PSYCHOSOCIAL CHALLENGES FACED BY CAREGIVERS OD ORPHANS IN KITUI CENTRAL SUB-COUNTY, KITUI COUNTY, KENYA

Caring for orphans is an enormous task. Caregivers are rarely prepared to take extra burden of caring for children who are not their biological children after the death of their parents. The caregivers are faced with a myriad of challenges, including, psychological stress due to the notion that an extra burden has been added to them. Lack of adequate support from the community makes this task more challenging. This situation is not different in Kitui Sub-county . The purpose of this study was to determine the psychosocial, challenges faced by caregivers of orphans in Kitui Central Sub-county, Kitui County, Kenya. The study was guided by three theories which included crisis theory as advanced by Erich, the attachment theory by Bowlby and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory as advanced by Abraham Maslow. The research adopted ex-post facto research design. The target population was all orphan care givers in Kitui Central Sub-county. One hundred and six caregivers were purposively sampled. Three sets of questionnaires were used to collect data. The data was then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences computer software. The analysis involved both quantitative and qualitative descriptive statistics. The study found out that despite the psychological and social difficulties the family remains a strong unit of care for the orphans. Majority of the caregivers reported truancy as the most unruly behaviour expressed by the orphans. Similarly majority of the caregivers were old women. In conclusion it was found that psychosocial challenges influenced caregivers’ provision of services to orphans to a great extent. It was concluded that although majority of the caregivers faced serious psychosocial challenges, they were still willing to carry on with the care giving services to the orphans. It was recommended that the government and other stakeholders in the community be involved in addressing these challenges, amid others that caregivers face especially, psychological and social challenges. ISSN: 2411-5681 www.ijern. com 114 1. Context of the Study 1.1 Background of the Study The number of orphans has continued to increase over the years all over the world. Causes of rapid death such as HIV/AIDS, frequent road accidents, tribal clashes, natural calamities such as drought and famine, and natural death due to sickness, and economic decline are straining the society’s ability to care for orphans within their extended families. Lack of stable care is putting thousands of children at heightened risk of malnourishment, emotional underdevelopment, illiteracy, poverty, sexual exploitation, and HIV infection, subsequently, endangering the future health of the society they are expected to sustain. According to National Aids Control Council projection on the number of Orphans, it was estimated that by 2005, the number of orphans in Kenya was 2.4 million, (NACC, 2006). Following the death of their parents, orphans are followed by cycles of poverty, malnutrition, stigma, exploitation and psychological trauma. This occurs when parents who are supposed to raise their children die, leaving them without support, parental love, guidance and resources needed for their survival. These responsibilities often land on the laps of close family relatives who in most cases are grandparents. Usually, the grandparents are not financially, physically and emotionally ready for this new responsibility, thus leaving them with challenges that they have to face, despite their incapacity to do so (Makgato, 2009). After the death of parents, the extended family has traditionally absorbed the orphans and as such remains the most important safety net for orphans. However, the extended families have difficulty in fulfilling the needs of the orphans and their own children. Some orphans have to face abuse, heavy work or humiliation in their new homes and some have been disinherited by the relatives. The governments, as well as, NGO’s try to give these children a new hope, but the question that remains is; how should families be supported to fulfill their role in coping with the situation of orphans? (Brizay, 2008). Most reports have shown that majority of orphans in Kenya are under the care of persons aged 60 years and above, who are past child bearing age. Most of these old people are very old and probably not able to do manual work to meet the basic needs of these children. Some suffer from old age related illnesses and are in fact in need of care themselves. The needs spoken of do not only refer to love, care and support, but also tangible resources, especially finances that are often a problem in the developing countries like Kenya. Care for these orphans includes a range of resources such as finances to meet various needs, physical care and emotional care which is love and feeling of security (Makgato, 2010). Kitui Central Sub-county is one of the 16 sub counties of Kitui County. It has a total population of 90,376 of which 43,527 are males and 46,849 are females (KNBS 2009 census). There are about 20,508 households. Administratively, Kitui Central Sub-county has two divisions, and 10 locations with 29 sub locations. According to a survey carried out by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in 2008 in Kitui Sub-county under a programme called Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, reveals that only 48% of children of school-going age lived with both parents, 9 % of the total children aged 017 years had lost one or both parents through death. Seven percent (7.2 %) of the orphans do not live with their biological parents, while 0.9 % of the children have lost both parents. According to the survey, only 35 % of orphans had received some form of support in the last 12 months preceding the survey, which included, medical support 4.3%, emotional /psychological support (3.8%), and social / material support (4.9%), with educational support being the highest with 29.3 %. Overall, 35 % of those interviewed, were receiving some form of support, while 65% were receiving no support at all. This would mean that most households caring for orphans are not International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 8 No. 4 April 2020 115 receiving any form of support. Hence, the sub county was chosen owing to the high number of orphans and the limited support the caregivers received for the orphans. 1.2 Statement of the Problem The number of orphans in Kitui District has been increasing steadily in the past decades such that it has become an issue of concern. The increase poses a great challenge to care giving practices among families. Although many studies have been carried out about orphans, there is very little information touching on Kitui Sub-county per se. The Sub-county is faced with a myriad of issues that makes it unique in terms of the psychological and social challenges. Similarly many researchers have analyzed the problems facing orphaned children and even given recommendations on how the challenges can be overcome, however, very little attentions has been given to the care givers’ challenges. In other countries, especially in Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa, some studies concerning the challenges faced by caregivers of orphans have been carried out, but their situations and circumstances differ from those in Kenya and more so in Kitui Central Sub-county. It is with this picture in mind that this study sought to carry out an investigation on challenges faced by caregivers of orphans in the sub county, with reference to social and psychological challenges. The purpose of the study was to investigate the psychological and social challenges faced by caregivers in the process of providing for needs of orphans in Kitui Central Sub-county, Kitui County, Kenya. Consequently the objective of the study was to identify the psychological and social challenges faced by caregivers in meeting the primary and secondary needs of the orphans in Kitui Central Sub-county. 1.3 Significance of the Study The number of orphans has continued to increase rapidly in the last decade. Governments and communities have been slow in mitigating these rising numbers of orphans. The extended families, most of them living in poverty conditions, are rarely prepared to take in these children. However, with the deepening poverty in families and communities, it is not clear how extended families will continue to successfully play the role of providing care and support to the orphans. It is important that the challenges faced by caregivers in responding to the problem, be assessed and documented. The research intended to bring out this dilemma by examining the psychosocial challenges faced by caregivers and to give recommendations for action. The results will be useful to both the government and the private sector, in assisting caregivers cope with the challenges of caring for orphans in Kenya. The recommendations arrived at would assist the caregivers to have the orphans plight understood and action taken to solve their problems. The results were also significant in that the findings would act as an eye opener to the policy makers, health and social workers when they plan for the interventions of orphans’ plights. It is hoped that gaps in psychosocial, needs of the caregivers of orphans were identified and it was expected that possible actions would be put in place to close the gap. This would help address the unmet needs of care givers within the community and help to draw programmes to alleviate the needs. Exploring and describing the challenges of the caregivers in caring for orphans in Kitui Central Sub-county would contribute to formulation of recommendations to empower and enable the caregivers care for the orphans. 1.4 Scope of the Study This study specifically focused on caregivers of orphaned children. It determined the psychological and social challenges faced by caregivers in caring for orphans and find out the psychosocial challenges faced by caregivers on the provision of primary and