The scourge of HIV/AIDS is ravaging our communities; many children have lost their parents to this pandemic. The death of parents because of this pandemic has resulted in the emergence of a new phenomenon of child-headed households. This paper seeks to examine the rights of children in child-headed households as entrenched in section 28(1)(b) and (c) of the Constitution. Once the rights of children in child-headed households are ascertained, the state’s duty to give effect to these rights is investigated. In the analysis of the rights, the socio-economic rights jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court is considered. The paper further argues that the state gives effect to the rights of children in child-headed households through legislation and policy. As such, the paper takes a closer look at the legislation and policies that seek to give effect to the rights of children in child-headed households as enumerated in section 28(1)(b) and (c) and gaps in that legislation and policy are highlighted. In conclusion, proposals are made that will assist the state to give effect to the rights of children in child-headed households as set out in the Constitution. / Private Law / LL.M.

Placement of orphans under kinship foster care is a common occurrence in social work practice, especially around Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga Province. Social workers are facing the challenge of an alarming increase in foster care cases due to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the area. Thus the social workers are trapped in a situation of having to place orphans in kinship foster care, without adequate preparation nor the opportunity to explore the feelings and experiences of being in a child-headed household. This study aimed at exploring and describing the experiences and expectations of orphans who were in charge of child-headed households, regarding their preparation for being placed in kinship foster care and their subsequent placement in such care. Research findings revealed that some orphaned children who had previously been heading a child-headed household and were now placed in kinship foster care were continuing to head the households despite the fact that an order had been issued by the children’s court for them to be under the care and guidance of kin foster parents. The non-involvement of orphaned heads of households in any decisions that affect them emerged in the findings of the study as a critical issue. Another important finding was that some orphaned children in kinship foster care experienced the abuse of the foster care grant by their kin foster parents. The research study has made provision for conclusions and recommendations to all role-players responsible for placing child-headed households in kinship foster care in order to enhance the efficacy of kin foster care placement. / Department of Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

Text in English / Child-headed households are a reality in South Africa, and extensive research has advanced its causes and the children’s coping mechanisms. Social workers identify children in need, refer them to SASSA for social grants, facilitate foster care placements and offer psychosocial support services. This study sought to determine the nature of social work services rendered to children in such households in Virginia in the Free State. Qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research was used to reach the goal of the study. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen participants who were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected was analysed using the eight steps of Tesch (in Creswell, 2009) and verified through Guba’s method of trustworthiness (Krefting, 1991). The services rendered to child-headed households (CHHs) through individual, group and community work were inadequate due to lack of resources including a shortage of social workers due to a general dissatisfaction with salaries. Participants suggested the need to build the capacity of the available staff through staff training and improved access to available resources in order to strengthen the nature of services rendered to CHHs. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

The scourge of HIV/AIDS is ravaging our communities; many children have lost their parents to this pandemic. The death of parents because of this pandemic has resulted in the emergence of a new phenomenon of child-headed households. This paper seeks to examine the rights of children in child-headed households as entrenched in section 28(1)(b) and (c) of the Constitution. Once the rights of children in child-headed households are ascertained, the state’s duty to give effect to these rights is investigated. In the analysis of the rights, the socio-economic rights jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court is considered. The paper further argues that the state gives effect to the rights of children in child-headed households through legislation and policy. As such, the paper takes a closer look at the legislation and policies that seek to give effect to the rights of children in child-headed households as enumerated in section 28(1)(b) and (c) and gaps in that legislation and policy are highlighted. In conclusion, proposals are made that will assist the state to give effect to the rights of children in child-headed households as set out in the Constitution. / Private Law / LL.M.

Placement of orphans under kinship foster care is a common occurrence in social work practice, especially around Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga Province. Social workers are facing the challenge of an alarming increase in foster care cases due to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the area. Thus the social workers are trapped in a situation of having to place orphans in kinship foster care, without adequate preparation nor the opportunity to explore the feelings and experiences of being in a child-headed household. This study aimed at exploring and describing the experiences and expectations of orphans who were in charge of child-headed households, regarding their preparation for being placed in kinship foster care and their subsequent placement in such care. Research findings revealed that some orphaned children who had previously been heading a child-headed household and were now placed in kinship foster care were continuing to head the households despite the fact that an order had been issued by the children’s court for them to be under the care and guidance of kin foster parents. The non-involvement of orphaned heads of households in any decisions that affect them emerged in the findings of the study as a critical issue. Another important finding was that some orphaned children in kinship foster care experienced the abuse of the foster care grant by their kin foster parents. The research study has made provision for conclusions and recommendations to all role-players responsible for placing child-headed households in kinship foster care in order to enhance the efficacy of kin foster care placement. / Department of Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

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)

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)

