Taking Grandparent Empowerment to Tanzania: A Pilot Project

Abstract

For more than a decade, empowerment training programs have been used as an intervention for strengthening the parenting skills and well-being of custodial grandparents in the United States. This paper reports on a pilot project that transplanted one such training program to Tanzania. The curriculum was modified, translated into Swahili, and presented by the author to 13 grandparents in a small, rural village near the Tanzanian capital. The responses to the program were extremely positive. The participants reported that the child-rearing techniques, methods of communication, and tools for education were helpful and applicable in their daily lives. Moreover, they stated that they were readily sharing the information with others in the community. The results suggest that empowerment training may be an important intervention in communities similar to the one studied. In addition, the program reinforced the idea that personal empowerment may serve as an important component for empowerment in the community.Empowerment is a process by which people, organizations, and communities gain mastery over issues of concern (Rappaport, 1987). Psychological empowerment refers to empowerment at the individual level and integrates a sense of personal control, a proactive approach to life, and a critical understanding of the sociopolitical environment. Community empowerment, however, entails members of a community gaining influence over conditions

Effectiveness of Interventions for Grandparent Caregivers: A Systematic Review

“…Six studies relied on either satisfaction surveys of grandparent's caregivers or the clinical impressions of group leaders delivering the intervention (Brintnall-Peterson et al, 2009;Collins, 2011;Cox, 2014;Cox & Chesek, 2012;Kicklighter et al, 2007;Loree et al, 2014). These programs were, not surprisingly, judged to be effective.…”

“…There were also few reports of attempts to double-blind the participants and researchers to the interventions, increasing the likelihood for performance and detection biases. Only three studies made reference to attempts to blind participants (Zauszniewski et al, 2012(Zauszniewski et al, , 2014a(Zauszniewski et al, , 2014b, and in eight of the studies, the person delivering the intervention was also responsible for measuring outcomes (Bigbee et al, 2011;Collins, 2011;Cox, 2014;Cox & Chesek, 2012;Duquin et al, 2004;Kicklighter et al, 2007Kicklighter et al, , 2009Loree et al, 2014).…”

“…In addition, grandparents believed the program had strengthened their parenting skills, feelings of competency, and abilities to advocate in the community for their own needs. Cox and Chesek (2012) conducted a pilot project exploring the acceptability and applicability of the empowerment training program to a group of 11 grandparents in Tanzania. Details of qualitative data analysis were not provided; however, based on participant feedback, these grandparents reported the child-rearing techniques and methods of communication with grandchildren as particularly useful.…”

Reunification in Custodial Grandfamilies: An Examination of Resilient Family Processes

“…Additionally, the family's spiritual beliefs also provide a sense of meaning and purpose and may aid in coping with stress (Lietz & Strength, 2011;Walsh, 2012). Within the context of grandfamilies, grandparents often make positive meanings of their family circumstances, for example, a second chance at parenting and giving the grandchild a better life, through benefit finding, empowerment, optimism, and positive caregiving appraisals (Castillo et al, 2013;Cox & Chesek, 2012;Dolbin-MacNab & Keiley, 2006;Smith & Dolbin-MacNab, 2013;Waldrop & Weber, 2001). Additionally, grandparent spirituality and religiosity have been positively associated with enhanced coping with the stressors associated with raising grandchildren (Bachman & Chase-Lansdale, 2005;Lawrence-Webb & Okundaye, 2012;Neely-Barnes et al 2010).…”

Intergenerational Community-Based Research and Creative Practice: Promoting Environmental Sustainability in Jinja, Uganda

“…Evans (2015, p. 199) argues that debates about age relations and intergenerational practice have, to date, disproportionately reflected "the interests of research and policy in the global North." Although the literature on intergenerational practice in sub-Saharan Africa is still emerging (Ashton & Dickson, 2003;Cox & Chesek, 2012;Hoffman, 2003;Moller, 2010;Oduaran, 2014;Nyesigomwe, 2006;Roos, Hoffman, & Van Der Westhuizen, 2013;Vander Ven & Schneider-Munoz, 2012;Van Vliet, 2011), there remain considerable need and scope to develop intergenerational research, practice and policy in sub-Saharan African contexts in ways that reflect local realities and priorities, including in Uganda, where research points toward an entrenching gap between older and younger generations. Although often described as increasingly gerontocratic (Harris, 2012), Uganda has one of the youngest age structures in the world.…”