Child Headed Households, The Emerging Phenomenon in Urban Informal Settlements in Kenya

Abstract

This study is centred on the phenomenon of the child headed household in urban informal settlements in Kenya. Such households have become an increasingly common occurrence in Sub-Saharan Africa, as a result, in particular, of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This has caused millions of children to become orphaned, and has brought about new coping mechanisms. There has been considerable interest in Kenya’s progress with regard to the emergence of child headed families and this can be seen by way of the number of NGOs interested in this subject. This work considers the challenges to livelihood survival and the non-material needs of those in child headed households in Kenya within the realities of daily life. Despite living under very pathetic and harsh conditions, orphans in CHHs have been known to develop unique resilience when their lives are changed radically.  They develop a continuum of coping strategies, which also include adopting ‘de facto’ adult roles.  Children take on new roles, acting as household heads, making household decisions even when parents are still living, and supporting their young brothers and sisters, at times suffering loss and peril themselves. Because of the overwhelming stress on the conventional orphan support systems, increasingly, CHHs are slowly becoming an accepted alternative form of orphan care and are thus attracting support from communities, women self-help groups (WSHGs), CBOs, Churches and NGOs. The livelihood needs of CHHs are particularly challenged by the lack of opportunities for income generation, access to land rights and changes in household life, including revisions in programmes and policies. Furthermore the non-material needs of the children in these households are often unacknowledged; their stories frequently portray a lack of family and community support, marginalisation and isolation, which contests widely held and historic understandings of family and community. The area of study was Kibera slum of Nairobi Kenya and the researcher employed purposive sampling to select the respondents who participated in the study. A total of 50 children living in child headed household were identified through the chief’s office and the support organisations for orphans operating in the above villages. Ten key informants including social workers from organisation supporting these children, chiefs, teachers and children’s officers were also interviewed to give an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. Findings of the study revealed that HIV and AIDS coupled with the breakdown or weakening of the extended family network has led to the emergence of Child headed households. Children in these households were found to face challenges such as lack of parent’s love and affection, protection and care, Lack of basic necessities like food shelter and health care, social exclusion and stigmatization, disinheritance, exploitation abuse.

Keywords: Child Headed Households, Emerging Phenomenon, Urban Informal Settlement