enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in...
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Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: Narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe.
JULIA MUTAMBARA (CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST)
(MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY)
Introduction
An AIDS orphan is a child under the age of 18 who has lost one or both parents to the disease (UNICEF, 2012).
Due to the AIDS pandemic more and more youths are losing their parents.
Worldwide, it is estimated that 17.8 million children under 18 have been orphaned by AIDS (AIDS Orphan, 2013).
15.1 million, or 85 percent of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa (AIDS Orphan, 2013).
Many studies have focused on orphan hood challenges in line with the deficit model.
Research in the past years has challenged a dominant stereotype of youth as carriers of risk and focused instead on their strengths and potential.
HIV and Orphanhood in Zimbabwe
15% estimated HIV prevalence (Age 15-49)
64 000 estimated AIDS death per year.
890 00 estimated AIDS orphans due to AIDS (CDC, 2013)
74 percent of orphans in Zimbabwe - are orphaned due to AIDS (UNICEF, 2013).
There is an urgent need to improve current intervention programmes so that they not only meet physical needs but also include psychosocial support (Thwala, 2013).
PROBLEMS FACED BY ORPHANS
Click icon to add picture• lack of social support• isolation• stigma- due to parental death• fitting in new care settings• separation from frinds and siblings
Social problems
• increased workloads• termination of school• hunger• child labour
economic problems
•poor nutrition• fatugue•headaches• trouble concetrating
Health problems
• loss of love•guidance•stigma Personal problems
• depression• generalized anxiety disorder• guilty• sadness• nightmares
Mental health problems
Coping with death among orphans
Loss of a primary caregiver is believed to pose a threat to children’s psychosocial development.
losing a parent often results in a sense of hopelessness (Stein, 2006; UNICEF, 2006b)
Adults need to encourage children to talk about their feelings of guilt, loss, anger, and sadness; such talk enhances the adjustment of children to parental death (Foster et al., 2005, p. 123).
However, some children do not what to talk about their parents` death. Silence can help some children to recover (Hutchinson, 2011).
Most orphans do not receive preparation or orphan-specific support for mourning and emotional recovery (Howard, Matinhure, McCurdy & Johnson, 2006).
Intervening in orphans
Understanding the social contexts in which youths live may reduce risk and promote positive development (Youngblade et al., 2010).
The psychosocial development and emotional well-being of OVC are frequently not recognised as an important area of concern when children face HIV/AIDS-related illness and death (Germann, 2005; Foster et al.,2005).
Research should focus on understanding what issues youths face, help them build resilience and encourage positive adaptations to stressors that may occur in their environment.
Positive Youth Development Framework
PYD seeks to promote a variety of developmental competencies that young people need at individual, social, and system levels to become productive, contributing members of society (Alicea et al., 2012; Ersing, 2009) .
The Five Cs conceptualize PYD as
(1) competence or a sense of mastery and self-efficacy
(2) confidence or a feeling of self-worth
(3) connection or a sense of being a part of family and community
(4) character or possessing values and a social conscience
(5) caring or a sense of compassion (Lerner et al., 2011).
Positive Youth Development vs traditional approaches
The resiliency approach
The term resilience refers to a dynamic process of overcoming the negative effects of risk exposure, coping successfully with traumatic experiences and avoiding the negative trajectories associated with risks (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005).
It means bouncing back from adversity
The resiliency approach is the other approach relevant to youth development in general (Small & Memmo, 2004).
Resiliency
INDIVIDUAL TRAITS•Social Competence
•Problem Solving Skills
•Autonomy
•Sense of Purpose, Belief in a Bright future
ENVIRONMENTAL TRAITS•Caring Relationships
•High Expectations
•Opportunities for Participation
Aim of the study
The aim of the study was to explore factors that facilitate positive development among adolescent orphans.
Research questions
what were the sources of social support systems for the adolescents?
what psychological factors lead to the adolescents positive development?
What do attributes do study participants recommend for their positive development?
Methodology
This qualitative exploratory study
Participants aged 15-19 were purposively sampled from a group receiving psychosocial support in Gweru.
Three focus group discussions with 5 children in each group
7 in-depth interviews
Those who took part in the focus group discussions did not participate in the in depth interviews.
Study findings Source Positive attributesPersonal experiences
vision motivation need to prove a point
relationships
Connection to the deceased relationship with friends
community NGO foster friendship Love and hope
Personal experience
Vision
Some participants reported that having a vision pushed them to achieve in their lives.
“I have a vision of a better future and do not what my background to taint my future”.
“my vision propelled me in life because I believed there are no limits to life. I have been through a lot in my life. I know what I want and will become whatever I want”.
Motivation
Participants reported that they were inspired by other people who had achieved in their lives.
“I was always inspired by our neighbour`s children, the four of them went to university and I always wish to be like them. So this motivated me to forge ahead and to be positive in whatever I do”.
Need to prove a point
Many participant said that many negative things had been done and said about them. They wanted to show the world that orphans could do great things.
