Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe

Due to the AIDS pandemic more and more youths are losing their parents. They are usually left with caregivers and in Zimbabwe these are usually people from the extended family. Many studies have focused on orphan hood challenges in line with the deficit model. Research in the past years has challeng...

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Main Author: Mutambara, Julia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Omics Publishing Group 2016
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2375-4494.1000264
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1730
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author Mutambara, Julia
author_facet Mutambara, Julia
author_sort Mutambara, Julia
collection DSpace
description Due to the AIDS pandemic more and more youths are losing their parents. They are usually left with caregivers and in Zimbabwe these are usually people from the extended family. 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. This qualitative exploratory study interrogates aspects of positive youth development among the orphaned youths in Zimbabwe. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 23 adolescents (15-19 years). Three focus group discussions with five participants per group were done. In depth interviews were done with 8 participants and these were not the same as those who took part in the focus group discussions. Interviews were done at the premises of two NGO that provided the adolescents with food, school fees and other material needs. Data were thematically analysed. Results suggested that the participants experienced positive development in the following areas- personal experiences, relationships with significant others and help from the community. Subthemes were also derived from the main themes above. It was recommended that psychosocial support programs mainly focusing on positive youth development be implemented to enhance the wellbeing of orphans in Zimbabwe.
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spelling ir-11408-17302022-06-27T13:49:06Z Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe Mutambara, Julia Positive psychology; wellbeing; Orphans; Zimbabwe Due to the AIDS pandemic more and more youths are losing their parents. They are usually left with caregivers and in Zimbabwe these are usually people from the extended family. 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. This qualitative exploratory study interrogates aspects of positive youth development among the orphaned youths in Zimbabwe. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 23 adolescents (15-19 years). Three focus group discussions with five participants per group were done. In depth interviews were done with 8 participants and these were not the same as those who took part in the focus group discussions. Interviews were done at the premises of two NGO that provided the adolescents with food, school fees and other material needs. Data were thematically analysed. Results suggested that the participants experienced positive development in the following areas- personal experiences, relationships with significant others and help from the community. Subthemes were also derived from the main themes above. It was recommended that psychosocial support programs mainly focusing on positive youth development be implemented to enhance the wellbeing of orphans in Zimbabwe. 2016-08-02T14:14:23Z 2016-08-02T14:14:23Z 2015 Article 2375-4494 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2375-4494.1000264 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1730 en Journal of Child & Adolescent Behavior;Vol. 3, No. 6; p. 1-7 open Omics Publishing Group
spellingShingle Positive psychology; wellbeing; Orphans; Zimbabwe
Mutambara, Julia
Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe
title Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe
title_full Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe
title_fullStr Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe
title_short Enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in Zimbabwe
title_sort enhancing psychosocial support through positive youth development: narratives from orphans in zimbabwe
topic Positive psychology; wellbeing; Orphans; Zimbabwe
url http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2375-4494.1000264
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1730
work_keys_str_mv AT mutambarajulia enhancingpsychosocialsupportthroughpositiveyouthdevelopmentnarrativesfromorphansinzimbabwe