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This thesis investigates gender relations in agricultural value chains by examining gender differentials in terms of gender roles in agricultural production and marketing, gender division of labour within the household, gendered daily and seasonal activities in the household, decision-making power within the household, and access to productive resources and agricultural support services. The study also assessed historical, socio-cultural, and institutional factors constraining gender equality and women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains. Employing critical theory, the study used a qualitative research approach, specifically basic classical ethnographic methods - participant observation, field notes, in-depth interviews, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and secondary documents. The study also used a time-use survey and seasonal calendar as its primary source of data. The study revealed that women are generally underrepresented in most profitable nodes of the value chains. However, agricultural value chain interventions have different outcomes for women in female-headed households (FHHs) and women in male-headed households (MHHs). The commercialization of agriculture, particularly in MHHs, has led women to lose control over the commodities they traditionally used to control, as these commodities have fallen into the hands of men. Therefore women in this category are either disempowered or at least not empowered by the value chain interventions. Nevertheless, for women of FHHs, gender mainstreaming in agricultural value chains has contributed to improving gender equality, employment, and women’s empowerment by boosting their economic, social, and personal empowerment levels, though they still lag behind the men in many aspects. The participation of women in managing and controlling high-value crops is constrained by unequal power relations within the household and society. This could be explained in terms of limited resources, low level of literacy, shortage of labour and time, limited access to productive inputs, technologies, market information and agricultural extension services, restriction of mobility, and other socio-cultural and institutional barriers. / Hierdie studie handel oor genderverhoudings in landbouwaardekettings deur genderkenmerke te ondersoek ten opsigte van genderrolle in landbouproduksie en -bemarking, die verdeling van take by die huis op grond van gender, daaglikse en seisoenale werksaamhede tuis volgens gender, besluitnemingsbevoegdheid in die huishouding, en toegang tot produktiewe hulpbronne en landbouhulpdienste. Die studie verreken ook die historiese, sosiaal-kulturele en institusionele faktore wat gendergelykheid en die bemagtiging van vroue in landbouwaardekettings belemmer. Genderverhoudings word deur die lens van die kritiese teorie bekyk. ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gevolg en klassieke etnografiese metodes is toegepas, waaronder deelnemerwaarneming, veldaantekeninge, deurtastende en halfgestruktureerde onderhoude, onderhoude met sleutelinformante, fokusgroepbesprekings en sekondêre dokumente. ʼn Tydbenuttingsopname en seisoenale kalender was die primêre databronne. Uit die studie het geblyk dat vroue by die mees winsgewende skakels van die waardeketting grotendeels onderverteenwoordig is. Die uitkomste van landbouwaardekettingintervensies vir vrouehuishoudings (VH) (huishoudings waarin ʼn vrou die broodwinner is) verskil van dié vir mannehuishoudings (MH) (huishoudings waarin ʼn man die broodwinner is). Weens die kommersialisering van die landboubedryf, in veral MH’s, het beheer oor die kommoditeite van vroue se hande in dié van mans oorgegaan. Gevolglik word vroue in hierdie kategorie ontmagtig of ten minste nie deur die waarde van kettingintervensies bemagtig nie. Ofskoon ʼn groter genderbewustheid in die landbouwaardeketting gelyke indiensneming en die ekonomiese, maatskaplike en persoonlike bemagtiging van vroue bevorder het, het vroue steeds ʼn groot agterstand. Ongelyke magsverhoudings tuis en in die samelewing beperk vroue se bestuur van en beheer oor lonende gewasse. Die redes hiervoor is onder meer beperkte hulpbronne, ongeletterdheid, ʼn tekort aan arbeid en tyd, beperkte toegang tot produktiewe insette, tegnologieë, markinligting en landbouverlengingsdienste, beperkte mobiliteit en talle ander sosiaal-kulturele en institusionele struikelblokke. / Lolu cwaningo luphenya ubudlelwano kwezobulili kwezemisebenzi yokukhiqiza ngasemkhakheni wezolimo , lokhu kwenziwa ngokuthi kuhlolwe izimpawu ezahlukile kwezobulili, mayelana nezindima ezidlalwa ubulili emkhakheni wezemikhiqizo yezolimo kanye nokuthengiswa kwemikhiqizo, ukwehlukaniswa kwabasebenzi ngokobulili ngaphakathi kwekhaya kanye nokutholakala kwemithombo yokukhiqiza kanye nemisebenzi yokuxhasa ezolimo. Isifundo futhi sihlola izinto ezithinta umlando, inhlalakahle yabantu kwezolimo kanye nezimo/nezinto ezikumaziko ezidala ukungalingani kobulili kanye nokuhlonyiswa ngamandla kwabesimame emisebenzini yezokukhiqiza kwezolimo. Ukusebenzisa umqondo ogxekayo (critical theory), kusetshenziswe indlela yokucwaninga eyencike kwingxoxo, ikakhulukazi izindlela zokuqala ze-ethinogilafi, phecelezi (basic classical ethnographic methods) – ukubhekisisa izenzo zabadlalindima, ukuthatha amanothi wokwenzeka ezinkundleni zokusebenza ezingaphandle, ukwenza izinhlolo vo ezijulile, ukwenza izinhlolo vo ezimbaxambili, ukwenza izinhlolovo zomuntu onolwazi olunzulu, izingxoxo zeqembu eliqondiwe kanye nemibhalo yesigaba sesibili. Isaveyi yesikhathi ebizwa nge (time-use survey) kanye nekhalenda yenkathi (seasonal calendar ) zisetshenziswe njengemithombo yokuqala yedatha. Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi abesimame ngokwenjwayelo bamele inani elincane labesimame emikhakheni eminingi yezokukhiqiza, okuyimikhakha engenisa inzuzo eningi. Yize kunjalo, imizamo yokuxhasa imisebenzi yokukhiqiza kwezolimo inemiphumela eyehlukahlukene kwabesimame kumakhaya aphethwe abesimame (FHHs) futhi le mizamo inemiphumela eyehlukahlukene kwabesimame kumakhaya aphethwe ngabesilisa (MHHs). Ukufakwa kwemboni yezolimo kwibhizinisi, ikakhulukazi kwimizi ephathwe ngabesilisa (MHHs), sekuholele ekutheni abesimame balahlekelwe yilawulo kwimithombo yezomnotho ebebejwayele ukuyiphatha, njengoba le mithombo yezomnotho seyiwele ngaphansi kwezandla zabesilisa. Ngakho-ke abesimame kulo mkhakha mhlawumbe bephucwe amandla noma mhlawumbe abahlonyisiwe ngokwanele ngamandla ngamakhono okuxhasa imisebenzi yezokukhiqiza. Yize-kunjalo, ngasohlangothini lwabesimame abaphethe imizi FHHs, ukulinganisa amanani ngokobulili kwimisebenzi yezolimo sekube negalelo ekuthuthukiseni ukulingana ngokobulili, kwezemisebenzi kanye nokuhlomisa ngamandla kwabesimame ngokuxhasa amazinga abo ezomnotho, ukuhlonyiswa kwamazinga abantu kanye nomuntu ngamunye, yize abesimame basahamba emuva kwabesilisa emikhakheni eminingi. Ukubandakanyeka kwabesimame ekuphatheni kanye nasekulawuleni kwezitshalo zecophelo eliphezulu kukhinyabezwa ukungalingani ngamandla ngaphakathi kwekhaya kanye nomphakathi. Lokhu kungachazwa ngokwemithombo yomnotho emincane, ngokwamazinga aphansi emfundo, ngokusweleka kwabasebenzi kanye nesikhathi, ngokwamathuba amancane okufinyelela izinsiza zokukhiqiza, ngokwezixhobo zobuchwepheshengokuswela ulwazi lwezimakethe kanye nokwandiswa kwemisebenzi yezolimo, ngokwemigomo evimbezela ukuhamba kanye nezinye izihibe ezivimbela inhlalakahle yabantu kwezolimo kanye nezihibe zamaziko. / Development Studies / D. Phil. (Development Studies)

