Livelihoods in child headed households and state intervention: a case study of the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in East London, South Africa

Abstract

The phenomenon, Child Headed Households (CHHs), has become a major feature of the social landscape of different African countries. In South Africa, the centuries of racial segregation and social dislocations, coupled with post-apartheid policy ‘false-starts’, have worsened this phenomenon. This article specifically aims at assessing the impact of official intervention programmes in managing child vulnerability and CHHs in South Africa. It further examines the livelihood strategies employed by children living in CHHs and how government interventions have impacted on CHHs. The study was conducted in the Berlin Cluster Area which consists of five public schools involved in the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children’s (OVC) project. Berlin is a small town in the greater East London area, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Data was collected using key informant in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and analysis of official documents on child vulnerability and child headed homes.

Keywords: Child, household, orphans, vulnerable, protection