Household food security support initiatives on the social well-being of single orphans

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of household food security support initiatives on the social well-being of single orphans in Rangwe Sub-County. The study employed a sequential explanatory mixed research design using qualitative and quantitative data. The target population was single orphan households and members of community-based organizations dealing with orphans. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire from single orphan parents, focus group discussions with community-based organization members, and an observation guide tool. A snow ball sampling method was used to collect data from 308 households using the semi-structured questionnaire. Questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, mode, standard deviations) and results are summarized using percentages, graphs, pie charts, and frequency distribution tables. Qualitative data from focus group discussions were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Qualitative data from observations were thematically analyzed. The study found out that household food security initiatives were not adequate in terms of their availability, sufficiency and utilization and affected the social well being of the single orphans in a number of ways; missing school, falling ill more often, not having a sense of belonging, not playing with others and getting worried. The study’s findings indicate that additional food support initiatives targeting single orphans are inadequate. Government policymakers and non-government organizations should prioritize strategies to support households in food generating activities such as farming alongside education of farmers to improve yields, ensure that households have information about different food support initiatives and how to access them, and leverage additional donor funds to support the community-based organization activities that have existing infrastructure and networks to target single orphan households for food support.