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Child-Headed Households in Rural Zimbabwe: Perceptions of Shona Orphaned Children Eucharia Gomba University of the Incarnate Word, [email protected]

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Child-Headed Households in Rural Zimbabwe: Perceptions of Shona Orphaned Children Eucharia Gomba University of the Incarnate Word, Gombasrp@Gmail.Com University of the Incarnate Word The Athenaeum Theses & Dissertations 5-2018 Child-headed Households in Rural Zimbabwe: Perceptions of Shona Orphaned Children Eucharia Gomba University of the Incarnate Word, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://athenaeum.uiw.edu/uiw_etds Part of the Organization Development Commons Recommended Citation Gomba, Eucharia, "Child-headed Households in Rural Zimbabwe: Perceptions of Shona Orphaned Children" (2018). Theses & Dissertations. 331. https://athenaeum.uiw.edu/uiw_etds/331 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The theA naeum. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The theA naeum. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS IN RURAL ZIMBABWE: PERCEPTIONS OF SHONA ORPHANED CHILDREN by Sr. EUCHARIA GOMBA SJI A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the University of the Incarnate Word in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD May 2018 ii Copyright by Sr. Eucharia Gomba 2018 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to thank God, The Almighty who made it possible for me to get it this far. My special thanks are in order to Dr. Judith Beauford, PhD, my dissertation chair, for her time and directing me with patience and expertise. My gratitude goes to Dr. Sharon Herbers, PhD, and Dr. Maria-Felix Ortiz, PhD. for accepting to be on my dissertation committee and their invaluable comments. I would also like to express my appreciation to everyone who has helped me with this work. This includes all those who taught me in the Dreeben School of Education at the University of the Incarnate Word, the Library Staff and all those who cheered me up and encouraged me during my academic journey. This work would not have been possible without my nephew Clifford Gomba who inspired me to write on orphaned children and for his sound suggestions, technical and moral support during my dissertation journey. I thank the Sisters of the Infant Jesus (SJI), my religious community for allowing me this precious time to study. My gratitude goes to Bishop Dr. Martin Munyanyi and my sister Angela Matavire, both in Zimbabwe for their telephone conversations, ideas, their valued friendship, and encouragement during the writing of this work. Mary Bockrath, from Dayton Ohio, Felistas Makusha and – Dominic Mhosva from Australia, distance did not hinder you from helping me realize this feat. Thank you family, relatives, and friends for believing in me and always reaching out with advice and suggestions during this dissertation journey. Thank you all. iv DEDICATION To the following deceased members of my family • My mother (Anna Maria Machina Gomba Matavire) • My father (Cosmas Gomba Matavire) • My sister (Tecla Cosmas Mhandire) • My aunt (Consilia Machina Gondo) v CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS IN RURAL ZIMBABWE: PERCEPTIONS OF SHONA ORPHANED CHILDREN Sr. Eucharia Gomba, PhD University of the Incarnate Word, 2017 This qualitative ethnographic case study explored the phenomenon of Child- Headed Households (CHHs) in rural Zimbabwe from the perspectives of a Shona community. My intention was to gain an understanding on how these children access necessities like food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, and cope on a daily basis without parental care, or adult supervision. The perceptions of both the orphaned children and the adults in their community were investigated through the integrative lens of the Shona philosophy of unhu, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Bronfenbrenner’s ideas of systems. The findings of this study show that children from child- headed households among the Shona people in Zimbabwe struggle to make ends meet without the traditional family structure and adult supervision, and that they experience social, educational, psychological, and social development problems. Although the orphaned children in this study showed resilience, bravery, and sense of responsibility as they cared for their siblings, they struggle to make ends meet as they fail to access basic needs. The systemic issues affecting Zimbabwe as a country enhance the plight of these children thereby making their stories vital and necessary to understand. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi THE PROBLEM OF SHONA ORPHANED CHILDREN .............................................................1 Background of the Study .....................................................................................................3 The Shona Community ........................................................................................................5 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................................10 Purpose of the Study ..........................................................................................................13 Research Questions ............................................................................................................14 Overview of the Methodology ...........................................................................................14 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................15 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................20 Assumptions .......................................................................................................................21 Limitations .........................................................................................................................21 Summary ............................................................................................................................22 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE .....................................................................................23 Childhood ...........................................................................................................................23 Cultural Values ..................................................................................................................24 Child-Headed Households .................................................................................................28 Policy Framework ..............................................................................................................30 vii Table of Contents—Continued REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Psychosocial Challenges of Orphan hood..........................................................................31 The sense of loss/bereavement ...............................................................................31 Stigmatization and child abuse ..............................................................................31 Responsive of Intervention Programs for Orphans in Zimbabwe .....................................32 Institutionalization .................................................................................................32 The school and psychosocial support for orphans .................................................32 Psychosocial Needs of Orphans .........................................................................................33 Sensitive support systems ......................................................................................33 Counseling services ...............................................................................................33 Coping mechanisms ...............................................................................................34 Summary ............................................................................................................................34 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................35 Research Design.................................................................................................................35 Ethical consideration ..............................................................................................39 Data collection .......................................................................................................40 Trustworthiness and credibility..............................................................................43 Data Analysis .........................................................................................................44 Setting of the Study ............................................................................................................45 Driefontein Mission (Guta) ....................................................................................50 Chaka area ..............................................................................................................51 viii Table of Contents—Continued METHODOLOGY The school system ..................................................................................................55 Recruitment of Participants................................................................................................65 FINDINGS .....................................................................................................................................73
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