Psychosocial deficits underpinning child headed households (CHHs) in Mabvuku and Tafara suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe

Leaving No One Behind: A Photovoice Case Study on Vulnerability and Wellbeing of Children Heading Households in Two Informal Settlements in Nairobi

“…The social vulnerabilities faced by the CHHs in our study further resonate with studies in other informal settlements which show that social vulnerabilities exacerbated material deprivations and risks of poor health (Kanyi 2019;Collins et al 2016). Together, social isolation and discrimination contribute towards poor mental health for many CHHs (Van Breda 2010;Kanyi 2019;Mogotlane et al 2010;Collins et al 2016;Makuyana et al 2020).…”

“…Studies of CHHs experiences in Africa are framed from a range of perspectives, including quality of life (Chademana and Van Wyk 2021;Awino 2010), vulnerabilities (Donald and Clacherty 2005), resilience (Ward and Eyber 2009) and coping strategies (Daniel and Mathias 2012;Kurebwa and Kurebwa 2014). Some studies focus on psychological or psychosocial wellbeing (Caserta et al 2017;Makuyana et al 2020), whilst others consider multiple aspects of daily life including material, social aspects (Kanyi 2019;Collins et al 2016;Kurebwa and Kurebwa 2014;Evans 2005;Mogotlane et al 2010).…”

“…CHHs are often vulnerable to exploitation by family, such as failure to recognise or grabbing inheritance, including in informal settlements in Kenya (Kanyi 2019) as well as in Uganda (Collins et al 2016). Multiple layers of hardships intersect with social dimensions of vulnerability-such as stigma, exclusion and exploitation-and psychological trauma related to multiple losses, resulting in anxiety and depression, which are further exacerbated by lack of support and limited psychological resources (Van Breda 2010;Kanyi 2019;Mogotlane et al 2010;Collins et al 2016;Makuyana et al 2020). Ndeda (2013) found that girls who head households experience a 'double vulnerability' by nature of their gender.…”

Prospects and Pitfalls Experienced by Social Workers Working in a Confounding Environment in a South African Setting

“…Indeed, as some researchers have indicated that social work is a profession of many faces [1], this is indeed validated on the ground, as it faces a conglomeration of challenges, that inter alia includes dealing with children's developmental deficits and their concomitant challenges such as abandonment, abuse, child labour, juvenile delinquency, child trafficking, street children families and lack of their schooling and child poverty [2], addressing the effects of the pandemic such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, hunger and starvation, substance abuse and all kinds of violence, especially gender-based violence, criminal behaviour and xenophobia; poverty making people lead a life of stresses and despondence; homelessness and squalor settlements, all these quagmires stifling social and community development [3][4][5]. While the above challenges are ubiquitous and present challenges of different magnitudes, aspersions are cast over the suitability of the social work curriculum most African countries use.…”