The role of informal caregivers in the well‐being of orphans in Botswana: a literature review

Authors: Tapologo Maundeni, Tumani Malinga-Musamba

Date: April 2013

Abstract: With the orphan population escalating, communities continue to rely on relatives to provide care to orphans. Therefore, there is a need to explore the role of caregivers with regard to the well-being of orphans, the challenges they face, as well as how they could be empowered to be more responsive to children’s needs. The paper acknowledges that informal caregivers play an important role in the lives of orphans. The paper also concedes that, in the process, caregivers are faced with challenges which make it difficult for them to fulfil their responsibilities and roles. As a result, they sometimes act as sources of stress to orphans, which eventually complicate the children’s adjustment to the loss of their parents. Lastly, the paper paves the way to ensuring that challenges faced by informal caregivers are addressed in a manner that will make them more supportive to orphans.

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