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In this webinar, a new paper on strategies to prevent family separation is presented. Examples from Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Namibia are presented.
The Regional Learning Platform on care reform for Eastern and Southern Africa provides an opportunity for government, UNICEF and others involved in care reform in the region to share learning through webinars, document exchange, a HelpDesk, and pairing and mentoring. The platform and its…
Abstract
This paper reports the findings from a small qualitative study into child fosterage undertaken in Namibia in 2019. The research project is a collaboration between academics at the University of Namibia, Africa, and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Workshops were undertaken in Windhoek the capital city of Namibia with five groups including stakeholders and policymakers, children’s practitioners, social workers, parents and carers, and children. The workshops ascertained the thoughts, understandings and individual experiences about child fosterage practice from…
Abstract
Kinship care is one of the most prevalent forms of placement that is used for children affected and/or infected by HIV and AIDS in Namibia. However, the literature lacks a systematic theory-informed understanding with respect to what is currently known about caregivers generally and specifically, elderly caregivers of orphans, and vulnerable children (OVC) in sub-Saharan Africa. This foundational chapter from Biopsychosocial Perspectives and Practices for Addressing Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases attempts to provide readers with content to assist in their…
Abstract
African child-rearing has been documented as primarily social in nature and driven by community, responsibility, and respect for elders (Nsamenang B (1992) Human development in cultural context: a third world perspective. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE; Weisner et al. African families and the crisis of social change, Bergin and Garvey, Westport, CT, 1997). Socially distributed care is common and reflects strong kinship ties that serve as a social welfare system in times of need as well as the glue of teaching tradition. The practice of child migration (fosterage) in and out of kin…
Abstract
Family constitutes more than simple living arrangements, and these systems are of pivotal development importance in sub-Saharan Africa. The diversity of family structures and types in sub-Saharan Africa has warranted an examination of the various policies and laws in the region. This paper examines all policy and laws related to families in the South, West, East and Central regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The paper highlights the sundry of policies and laws that are influenced by cultural and religious differences within and across regions. Issues relating to patriarchy and…
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Globalization of knowledge and scholarship raises the challenges of dialogue between Global North and South. Northern knowledge and voice remain privileged, while writing from the South often goes unread. This is true also in emerging adulthood and care-leaving scholarship. The special issue of Emerging Adulthood titled “Care-Leaving in Africa” is the first collection of essays on care-leaving by African scholars. It presents both care-leaving and emerging adulthood scholars from the Global North a unique opportunity to consider the implications of a rising…
Abstract
This article initiates the conversation on the conceptualisation of child neglect in Namibia, reporting findings from a small study undertaken in 2017. The research is a collaboration between academics at the University of Namibia, Africa, University of Bristol and Cardiff University in the UK. The study is the first of its kind in Namibia, offering original knowledge about what constitutes neglect for children in the local context of child-rearing practice. Qualitative interviews with practitioners in schools and social-care organisations were undertaken in three of the fourteen…
ABSTRACT
Background: It is difficult to estimate the true extent of infanticide and baby dumping in Namibia, since such cases may go unreported. However, police statistics and anecdotal information suggest that the problem is significant. While the act of abandoning a newborn baby seems heartless and cruel, baby dumping is the end result of various issues that are affecting young mothers who feel they have no alternative.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of incarcerated women who had dumped or committed infanticide in Namibia.
Methods:…
ABSTRACT
The mental health needs of children and adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in Namibia are poorly understood, despite the dramatic improvement in their survival. ALHIV in resource poor contexts face particular risk factors, such as poverty, orphanhood, and poor social support. This study examines the mental health of ALHIV in Namibia, and the factors that contribute to mental health problems. A case–control design assessed emotional and behavioural symptoms of distress, risk and protective factors among adolescents aged 12–18 years. Case participants were 99 HIV-positive…
This Manual includes background information, standard operating procedures with documentation tools and job aids on case management. It aims to support social workers from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in Namibia in their daily work to effectively support vulnerable children and families with user-friendly guidance in case management. The last job aid is a manual on supportive supervision.
The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance on all aspects of social work case management practice for social workers employed by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child…