In this essay Rudyard Kipling’s novel Kim (1901) is dealt with from a postcolonial perspective, and the aim is to show how three father figures - Colonel Creighton, Mahbub Ali and the lama - individually influence Kim’s education. Furthermore, how their point of view on education and parenting can be used to understand the larger concepts of postcolonialism and the pedagogy of Empire. This essay will argue that Kipling provides three different approaches to education that each can be considered the most suitable for a white orphan in British India during the late nineteenth century. Colonel Creighton is the personification of the imperial mindset, an authoritarian leader who strongly believes in institutions such as schools. Whereas Mahbub Ali, the wild horse from beyond the border and a servant of the Great Game, advocates freedom and a non-institutionalised form of education. Last but not least, the Buddhist lama from Tibet wishes to make Kim his chela and teach him the Wheel of Life. Reading Kipling’s novel Kim helps us to create an awareness of how the world order has changed during the decades and also gives us the opportunity to look at our present time in different lights.

The overall aim of this study is to investigate the perception of support provided to orphan children in foster care placement in terms of education, care and support as well as protection by orphan children themselves, foster parents and social workers. Due to HIV/AIDS many children are being orphaned and are left behind without any visible means of support. HIV/AIDS remains undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of the world today, as there is no part of the world that has not felt the devastating impact of the pandemic. This is already evidenced by the increase in number of orphans, child headed households and other vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS and the inability of the extended family system to provide such children with basic requirements such as shelter, food, medical care, education, love and support. The first chapter is focusing on the Magnitude of OVC in general and Namibia in particular. According to the National Plan of Action for OVC in Namibia, the total number of orphans and vulnerable children was estimated at 128 000 in 2007 (MGECW, 2007). According to 2001 Population and Housing Census the whole Khomas region had 6674 OVC, while Khomas urban had 5708 OVC, which means that in the Khomas region more OVC in an Urban areas while rural areas had less number which was 389 OVC (NPC, 2005). Chapter two presents a literature review and focuses on the phenomena of foster care placement. It includes the definition of terms such as an orphan child, a vulnerable child and foster care placement. It gives background details of foster care placement in general and foster care placement in the Namibia context. Also the support (care and support, education and protection) being offered to children in foster care placement are discussed. Chapter three focuses on the research methods and data collection of this study. The following elements are described in this chapter: Setting and samples, procedure, methods and methodological consideration, the role of the researcher, the limitations of the study and the ethnographic situation. Chapter four is devoted to the foster care placement legal framework in Namibia where the current foster care placement processes to access government grant to support foster families are discussed as well as foster care placement policy implications in Namibia. The conclusion of the findings on foster care placement processes is included. Chapter five consists of the analysis of the study. It provides the background information of the samples, questions, responses and interpretations of the main views of the respondents on the support provided to children in foster care placement in terms of care and support, education, protection as well as foster care placement process are provided in this chapter. Chapter six is focuses on discussions and conclusion. It includes major views of the respondents and the understanding of different voices of orphan children in foster care placement, foster parents and social workers who are professionals in this matter.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a diagnosis found worldwide. Literature indicates the importance of teaching families how to support the child. Orphan children are an exposed group and if the child also is diagnosed with CP the child is even more exposed. A literature search on how the lack of social support from close family, for example a child being orphan, affects the physical therapy intervention for CP showed no results. Purpose: The purpose of this bachelor thesis was to investigate views and experiences from physical therapists at “The Center of Rehabilitation and Support For Children With Disabilities”, Ho Chi Minh City, about their work with orphan children diagnosed with CP. Method: A qualitative interview study with physical therapists working with orphan children diagnosed with CP. The data was collected through five semi-structured interviews. Summary of result: The result was divided into four categories and 14 subcategories. The treatment for the orphan children was motor skill oriented and included a psychosocial view. “Love” was very important in physical therapy treatment, as a substitute for social support from close family. The participants had examples of obstacles and experiences on ways to overcome lack of social support. Conclusion: The most prominent views and experiences from the physical therapists were to love the orphan children as their own and act in their professional roles in ways that compensate for strong social support. There is a need for more research in this area. / Bakgrund: Cerebral pares (CP) är en diagnos som finns över hela världen. Litteratur och riktlinjer anger vikten av att lära familjer hur man kan stödja barnet. Föräldralösa barn är en utsatt grupp och om barnet också är diagnostiserat med CP är barnet ännu mer utsatt. En litteratursökning om hur bristen på socialt stöd, till exempel ett barn som är föräldralöst, påverkar fysioterapeutisk behandling för CP visade inga resultat. Syftet: Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats var att intervjua fysioterapeuter vid ”The Center for Rehabilitation and Support For Children with Disabilities” i Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, om erfarenheter av deras arbete med föräldralösa barn som har fått diagnosen CP. Metod: En kvalitativ intervjustudie med fysioterapeuter som arbetade med föräldralösa barn diagnostiserade med CP. Datan samlades in genom fem semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sammanfattning av resultatet: Resultatet delades in i fyra kategorier och 14 subkategorier. Behandlingen för de föräldralösa barnen var motorisk färdighetsorienterad och inkluderade ett psykosocialt perspektiv. ”Kärlek” var mycket viktigt i fysioterapibehandlingen, som en ersättning för bristen av socialt stöd från nära familj. Deltagarna hade exempel på hinder som uppkom men också erfarenheter av sätt att övervinna bristen på socialt stöd. Slutsats: De mest framstående erfarenheterna från fysioterapeuterna var att älska de föräldralösa barnen som sina egna och agera som ett starkt socialt stöd. Det finns ett behov av ytterligare forskning inom detta område.