Challenges for orphans in sibling headed households. Assessment of interventions to reduce stigma in Rakai District, Uganda

This paper is based on a study carried out in Rakai District, Uganda. The assumption of the study is that orphans living on their own face much greater material and psychosocial challenges and stigma than other orphans and other vulnerable children, and thus the main objectives were to initiate, and evaluate, interventions that could improve the situation for the children in child-headed households and the community as a whole. This paper emphasizes the interventions initiated and an evaluation of the interventions. Material and methods: All data in the study were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, written narratives and observations. Heads of households, local leaders, teachers, community members, health workers and religious leaders gave the base line information necessary to initiate interventions and contains the participants’ description of the situation of the orphans inhabiting sibling-headed households, their requests and their suggestions for actions. Different types of interventions were initiated: 1) Repairing or building houses for those most in need of this, 2) paying school fees including lunch, scholastic materials, uniforms, etc. 3) helping to start income generating activities, 4) providing counseling and guidance for children and adults in the community carried out by a Ugandan community psychologist--this also included counseling about HIV/AIDS and its impact on orphans and the society and, 5) a workshop for people at all levels in the district to create awareness of the situation of orphans in child-headed households, to inform about the interventions and to evaluate and discuss the way forward. The interventions were assessed after eight months or more utilizing the same data collection tools as for the base line information, except narratives. The workshop, carried out two years after the first interventions were initiated served as an intervention as well as an assessment.