| dc.description.abstract | Under-age single motherhood is a family phenomenon that is hardly or inadequately talked about and the common practice is to merge it with single motherhood en masse. The study investigates this mode of parenthood specifically and in the light of Christian perception of family as a case in Thogoto Village, Kĩambu County exploring factors like those of the causes, the difficulties such parenthood encounters and the recommended way forward. The study is more theological than sociological or anthropological in intent since it emphasizes Christian perception of Church as the Family of God and Christian reflections on family and parenting as well.
The main objective of the study was to investigate under-age single mothers in reference to Christian perception of Church reflections on family in Thogoto Village, Kĩambu County as a case study. This was done by focusing on how these mothers can be understood adequately, be more appreciated and better supported so as to improve their parenting roles and become good parents within the realm of the Family of God. It was enhanced by exploring the causes of the phenomenon, investigating the problems such mothers encounter and examining Christian theological reflections on Church as Family of God image in view of helping the under-age single mothers in addressing the difficulties imbued in such mode of parenthood.
The major hypothesis was that Christian perception of family is useful to under-age single mothers in Thogoto village, Kĩambu County and elsewhere. The assumption was supported by specific hypotheses namely: Different factors have led to the rise of under-age single motherhood; under-age single mothers are bogged down with the burden of bringing up and caring for children by themselves due to some hindrances at a tender age; and that theological reflection on family is useful to under-age single mothers in addressing their peculiar parenting difficulties and realizing their potentialities.
The study which was fundamentally qualitative was guided by three theories which have a close affinity. These are: feminism theory propagated by Wachege and Fiorrenza which provided important illuminations to the study on the diverse categories of single mothers each with its own challenges. It also created awareness that different causes of single motherhood result in unique types of single motherhood categories each imbued with respective challenges and that diverse modes of Feminism bring about different approaches to Christian women liberation theology. The second one is mediation theory by C. Boff and L. Boff, which equipped the researcher with data assortment, scrutiny and future expectations by applying three stage guidelines which are: social-analytical, hermeneutical and praxis/ practical application. The third one is psychosocial theory by Erickson’s which assisted in the realization of different stages of human development cycle. The theory was also helpful in identifying the age bracket where the under-age single parents are grouped in relation to the laws and regulations of the country under the children’s act of 2016 revised edition whereby the category of under- age single mothers was qualified as those aged 17years and below. The study thus took under-age single mothers as those who are in the state at an age of 17 and below as biological mothers.
The work, furthermore, explored, identified and explicated some main causes of underage single motherhood in Thogoto Village, Kĩambu County namely: kinfolk’s members; desire for sex; drug and substance abuse; and ignorance of utilization of contraceptives. It also identified and explained molestation, anger resulting from frustrating courting, together with financial deprivation as further springboard into the phenomenon. In addition, more factors were exposed and explained as other triggers to this mode of motherhood like child environment and death of parents leaving the vulnerable descendants as orphans. A considerable number of problems that such mothers are confronted with, to mention just a few we came up with, are: contempt and discernment, childcare difficulties, maltreatment by relatives, rivalry over property inheritance, acute solitude cum loneliness, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) together with the exposure to the dreaded HIV/AIDS.
Having identified the urgency for pastoral concern with regard to the above kind of motherhood which is increasing rapidly, the study recommends that the under-age single ba taken seriously as beneficiaries of God’s gratuitous Good News who are entitled to be incorporated and benefit from the Family of God. Another recommendation is that people, especially the ordained priests and pastors, should refrain from grouping this kind of mothers uncritically with the other types like that of widowed single mothers and university students single mothers. They should be handled and appreciated in their specificity with regard to their beingness, respective problems they encounter and positive qualities they may be endowed with which can be exploited for their own good and the common good of the Family of God. | en_US |
