HIV and AIDS related deaths have left numerous children heading households as the number of adults dying from this pandemic increased significantly. The goal of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences, challenges and coping resources of AIDS-orphans heading households in an urban area in Free State using a qualitative study. The research revealed that the level of suffering faced by these children began with their parents’ illness. This was further worsened by the death of the parents. These children are in most instances not absorbed by their extended families as the traditional safety nets are stretched to their limits. Children heading households were forced to take up adult responsibilities prematurely and as such encounter challenges on daily basis. The study concluded that the child headed families are a reality in South Africa and need lots of support from the government and local communities. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

Text in English / Zimbabwe had 50 000 child-headed households (CHH) in 2002 and by 2010, the figure had gone up to more than 100 000, making Zimbabwe the African country with the highest number of CHH (UNICEF & UNAIDS 2010). These statistics gave rise to the sprouting of many organisations and programmes aimed at catering for the needs of the affected children. Not much attention is given to what the CHH can do for themselves and how they have be surviving without outside help. The present study explored the resilience factors and coping strategies used by children living in CHH in the Mutasa District, Zimbabwe. The mixed method concurrent triangulation design was used in the study and a constructionist theoretical framework was adopted. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from 28 children in CHH, 46 community members, 24 teachers, 25 child service professionals, 10 advisory panel members, 3 government officials involved in policy formulation and implementation and 5 members of the CHH’s extended family. The Resilience Scale was administered to the CHH and the Tree of Life and problem solving activities were carried out with the children. Resilience scores obtained from the children in CHH were in the high to very high category of resilience. The qualitative data was thematically analysed. The research findings indicate that children in CHH use problem focused coping strategies. Their resilience is anchored in both individual and environmental factors. A Bidirectional Model of Resilience that is based on the findings emerged from the study.Three pathways to resilience that are embedded in this model were identified, furthermore the Self-Efficacy Strengths-Focused Model of Coping was proposed. Intervention strategies to foster resilience in CHH should focus on creating coping enabling environments and strengthening individual characteristics. / Psychology / Ph.D. (Psychology)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the services provided by the Bhambayi Drop-In Centre in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). Qualitative research design and in-depth interviews with key informants and foster parents of the OVCs were conducted. The study found that the services which are provided by the Centre enabled the orphans and vulnerable children to enjoy life as normally as possible and to experience life meaningfully. As beneficiaries of the Bhambayi Drop-In Centre the children had access to education and two meals per day. Beyond meeting such basic needs, the study also found that Centre instilled a sense of belonging and community in the children. Access to social grants enabled the children’s basic needs to be met. In addition foster parents played a crucial role in taking care of orphans and vulnerable children. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Text in English / Even though the prevalence of HIV has declined, South Africa continues to have a large number of people who are infected with HIV. Most communities still have to deal with the effects of HIV and AIDS on orphans and vulnerable children. One way of mitigating the effects of HIV and AIDS is strengthening families and communities to provide stable care to orphans. However, most families do not have the capacity to provide sufficient care to orphans hence the need for external support from the community and civil society organisations, in this instance provided through the loveLife goGogetter programme. The findings proved that the goGogetters relied on the support they received through the relationships and networks established in the community to enable them to provide effective service to orphans. The study demonstrated the importance of community networks in providing for the basic needs of orphans. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

