| dc.description.abstract | HIV/ AIDS is a disease that has claimed the lives of many, and which has in the end affected the family set up. It is having a devastating impact on the world's youngest and most vulnerable citizens. It is now the greatest threat to child development in many parts of the world. More than 13 million children under the age of 15 years have either lost one or both parents to HIV /AIDS.
The problem of children orphaned by HIV AIDS is growing rapidly and demands attention. Death leaves children with grief, loss, loneliness, helplessness and emotional stress. Some cultures do not allow children to talk about their dead parents, which worsens their emotional stress. The main objective of the study reported here was to look into the level of psychosocial intervention extended to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Mathare and Gichagi slums in Ngong town, Kajiado district. The study covered a sample of 40 boys and girls aged between 6 and18 years. The respondents were selected
by means of snowball sampling. The samples collected were analyzed using frequency distributions and cross tabulations. Multiple regression ..was used to test the hypotheses.
Two hypotheses were tested in the study. The first one stated that the availability of psychosocial intervention had a significant impact on the lives of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The null hypothesis stated that the availability of psychosocial intervention
, had no significant impact on the lives of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The second hypothesis stated that there is a significant relationship between the social problems faced by these children as orphans and their psychological and mental conditions; whereas the null hypothesis stated that there was no significant relationship between the social problems faced by these children and their psychological and mental conditions.
The findings showed that the level of intervention was quite low, at only 22.5°) and that the burden of caring for the orphans was left primarily to the extended family. The orphans mentioned various problems that they encountered and confirmed feeling very sad and lonely upon losing parents They expressed a desire to be helped to cope with the trauma they go through .The intervention that could best help mitigate these children's problems would be counseling which would enable them to acquire life skills and make well guided decisions, social support such as assisting them further their education by availing to them necessary items such as school fees, uniforms, clothing in general and food stuff.
The study found that there was need for relevant authorities such as the government or NGOs supporting orphans to train more counselors so that they could have better skills to help these orphans. It emerged from the study that there was need for employers to put in place measures to ensure that upon parents' death, the children left behind should have direct access to their parents' benefits since some relatives take advantage of them.
The study recommends other areas that require further studies. First, a study should be carried out in the rural set up to determine if the sentiments and experiences of these orphans are similar. Secondly, similar stuclioes.should be carried out to cover orphans who
are over 18 years to compare their sentiments and preferences with those of the
orphans who were below 18 years. | en |
