African Journal of Social Work

Exploring the socio-economic challenges and wellbeing in the post-retirement life of older people in southeast zone of Nigeria

2024-04-17T07:06:11+00:00

The study examined the socio-economic challenges and wellbeing in the post-retirement life of senior citizens in the southeast zone of Nigeria. The study was purely qualitative and utilized the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) in collection of data from 64 participants (60 years and above) who were purposively chosen from four council areas of Ebonyi and Enugu state, southeast, Nigeria. The ecological system theory formed the theoretical linkage. Participants’ view revealed that life after retirement in Nigeria has become shrouded with suffering, financial hardship and poverty as none of the participants do not have arrears of unpaid pension entitlement to claim. It was revealed that as a result of the meager nature of pension and delays in payment, retirees find it difficult to cope with their socio-economic obligations which ultimately affect their wellbeing. Participants attributed the situation to government’s insensitivity on wellbeing of older persons and the increasing rate of corruption among the ruling class. The study therefore recommended among others, the need for a policy reform in Nigerian pension industry that will enable social workers and other human service professionals/ stakeholders in both public and private sectors to ensure that life after retirement blossoms out instead of being seen as a death trench.

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Abonyi, S. E., Arinde-Simeon, T. & Onwuka, C. C. (2023). Exploring the socio-economic challenges and wellbeing in the post-retirement life of older people in southeast zone of Nigeria. African Journal of Social Work, 14(1), 1-11. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i1.1

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Paternal deprivation, father-hunger, and implications for social work: narratives of four schoolchildren from impoverished households in South Africa

2024-04-17T07:18:02+00:00

This paper reports on the findings of a qualitative study that probed factors affecting the everyday lives of children living in poverty. The research participants were purposively selected teenage children from the rural King Cetshwayo District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A combination of story accounts and semi-structured interviews from the selected participants were thematically analysed. The findings prove that children living in low-income families carry numerous emotional and psychological burdens, most of which are invisible to outsiders. Among the selected participants, the most profound burden was the absence of biological fathers. The study particularly revealed how experiences of grief and trauma associated with paternal loss adversely affect children’s thoughts and self-perceptions. It draws attention to how children navigate these burdens in isolation. The research found that children burdened by losing a biological father may be better emotionally and psychologically supported cohesively within their immediate households, schools, and communities. To support such children, the findings highlight a dire need for an Ubuntu approach towards social work interventions in poverty-stricken communities. Hence, this paper agitates for government-appointed officials, community leaders, and community-based non-governmental and non-profit organisations, to work collaboratively in impoverished communities, and address the emotional poverty silently endured among children.

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Gaillard, C. & Mpontshane, N. (2024). Paternal deprivation, father-hunger, and implications for social work: narratives of four schoolchildren from impoverished households in South Africa. African Journal of Social Work, 14(1), 12-19. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i1.2

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Adaptation and validation of the Child and Family Follow-up Survey (CFFS) tool to measure participation of children with disabilities in Uganda

2024-04-17T07:27:50+00:00

Definitions and frameworks from high-income countries dominate tools used to measure impairment level, barriers and enablers to participation of children with disabilities in low-income countries. Disability scholars have argued that multiple perspectives and a different discourse are needed to study disability, participation, and inclusion in low-income countries. We examined the use, reliability, and cultural acceptability of the Child and Family Follow-up Survey’s (CFFS) Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation CASP, Child and Adolescent Factors Inventory (CAFI), and the Child and Adolescent Scale of Environment (CASE) scales to measure participation of Ugandan children with disabilities and their peers. The tool testing and adaptation was conducted as part of a pilot and feasibility study of the ‘Obuntu bulamu’ intervention in five private and five public primary schools. Based on disability type, gender, age, and social class, 32 8-14-year-old children with disabilities were enrolled. The translated Luganda CFFS showed excellent internal consistency with CASE, CASP, and CAFI subscales showing good test re-test reliability. Our consistency and reliability results show the three tools are valid and effective to measure environmental issues, childhood social participation, impairment children with disabilities type and severity from a parental perspective in the Ugandan setting. To ensure more in-depth understanding of child participation in the cultural context, we suggest the CFFS scales are used in combination with qualitative child-inclusive methods such as drawings, participatory workshops, and Photo Voice. The study contributes to the existing literature that there need for more Afrocentric interventions and adaptions and development of culturally relevant measurement tools, which build on African cultural values and practices.

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Nimusiima, C., Kawesa, E. S., Seeley, J. & Bannink Mbazzi, F. (2024). Adaptation and validation of the child and family follow-up survey (CFFS) tool to measure participation of children with disabilities in Uganda. African Journal of Social Work, 14(1), 20-30. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i1.3

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Social work perspective to the Igbo-African Administrative Institution (age grade) and Nigerian Local Government

2024-04-17T07:42:38+00:00

Right from the beginning of civilization to this present globalization epoch, people have been actively engaging one another via the creation of socio-political institutions to enable them mobilize, organize, govern and administer their society better. With the passage of time, some institutions are either restructured or totally discarded. The reason is basically to guarantee suitable leadership/governance geared towards creating sustainable values for societal development. Some Igbo-African institutions of governance survived antiquity and metamorphosed into useful structures in the modern local government and social work system. Therefore, this article interrogates how the Igbo-African age grade institution particularly survived antiquity and metamorphosed into strategic modern institution in local government administration in a secular state-Nigeria, following the roles of the youths in social work and community/rural and national developments. Sankofa African research method was adopted, leveraging contextual-descriptive analysis on data gathered through historical, documentary, and ethnographic approaches. Ujamaa theory (African community theory) that emphasizes citizens working together and looking after one another, which has been in existence among the Igbo people before colonialism was used in the analysis. Findings revealed that the Igbo-African administrative institution of the age grade system has been integrated into the modern local government system with various names and functions.

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Onah, C. C., Eze, F. O., Ejim, E. P. & Obalum, M. (2024). Social work perspective to the Igbo-African Administrative Institution (age grade) and Nigerian Local Government . African Journal of Social Work, 14(1), 31-39. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i1.4

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Effects of non-resident fathering on children: A case of selected households in the Hillcrest community, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2024-04-17T07:54:22+00:00

Non-resident fathering that is the absence of fathers permanently in households is a growing socio-economic concern in the world at large and South Africa in particular. However, studies conducted on non-resident fathering concentrated on marital satisfaction, perception, divorce and separation. This paper explored the effects of non-resident fathers on the children in the Hillcrest community in Alice town, Eastern Cape. A qualitative research methodology was utilised and 30 participants (single mothers/caregivers, non-resident fathers, social workers) took part in the study. Data was collected using semi-structured and unstructured interviews and analysed thematically. The themes that emerged were the absence of role model for children, children manifest psychosocial problems and deteriorating levels of poverty and living conditions in households without fathers. The theme also identified was a children’s educational performance, lower compared to those with fathers in households. The study found that the absence of fathers on the lives of children resulted to psychosocial problems such as stress, depression, violence and substance abuse, which prevented them to establish trusting relationships. The study concluded that anxiety, depression and stress lead to the disruption of the children’s education. This study recommended that occupational training and life skills programme should be introduced by the government and other stakeholders involved to empower single parent (mothers) as this might provide the platform for the mothers to bring up their children properly.

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Makosa, N., Tanga, P. & Ekobi, G. (2024). Effects of non-resident fathering on children: A case of selected households in the Hillcrest community, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. African Journal of Social Work, 14(1),40-48. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i1.5

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