Pathways of resilience for children facing socio-economic adversities: Experiences from Future Families’ OVC programmes in South Africa

Pamhidzayi Berejena Mhongera and Antoinette Lombard

Children and Youth Services Review, 2020, vol. 108, issue C

Abstract: Some children display extraordinary strengths in the face of adversity unlike others in similar circumstances. Instead of succumbing to the negative effects of socio-economic adversities, they manage to cope, establishing positive developmental trajectories, which are critical for the achievement of successful outcomes. This qualitative, phenomenological study explores experiences of resilience among OVC benefiting from programmes implemented by Future Families (a non-profit organisation) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Five children were purposefully selected, one from each programme site, on the basis of demonstrated ability in confronting adverse situations while maintaining positive adaptation and effective functioning as individuals, at home, school and in the community. Data were collected from stories on pictures drawn and in-depth interviews which were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings show that the socio-economic adversities that participants face affect their social-emotional well-being. However, through personal agency, supportive relationships and programmes implemented by Future Families, OVC develop pathways of resilience which help them to produce better-than-expected outcomes. The study recommends the strengthening of NPOs working with children and families in communities experiencing socio-economic adversities, as well as increased participation of children in resilience-building studies, policy and practice.

Keywords: Children; Resilience; Adversity; Pathways; Phenomenology; Non-profit organisation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740919306905
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:108:y:2020:i:c:s0190740919306905

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104657

Access Statistics for this article

Children and Youth Services Review is currently edited by Duncan Lindsey

More articles in Children and Youth Services Review from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().