills. HIV/AIDS orphans need to be involved in counselling especially on trauma counselling, this can help a lot in improving the relationship between primary care givers and vulnerable children.

No description available.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1922 K38 / Master of Science

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Directed by Kathleen Casey; submitted to the School of Education. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Aug. 10, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 327-350).

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology at the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, South Africa, 2010. / The purpose of this study was to explore an intervention programme that could be used by class teachers to address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. The goals of the study were: (i), to explore the educator’s perceptions regarding the role that the class teacher could play in addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children and (ii) to stress the impact of the proposed intervention. The sample in the first phase of the research consisted of 120 rural primary school educators from the Dududu Circuit in Southern KwaZulu-Natal. These educators completed a survey in the form of a structured questionnaire. The descriptive method of research was used to collect data, and inferential statistics were used to test the null hypotheses using the Chi-squared test. The results of the study indicated, among other things, that educators had generally agreed that the form teacher was best positioned to address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. Educators were in agreement that the form teacher should facilitate life-skills training and organise peer-support programmes for orphans and vulnerable children. Gender and age group did not influence the views of educators. Educators also expressed a strong desire to be trained in programmes relating to the care and support of orphans and vulnerable children. The quasi-experimental-comparison group pretest-posttest design was used in the second phase of the research to determine the success of the intervention strategy. This phase of the research entailed the following: distribution of questionnaires to 20 educators in the comparison school and 20 educators in the experimental school; presenting the intervention strategy via a workshop to educators in the experimental school; and conducting a posttest survey using the same set of questionnaires to educators in both the schools. The intervention entailed the presentation of the following: a life-skills model, a peer-support programme, and the asset-based approach. The outcome of the intervention was then gauged through the use of self-constructed questionnaires. The posttest survey showed that 60% of educators in the experimental school had implemented all three models and had accordingly noted the direct benefits to orphans and vulnerable children. This implied that the intervention was successful. Being successful, the intervention creates a gateway for much desired relief for orphans and vulnerable children. The intervention holds the key for similar applications in areas such as substance abuse, physically challenged children and children who display various psychological problems.