M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The changing structures of family and the increase in number of orphans are progressively becoming noticeable both nationally and internationally. A growing number of South African children are left without parents who can provide them with basic needs and emotional care and support. The influence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has had a detrimental effect on the lives of children and adolescents who have lost one or both parents because of it. Orphans living in child-headed households within underprivileged communities are amongst the most vulnerable children and there is a need to stimulate broad-based discussion, and heighten awareness of and sensitivity to their plight, special needs and rights. This study aims to explore and describe the lived psycho-educational experiences of Grade 7 child-headed orphans in a primary school in Soweto and the support programmes available. It also aims to stimulate interest amongst other role players within government, agencies and communities to assist in addressing the situation of these learners through effective intervention strategies. The researcher has made use of a qualitative, phenomenological case study research design. Data was gathered through individual interviews, focus group interviews and the written life essays/stories, analysed according to Tesch’s method of open coding. The findings of this research revealed that the Grade 7 child-headed orphans’ psychological experiences included anger, sadness, lack of trust and need for love, while their educational experiences included performance in class and transition to high school. They also indicated how they experienced support by School Based Support Team (SBST), teachers, peers, community and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs). The results of the study led to the formulation of recommendations which are intended to heighten awareness via the Department of Education (DoE) and stimulate interest amongst role players, such as school counsellors, educational psychologists and social workers, who are assisting these vulnerable children.

HIV/AIDS epidemic has caused much devastation and has left many children destitute and in need of care and supervision. The present study investigated the psychological impact of caring on non-professional caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS. General systems theory stands as the epistemological framework informing the study. The study made use of a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of eight non-professional caregivers who participated in the study .From the themes that were abstracted it was evident that caring for HIV/AIDS orphans is emotionally, physically and mentally strenuous for the caregivers. It was better recommended that caregivers be given recognition for their challenging work and be included in the planning and development of programmes that affect their caregiving role. Furthermore emotional, psycho-social, and income-generating skills support programmes including training and educational programmes should be implemented. This will alleviate the distress inherent to the caregiving role and to equip them with the necessary skills for handling the demands of their work. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

HIV/AIDS epidemic has caused much devastation and has left many children destitute and in need of care and supervision. The present study investigated the psychological impact of caring on non-professional caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS. General systems theory stands as the epistemological framework informing the study. The study made use of a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of eight non-professional caregivers who participated in the study .From the themes that were abstracted it was evident that caring for HIV/AIDS orphans is emotionally, physically and mentally strenuous for the caregivers. It was better recommended that caregivers be given recognition for their challenging work and be included in the planning and development of programmes that affect their caregiving role. Furthermore emotional, psycho-social, and income-generating skills support programmes including training and educational programmes should be implemented. This will alleviate the distress inherent to the caregiving role and to equip them with the necessary skills for handling the demands of their work. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The HIV/AIDS pandemic is destroying young adults in the prime of their lives. Children not only become orphans, but also gain instant “adult” status – becoming heads of households, breadwinners and customers. Children who fill such roles must be recognised as important stakeholders with regard to business. As limited available estimations suggest that South Africa is home to 800 000 orphans, corporations must realise that it will make good business sense to invest in the country’s AIDS orphans1 today, as these children will constitute both their future clients and employees. This study examines trends in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of five major corporations in the South African motor manufacturing sector. AIDS orphans were also involved in the study through participation in three focus group discussions. The evidence reveals that corporations do not recognise AIDS orphans as important stakeholders to business, nor do they see it as their responsibility to carry the burden of care for such children. Orphans felt that corporations in this business sector do not care about their needs and well-being. They regarded companies who were involved in CSR projects in their communities as “caring” and this resulted in the children hosting positive feelings towards involved companies. They even expressed the desire to purchase their brand of motor vehicle, as opposed to competitor’s brands that were not involved (through CSR) in their community, in future. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die MIV/VIGS pandemie is besig om die lewens van jongmense te verwoes. Kinders word nie alleenlik wees gelaat nie, maar word ook oornag volwassenes. Hulle word die hoof van huishoudings, broodwinners en kliënte vir besighede. Kinders wat hierdie rolle vervul moet daarom as belangrike aandeelhouers in die besigheidswêreld erken word. Beperkte skattings veronderstel dat Suid-Afrika tans ongeveer 800 000 weeskinders huisves. Besighede moet, in die lig hiervan, besef dat dit goeie besigheidssin maak om in VIGSWeeskinders1 te belê, aangesien hierdie kinders hul toekomstige kliënte en werknemers is. Hierdie studie ondersoek tendense in besighede se sosiale verwantwoordelikheidsinitiatiewe (“Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives”), binne die motorvervaardigingsbedryf van Suid- Afrika. VIGS-Weeskinders was ook nouliks by die studie betrokke, deur middel van deelname aan drie fokusgroepbesprekings. Die studie het bewys dat besighede nie VIGSWeeskinders as belangrike aandeelhouers erken nie, en dat dit ook nie as hul plig gesien word om na weeskinders om te sien nie. Weeskinders, daarenteen, was van die opinie dat besighede in dié bepaalde bedryf nie omsien na hul welstand, of probeer om in hul behoeftes te voorsien nie. Kinders het wel besighede wat betrokke is by sosiale verwantwoordelikheidsinitiatiewe in hul gemeenskappe, beskryf as “liefdevol”, en dit het daartoe gelei dat kinders positiewe houdings jeens sulke besighede gehuldig het. Kinders het selfs die behoefte uitgespreek om, eendag eerder handelsmerke se voertuie te koop wat wel sosiale verwantwoordelikheidsinitiatiewe in hul gemeenskappe bedryf, as dié wat niks doen om hul lot te verlig nie.