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.

The changing structures of families and the increase in the number of child headed families are progressively becoming noticeable both nationally and internationally. Reviewed literature has confirmed that the increasing trend in orphan status among school going age over the period 2002-2009, is of major concern. A growing body of literature also indicates that child headed families and orphan hood are becoming common phenomena in many African countries in general and South Africa in particular. This scenario presents certain challenges especially on the orphaned children‘s learning and schooling experiences as well as their behavioural and social interaction patterns. The phenomenon calls for greater educational support for such learners at school and home. Increasingly, teachers and schools world over are expected to respond to the changing educational environment and contextual realities of schooling that include the orphaned learners who head households. The aim of this thesis was to address the behavioural challenges that orphaned learners who head household experience and to develop a psycho-educational programme to support their learning. A qualitative instrumental case study research design was used with a study sample of 30 orphaned learners living in child headed household aged 10 to 16 years, ten Life Orientation Teachers, four members of School Management Team, eight members of School Based Support Team (SBST) and four Social Workers who were purposively sampled to participate in the study. The study was conducted in 15 classes located at four schools (3 secondary, 1 primary) in Taledi Area, Mamusa Circuit located in Ipelegeng Township of Schweizer Reneke town under Dr R.S. Ruth Momphati District-North West Province, South Africa. In order to answer the research question, data was collected using a variety of data collection techniques. These were semi structured interviews, observations and documentary analysis. Data obtained was analysed using the interpretational analysis method to determine the common themes and sub themes describing the behavioural challenges that the orphaned learners experience during schooling in the playgrounds and in the classroom. Data analysed revealed that although orphaned learners are socially strong with regard to interaction with their peers, they experience learning difficulties in the classroom leading to underperformance and grade repeating. The study also noted that orphaned learners exhibit negative conduct behaviours and negative social interaction patterns with their LO teachers and members of the school management team. The study also revealed that emotional problems and lack of material support are common phenomena amongst these learners. The study arrived at the recommendation that a psycho-educational programme to address the behavioural challenges be developed to enhance the academic performance of the learners. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)