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"We will bury ourselves" - A Study of Child-Headed Households on Commercial Farms in Zimbabwe
Farm Orphan Support Trust of Zimbabwe (FOST)
September 25, 2002

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Acknowledgements and preamble
This modest study was primarily intended to inform the development of a programmatic response to the needs of child headed households in commercial farm worker communities. It was not the intention to undertake a full-scale research project, but to adopt an "action research" approach. Therefore, no literature review is presented with this report and the approach used has drawn considerably from the extensive experience and knowledge already acquired by FOST as an organisation.

The decision to "publish" this report was made because it was felt that it does contain information of value to other programmes working with orphans and vulnerable children and can contribute to the on-going debate with the country and region about how to address their needs.

Since undertaking this study FOST has begun to respond to the needs of the individual child headed households we included in the research. School fees have been secured from various sources for the children who have been forced to drop out of school and other material items such as clothing, blankets and food have been sourced. On-going follow-up visits and community awareness raising activities are being carried out to all households to ensure that these households, at least, have the support and care that they need for a positive future.

FOST would like to thank the following people for their support for this report and their response to the needs of the children therein:

• Terre Des Hommes (Germany), and Fungai Dewere in particular, for the encouragement and for funding this study.
• Hillcrest College Interact Club (Mutare), Ella Hargreaves and Victoria Nursing Home (Leeds, UK) and Jim Akre (USA) for sponsoring school fees
• Joanne Baxter for putting together packages of material items for each household
• The many FOST volunteers, too numerous to mention individually, who undertake the daily, on-going, support of these and other households with orphaned children

The unique nature of farm worker communities makes them particularly vulnerable to the effects of HIV/AIDS. In particular, the lack of traditional safety nets within these communities increases the vulnerability of children, especially orphaned children.

The methodology employed for the study was action research oriented and involved interviewing 17 child headed households in Mashonaland Central and Manicaland provinces. Half of a day was spent with each household and a further half day was spent talking to members of the farm community. In total 47 children and 27 community members were interviewed.

The findings of the study reveal that child headed households on commercial farms face a number of problems including:

• Food insecurity
• Problem of access to education and skills training
• The struggle to meet material needs
• The absence of psycho-social support
• Poor life skills and knowledge
• Abuse and exploitation
• No extended family network
• Poor housing conditions and lack of tenure security
• Poor access to health care

These are common problems to most orphaned and vulnerable children but it was found that child headed households are especially vulnerable because of the lack of the usual community "safety nets".

The report makes a number of recommendations regarding interventions. It is suggests that psycho-social support (PSS) interventions should be integrated with the meeting of material needs. All stakeholder groups in farm communities need to be involved in the delivery of PSS, especially the youth and the children themselves. Ways to meet material needs are suggested including external funding and utilisation of existing systems such as BEAM. Advocacy and awareness raising are needed to ensure that child headed households are cared for, protected and included in national development agendas.

It is concluded that future interventions to respond to the needs of child headed households will need to balance material and psycho-social aspects in order to avoid undermining existing coping mechanisms. Supporting community-based responses will involve long-term capacity building and training and require thorough support and follow-up.

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