“ I passed my A` Level and next year I will be going to the university. No one thought I could go this far”
“I am a victim of verbal abuse. My brother`s wife would always verbally abused me even when I did something good like planting a vegetable garden. So I grew up with this urge in me to prove that I am someone worthy’
RelationshipsConnection to deceased parents
Some participants said that although their parents were dead they always had a special place in their lives. They influenced whatever they did.
“Before I do anything I always ask myself what my parents could have wanted me to do. I want their spirits to be happy so that they can always protect me”
“I always have dreams about my parents advising me whenever I fail to make decisions. I can feel their presence and it’s like they are always with me”.
Relationship with friends
Having close friends to confide in was reported as inspiring and motivating by the study participants. They said that friends especially those from the same socio-economic background helped them to share concerns and experiences.
“Some friends helped me with clothes, some would ask their parents for money to donate to me”
“Having friends who were concerned about my welfare has taught me a fundamental lesson. I have learnt to give and share the little that I have”
The community
Assistance from NGOs
Study participants appreciated the role that some non –governmental organisations had played in their lives.
“This NGO gave me the opportunity to interact with other students with a similar background. I felt relieved seeing people who shared a similar background”
“Through the work of the NGO that was working in our area I developed the sense of belonging”.
Sense of love
Study participants said throughout their lives they had met people who had taught them to love
“This female teacher from my school took me into her house and started paying for my fees. I became her child. For the first time I had someone who was prepared to listen to me and to value me”
“When I went into the streets I met this social worker. She would treat us as her own children. She could hug us and gave each one of us time to talk to her privately. She comforted us”
“The church pastor always had special time with orphaned children. He taught us Ubuntu, how to respect elders, how to become responsible people and to pray. His teachings were very helpful in my life as I am a changed person and I can now interact”
Recommendations Better living condition for children in institutions
Three of the study participants had lived in institutions at particular times in their lives. These are some of the observations that they made
“I have been in three probation hostels and I would always run away from these and go back to the streets.. There is no attachment”
“They are like prisons for children. They should be more accommodating”‘
“those at the children`s home did not teach us how to relate and to stand up for ourselves. When I was taken in by my maternal relatives I had a difficult time trying to fit into the family”
Respect for the orphaned children` needs
Some study participants felt that those who care for orphans should respect children`s needs and have time to discuss with them their expectations.
“As for me I would rather keep quiet about my orphan hood status. For me it’s a no go area and I don’t want anyone discussing my background. That’s what I want and feel that that should be respected”.
“At one time my teacher told the whole class that I should not be failing but should be working hard since I did not have parents. I got so angry that I left the school and never returned. Teachers also need help in the best practises when dealing with orphans”
Recommendations conti…Education of caregivers
Most of the study participants said that as a result of their experiences with caregivers they strongly felt that caregivers should be educated on how best to raise orphaned children to become better citizens.
“when I was in 14 years old I was taken by my father`s brother. He had just married, his wife was 19 yrs old. So it was like an adolescent taking care of another adolescent. She was not prepared and we had a lot of misunderstandings. I thought she did not love me but I know she had her own issues.
“my brother took me in when my parents passed on. I was 8 yrs – I was left alone at the rural home looking after cattle and also going to school. I was absent most of the days. At least if someone had talked to brother it could have helped”
Workshops on psychological wellbeing
The study participants recommended workshops on Ubuntu, self-esteem, leadership, confidence building and resilience.
“As orphaned children we grew up in environments where people do not believe in us and many times we lack confidence and self-esteem”
“I stayed in the streets for more than 2 years and yes we would get people who would provide us with food and clothes. But in terms of Ubuntu there was nothing that was taught. Simple things like greeting elders were very difficult for me when I was taken in by a foster parent”
Discussion Study participants reported that the experiences that they had with caring
adults helped them to be resilient. Studies have shown that youth participants personally grow through their experience of building external support structures in their school and community
The study participants lamented that there is need to respect the needs of orphans. According to Davidson et al (2010) Meaningful youth engagement is a key concept for positive youth development and this includes listening and responding to youth (Caine & Boydell, 2010, Pearrow, 2008).
The findings of the study were that adolescents who took part in this study acknowledged the role that the community as well as friends had played in enhancing their development. According to Iwasaki et al (2014) when youth are part of the community they feel a sense of solidarity and belonging.
Discussion conti.. The study has revealed that there is need for caregivers to be educated on
the needs of children and how best to insure optimal development for these children. Castle et al, (1999) propounded that quality care can mitigate alleviate the problems faced by orphans.
Blanchet-Cohen and Salazar (2009) emphasized that the meaningful engagement of marginalized youth requires moving away from the dominant hierarchy of relationships in which adults are providers and youth are receivers, to a more equal, collaborative model of relationships.
Adolescent who took part in this study said they benefited a lot from interactions with other orphaned children that was necessitated by NGOs that operated in their communities. This is supported by Iwasaki et al., (2004) who observe that by creating a community of individuals who deal with similar issues youth come to identify themselves as part of the community.