ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7569-3019

Date of Award

Summer 2024

Language

English

Embargo Period

8-7-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

School of Social Welfare

Program

Social Welfare

First Advisor

Eric Hardiman

Second Advisor

Katharine Briar-Lawson

Third Advisor

Jabulani Makhubele

Committee Members

Eric Hardiman, Katharine Briar-Lawson, Jabulani Makhubele

Keywords

Orphans and Vulnerable Children's grant, Young Orphaned Adults, Caregivers, Care leavers, Grant terminations

Subject Categories

Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work

Abstract

Namibia faces complex child welfare policy dilemmas in providing sustainable support for the increasing number of AIDS-orphaned youth transitioning into adulthood. While Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) social grants have played a vital role in poverty alleviation and childhood development (Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, 2021), the abrupt termination of these grants for youth when they reach 18 years of age without any transitional support has posed significant risks to their well-being. While much research in Namibia (Mnubi-Mchombu and Ocholla, 2014; Van Der Brug, 2012.) has examined the impact of OVC grants on children under the age of 18, there is a lack of research exploring the perceptions and impacts after grant termination on this vulnerable population.

This qualitative, exploratory phenomenological study addresses this research gap by investigating the psychosocial experiences of OVC youth and their caregivers following grant termination. A purposive criterion sampling technique was used to select 10 OVC recipients aged out of the program and 9 caregivers in Windhoek, Namibia. In-depth interviews were conducted, and an inductive thematic analysis approach utilizing Atlas. ti for coding was employed to analyze the data. The study revealed that grant termination led to significant psychosocial challenges, including psychological distress, socioeconomic hardships, and educational barriers, compounded by a lack of continuing familial and communal support for OVC youth. Participants employed both positive coping strategies (financial adaptation, entrepreneurship, community support) and negative coping mechanisms (risky sexual behaviors, substance abuse, criminal activities). The findings challenged the policy’s assumption of self-sufficiency at 18 and highlighted inconsistencies and deleterious effects in grant termination policies.

The study suggests implications for social welfare policy and practice, including the need for extended or graduated financial support, vocational training programs, mental health services, and stronger community support systems for orphaned young adults. Future research should explore the short and long-term outcomes of grant termination, the effectiveness of alternative support programs, and the development of best practices for supporting orphaned youth during their transition to adulthood.

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