D.Cur. / The occupation of the SOS mother, which involves long-term care for orphaned and abandoned children under the SOS Children's Villages organisation, is unique and peculiar in many respects. She is expected to play a dual role of being a foster parent and a childcare professional, at the same time. The latter presents challenges of its own because the professional status is only recognised internally by the organisation. In one way or another, most of the children for which the SOS mother is responsible, have been exposed to some form of trauma. The problems of caring and parenting such children are well documented in the literature. These include learning and behaviour problems. For this reason, the mental health of the SOS mother, who is the focus of this study, should be of special interest to mental health practitioner. The motivation for this study arises out of a change that the organisation is trying to enforce in the work of the SOS mother. This change comes with the release of the new quality standards to guide village work. One of these standards, the SOS mother's autonomy, requires the SOS mother, like any mother in the community to take full responsibility for her SOS family, including the development of the children under her care. When she needs help, she seeks expert advice from village co-workers and from the community. In addition, the career of the SOS mother has to be developed so that she functions like a childcare professional and that her training is recognised by the government and other training institutions. This represents a big change from how most SOS villages have been operating. Up to this point, village co-workers made important decisions about the SOS family and the children while the SOS mother did the caring part. The change is expected to affect the interactions between SOS mothers and their co-workers and consequently, their mental health. For this reason, it was felt that there was a need to facilitate the implementation of the SOS mother's autonomy standard, which would also promote the mental health of the SOS mothers. The purpose of this research was, therefore, to develop and describe a model that would serve as a framework for the advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner to promote the mental health of SOS mothers by facilitating the implementation of the SOS mother's autonomy within SOS Children's Villages of Southern Africa Region 11. The research also focused on developing guidelines for the implementation of the model in practice.

Given the general challenges associated with finding alternative care for an increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) in Zimbabwe, adoption appears to be an appropriate option. In practice adoption appears is one of the alternative forms of child care and ye it t has not received the necessary research attention. This study was aimed at developing an in-depth understanding of the challenges experienced by adoptive parents in the adoption of OVCs in Zimbabwe and the support system available for them in managing such challenges using the ecological systems theory. A qualitative research approach which was designed from exploratory, descriptive and contextual research designs to understand the challenges experienced by adoptive parents in the adoption of OVCs in Zimbabwe was adopted, with purposive and snowball sampling techniques used to identify and recruit a sample of eight parents who have undergone the process of adoption. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews guided by an interview guide and analysed according to Braun and Clarke’s six steps of qualitative data analysis. Trustworthiness of this study was evaluated according to its credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability as proposed by Guba and Lincoln while relevant ethical principles were upheld throughout the entire duration of the study. The findings revealed a variety of socio-demographic features of adoptive parents as well as several challenges and experiences which are presented in a form of 10 themes and 13 subthemes in this report. Conclusions are drawn based on the research process and the research findings from which the recommendations are proposed for research, practice and training and education. / Social Work / M. A. (Social Work)

This case study examines the James 1:27 Trust as an information, communication and technology response to the plight of orphans and vulnerable children within the context of an HIV and AIDS epidemic. The James 1:27 Trust demonstrates how social networks can be mobilized in support of children at risk. The use of business information and management systems to administer concepts such as “virtual adoption” is deemed an important innovative contribution. The James 1:27 Trust and its model is studied as a contributor in finding solutions to scale and multiply levels of care by community and faith-based organisations to orphans and vulnerable children. The James 1:27 Trust is located at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria, Africa’s first internationally accredited science park. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour in HIV/AIDS))

The family as the basic unit of society plays an important role in the lives of individuals especially children. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has devastated the family structure which is already strained by other detrimental factors such as urbanisation and poverty. The increased death rate of young parents due to AIDS-related diseases has led to an escalating number of orphaned children growing in child headed households (CHH) without adult care. A qualitative study was undertaken to develop an understanding of the barriers that hinder the integration of orphaned children into extended family folds and to obtain suggestions on how to overcome these barriers. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province, with a sample of children heading CHH, relatives of these children and social workers who were rendering social work services to these client-systems. The study revealed that the level of suffering faced by CHH began with the illness of the parents. This was further exacerbated by the death of the parents as these children were not absorbed by their extended families. Barriers that hindered the integration of orphaned children into extended family folds go beyond the extended families’ economic capacity to absorb the children. There is an interplay of barriers that are poverty related, relational and family related, culturally related, circumstances that are related to the orphaned children as well as limitations in social work service delivery. The findings indicate that CHH is not a good option to care and protect orphaned children as it exposes them to pervasive adversities with little resources and support. The integration of orphaned children is embraced as a good option to care for the children because of its potential value, amongst others, of enabling the extended families to relieve the CHH from the burden of care. From the findings of this study, practice guidelines were developed to enhance the efficacy of integrating orphaned children into extended families to prevent the CHH phenomenon.

This study was a situation analysis of the socio-economic conditions of orphans and vulnerable children in Dessie Town. Specifically the study assessed the educational attainment, economic status, social isolation, adjustment, discrimination and psycho-social status of OVCs, the characteristics of the care-givers of OVCs and the support systems for OVCs. Therefore, 270 OVCs, 130 guardians and 4 OVCs service-providing organisations were selected as respondents. A survey research design was used. The study found that OVCs and their households faced problems such as school dropout, low educational performance; economic and food insecurity, lack of adequate clothing; social isolation and emotional hardships due to separation of siblings; discrimination, and neglect. Children’s housing conditions, toilet facilities, and access to clean water and health facilities were poor. The majority of guardians were unemployed and unable to fulfil the needs of the OVCs in their care. It is recommended that support systems for OVCs be strengthened. / Sociology / M.A. (Sociology)