The emotional effects of early orphanhood and the church’s response in the context of Zimbabwe : a pastoral approach

Abstract

The SADC region has a high rate of children orphaned at an early age due to several factors which include the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Zimbabwean orphan population is estimated at 1.6 million children (Ntakazo 2011:1). An increasing number of orphans in Zimbabwe are under the care of elderly grandparents, and some have to fend for themselves. The breakdown of the extended family support system has caused orphans to be especially vulnerable. Against this background this qualitative study examines, from a practical theological perspective, the emotional effects of having been orphaned at a very early age on people’s later lives. The context of the study is Zimbabwe. Through “the multiple case studies design” (Leedy & Ormrod 2010:137) data were collected by means of narrative interviewing from three categories of participants who had been orphaned before the age of five. Two participants of primary school age, two of secondary school age and two young adults on a tertiary education level were interviewed. The primary theoretical framework for processing and interpreting the data was derived from Erikson’s (1959) theory of psychosocial development, supplemented by Kohlberg’s theory of the stages of moral development (1981) and Fowler’s theory of the stages of faith (1981). This study, located in human developmental studies and practical theology, focuses on the emotional effects of early orphanhood at different stages of life and the role of the faith community in caring for such people. The study found that children orphaned before the age of five years experience intense psychological and emotional pain throughout the various developmental stages and that this pain is expressed in a variety of ways. The study concludes with an exploration of how Scripture and the faith community can be utilised as potential sources of healing.