A social work programme on the contribution of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) to child protection : a Tsonga case study

Abstract

All children have a right to protection, as set out in international and regional documents such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights [OHCHR], 1989) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) (African Union, 1990). Individual countries uphold children’s rights to protection through domestic laws and formal child protection services (Kirst-Ashman, 2013:286). In SubSaharan Africa, adverse conditions such as extreme poverty and hunger, poor access to education and health services as well as harmful cultural practices affect children’s rights, including their right to protection (Kaime, 2005:229-230; Katiuzhinsky & Okech, 2014:81; Mathews & Benvenuti, 2014:28; Mwambene & Mawodza, 2017:21; United Nations, 2019:21, 24). Yet, the social welfare sector in the region lacks resources and the capacity to deliver key child protection services to communities (Davis, McCaffery & Conticini, 2012:32; Watkins & Quattri, 2016:20). Hepworth, Rooney, Drewberry Rooney and Strom-Gottfried (2017:431) suggest that social workers explore resources in the natural ecological environment to deal with challenges of limited resources. In terms of child protection, it appears that Africa had effective child protection systems in pre-colonial times, which have since become extinct (Mushunje, 2006:16). Against this background, the researcher explored the possible contribution of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) to child protection with the goal to develop and evaluate an awareness programme for social workers on the contribution of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) to child protection. The study was based on the Tsonga IKS, and was guided by the following research question: How can Tsonga Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) contribute to child protection and inform an awareness programme for social workers? Adopting a qualitative research approach and a case study design, intervention research was implemented to collect data on Tsonga IKS and its potential contribution to child protection, iv which then informed the development of the awareness programme for social workers. Data were collected from a sample of 40 experts on Tsonga IKS who were recruited through key informant and snowball sampling in two rural districts in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. A second sample, consisting of 11 child protection workers in the two districts, were selected through availability and snowball sampling. Data were collected with the use of semistructured interviews that were regarded as appropriate for exploring indigenous knowledge, which is based on oral tradition. The ecological systems theory and social constructionism as the theoretical frameworks for the study enhanced the researcher’s appreciation of and sensitivity to the influence of culture and IKS on the participants’ views. The research findings were used to develop an awareness programme for social workers, which was pilot tested with 22 social workers working in the child protection field in the wider Harare area, Zimbabwe. Their feedback on the programme, which formed the second stage of data collection of the study, was obtained through focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The research findings obtained during the first stage of data collection confirmed the encompassing influence of culture and IKS on people’s lives. The Tsonga IKS guided various aspects of communities’ lives, including their spirituality, beliefs and norms, and manifested in their patterns of family and community life, mentoring and childrearing practices, rituals and ceremonies, agriculture, traditional medicine, and stories, songs and dance, amongst others. The findings showed that the Tsonga culture and IKS were threatened by acculturation, which affected many of the traditional practices. However, their IKS was perceived to be still relevant and the participants advocated for efforts to revive the Tsonga culture and IKS. It was found that many of the beliefs and practices captured in the Tsonga IKS could create protective environments for children and contribute to child protection. These included the value placed on children, the extended family and community as a safety net for all children, the influence of the traditional justice system, and effective indigenous socialisation practices such as mentoring and age-appropriate teaching methods for children and young people. However, some beliefs and practices of the culture and IKS could be regarded as harmful practices according to the CRC, ACRWC, and modern legislation. These practices reflect some of the public debates on harmful cultural practices, including child marriage, child labour, and gender discrimination. The awareness programme that were developed based on the above findings and information from literature included themes related to culture and IKS, children’s rights and child protection. The social work participants in the pilot testing of the programme confirmed that the programme raised their awareness of IKS and of how elements of IKS could be used in child protection. Their feedback on the programme contents and presentation will inform the v advanced development of the programme. Based on the research findings, it was concluded that the IKS of the Vatsonga people could contribute to formal child protection systems. It is recommended that social workers and indigenous communities collaborate on the integration of indigenous knowledge into social work and child protection practices. The process should include elements such as clarification of constructs related to child maltreatment, information on the role of social workers, discourse on existing legislation, and frank discussions of cultural practices that can be beneficial or harmful to children. Integration of IKS in social work practice can promote an empowering approach to child protection and a focus on preventive rather than responsive child protection interventions; aspects that relate to the developmental social work approach as well as the increased focus on including African indigenous knowledge in social work training and practice. It is recommended that further studies be conducted on the relevance of IKS for social work and other human service professions.