In the light of the child's self-esteem that is affected by traumatic events, the goal of the research was to explore and describe the self-esteem of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The researcher made use of a quantitative research method. 30 (N=30) respondents, both male (n=16) and female (n=14), between the ages of 11 to 15, were randomly sampled for inclusion in the study. Each participant completed a self-report measure of self-esteem, The Culture-free Self-esteem Inventory for Children, which yielded a score of Global Self-esteem, as well as in four sub-domains including: General, Social, Academic and Parent-related Self-esteem. The results of this study demonstrated that the participants experienced a lowered self-esteem. These findings were explored in light of a literature review, after which conclusions and recommendations were provided. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Adolescence is a significant period of change in physical and psychosocial development of human beings. Being HIV positive and growing up on a dynamically multifaceted HAART treatment, adds to the complexity of adolescence. This study was aimed at exploring the nature of experiences of adolescents who are on long-term Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in Tembisa, Gauteng province. The study is based on a qualitative research method using in-depth semi-structured open-ended interviews and a focus group for data collection. The sample consisted of seven individual adolescent participants, three parents, guardians and caregivers, as well as 11 health care professionals. The thematic data analysis and the phenomelogical analysis methods were used to analyse data qualitative data while descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative biographical data. The study findings cover the negative and positive experiences and the perceived role of HAART treatment over a long period of time. The predominant themes identified from adolescent participants were disclosure of HIV positive status and the stigma surrounding a positive status, early childhood experience of parental death, challenges of taking HAART treatment, factors influencing adherence and non-adherence to HAART treatment, and lastly, the impact of religion on HAART treatment adherence. The findings suggest that adolescents who are on HAART treatment over an extended period of time experience drug fatigue. Drug fatigue has far-reaching implications for the health of an adolescent, as it has a higher likelihood that poor adherence or even complete refusal to take HAART treatment will occur. Poor adherence or refusal to take HAART treatment will most likely lead to cross infection and further spread of HIV and AIDS. A recommendation was made to include the establishment of a youth and adolescent-friendly centre by the hospital – one that is designated for the provision of tailored adolescent services and sensitive to adolescent developmental stages so as to minimise the likelihood of infected adolescents falling through the health care cracks. The introduction of a hospital-based school, an education unit run by dedicated and qualified facilitators focusing on aiding hospitalised learners with catch-up scholarly programmes, was a further recommendation. It was further recommended that reproductive health care needs of adolescents who grow up on HAART treatment be given attention in further research. / Psychology / Ph.D. (Psychology)

HIV and AIDS related deaths have left numerous children heading households as the number of adults dying from this pandemic increased significantly. The goal of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences, challenges and coping resources of AIDS-orphans heading households in an urban area in Free State using a qualitative study. The research revealed that the level of suffering faced by these children began with their parents’ illness. This was further worsened by the death of the parents. These children are in most instances not absorbed by their extended families as the traditional safety nets are stretched to their limits. Children heading households were forced to take up adult responsibilities prematurely and as such encounter challenges on daily basis. The study concluded that the child headed families are a reality in South Africa and need lots of support from the government and local communities. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the services provided by the Bhambayi Drop-In Centre in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). Qualitative research design and in-depth interviews with key informants and foster parents of the OVCs were conducted. The study found that the services which are provided by the Centre enabled the orphans and vulnerable children to enjoy life as normally as possible and to experience life meaningfully. As beneficiaries of the Bhambayi Drop-In Centre the children had access to education and two meals per day. Beyond meeting such basic needs, the study also found that Centre instilled a sense of belonging and community in the children. Access to social grants enabled the children’s basic needs to be met. In addition foster parents played a crucial role in taking care of orphans and vulnerable children. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Zimbabwe had 50 000 child-headed households (CHH) in 2002 and by 2010, the figure had gone up to more than 100 000, making Zimbabwe the African country with the highest number of CHH (UNICEF & UNAIDS 2010). These statistics gave rise to the sprouting of many organisations and programmes aimed at catering for the needs of the affected children. Not much attention is given to what the CHH can do for themselves and how they have be surviving without outside help. The present study explored the resilience factors and coping strategies used by children living in CHH in the Mutasa District, Zimbabwe. The mixed method concurrent triangulation design was used in the study and a constructionist theoretical framework was adopted. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from 28 children in CHH, 46 community members, 24 teachers, 25 child service professionals, 10 advisory panel members, 3 government officials involved in policy formulation and implementation and 5 members of the CHH’s extended family. The Resilience Scale was administered to the CHH and the Tree of Life and problem solving activities were carried out with the children. Resilience scores obtained from the children in CHH were in the high to very high category of resilience. The qualitative data was thematically analysed. The research findings indicate that children in CHH use problem focused coping strategies. Their resilience is anchored in both individual and environmental factors. A Bidirectional Model of Resilience that is based on the findings emerged from the study.Three pathways to resilience that are embedded in this model were identified, furthermore the Self-Efficacy Strengths-Focused Model of Coping was proposed. Intervention strategies to foster resilience in CHH should focus on creating coping enabling environments and strengthening individual characteristics. / Psychology / Ph.D. (Psychology)

Even though the prevalence of HIV has declined, South Africa continues to have a large number of people who are infected with HIV. Most communities still have to deal with the effects of HIV and AIDS on orphans and vulnerable children. One way of mitigating the effects of HIV and AIDS is strengthening families and communities to provide stable care to orphans. However, most families do not have the capacity to provide sufficient care to orphans hence the need for external support from the community and civil society organisations, in this instance provided through the loveLife goGogetter programme. The findings proved that the goGogetters relied on the support they received through the relationships and networks established in the community to enable them to provide effective service to orphans. The study demonstrated the importance of community networks in providing for the basic needs of orphans. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)