Calvin Manika
THE successive Covid-19 induced lockdowns have given child headed households a hard time.
The suspension of business regarded as non-essential has grossly affected children both in Hwange urban and the surrounding rural areas.
Child headed households usually emerges when both parents dies.
The United Nations Children’s Fund () defines a child headed household as a family unit of which the oldest person residing in the household is under the age of eighteen.
Givemore Dube of Lukosi is finding it hard to provide for the family especially under this lockdown. He used to earn a living through curio vending along Bulawayo – Victoria Falls road.
Since the restrictions in travelling were put in place, business has been low and things have been not well to the 17 year old Givemore.
“I am home with my young brothers. I had some little savings. I need to find another way to survive and take care of the family,” he said.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has been calling for vulnerable groups to register so that they can receive a monthly hand-out from the government in form of a food hamper or money.
Some of the beneficiaries told this publication that the money is not sufficient given the level of inflation and costs involved in mobile transactions.
Speaking to The Zambezi Times, Theresa Mupeti, a social worker based in Harare said: “Most children who are child headed are not formally employed, lockdown has been too long that these children are suffering from hunger. There is also issue of incest in child headed families. Children just need an elderly guardian to care for them.”
Girl child headed families has resulted in girls exposed to prostitution, STIs, unwanted pregnancies as they try to fend for the family. On the other hand boys have normally resorted to criminal activities.
A 16 year old Agrippa from Madumabisa village who spoke to this publication narrated the same experience.
“I was a tout at Rankini, but since 29 March when the first lockdown began and the ban on kombis I have found it difficult. I did not finish school after the death of my parents and I am looking after my two siblings,” he said.
