Community-based organisations (cbos) and the child rights-based approach (crba) in implementing services for vulnerable children: a case study of Kuyasa horizon empowerment in Kayamandi, Cape Town, South Africa

Magister Artium - MAVulnerable children in Southern Africa are not receiving adequate services to support their human development. The child rights-based approach (CRBA) has become the globally accepted norm informing the quality and variety of multidimensional services children require to realise their rights and ensure their optimal human development. Community- Based Organisations (CBOs) are providing services to children in their communities. Unfortunately, relatively few CBOs in Southern Africa have been able to deliver all the multidimensional services required by vulnerable children to realise their right to survival, protection, development and participation. Yet, in the immediate future, existing CBOs could be capacitated as part of a collaborative approach with governments and donor agencies, to scale up services for vulnerable children. In line with the CRBA and the people centred development approach (PCDA), this research describes the factors that enhance or constrain the services for vulnerable children provided by the CBO, Kuyasa Horizon Empowerment (Kuyasa), in Kayamandi, Cape Town, South Africa. The aim of the case study was to identify and describe these key factors which impact on CBOs service delivery, utilising the CRBA as theoretical framework, so as to provide recommendations for future capacity building with Kuyasa in particular and other CBOs in general. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of research were applied throughout the study using a variety of techniques and instruments. Generally the findings indicate that, in terms of the CRBA, the factors which enhance services for vulnerable children provided by Kuyasa, were (1) their approach to empowerment as a point of departure for other practices and principles, (2) the scope and sequencing of their multidimensional services , (3) the practice of assigning responsibility to children to encourage contribution and the (4) principle of mentorship to validate children‟s iii potential and contribution in the absence of biological fathers. The critical constraints were (1) the variety of challenges children encounter in the community, i.e., sexual abuse, early sexual debut and alcohol abuse, (2) the challenges out of school youth encounter in accessing higher education or employment, (3) conflicting interests which hindered consensus in the participation process and (4) managing complex or prescriptive donor relationships. In light of the critical constraints identified, a collaborative and integrated approach is recommended. The constraining factors identified by this case study cannot be addressed by CBOs in isolation. The challenges children, out of school youth, and CBOs encounter can only be mitigated through a collaborative and integrated approach, where the grassroots level services provided by CBOs are combined with interventions offered by government departments and the development community. Some of the success factors and constraints can be extrapolated and used to inform many similar organisations operating in similar contexts. Finally, framing the findings in terms of the CRBA, promotes advocacy and discourse around a shared theoretical framework

Secondary distress in violence researchers: a randomised trial of the effectiveness of group debriefings.

BACKGROUND: Secondary distress including emotional distress, vicarious trauma (VT) and secondary traumatic stress (STS) due to exposure to primary trauma victims have been described in helping professionals and in violence researchers. To our knowledge, there are few prevalence studies, and no tailored interventions have been tested to reduce secondary distress in violence researchers. The study aims to (1) describe the epidemiology of secondary distress experienced by violence researchers; to (2) assess the effectiveness of group debriefings in mitigating secondary distress; to (3) assess risk and protective factors. METHODS: We conducted an un-blinded, individually randomised trial with parallel assignment. Eligible participants were 59 Ugandan researchers employed by the Good Schools Study to interview children who experienced violence in a district of Uganda. Fifty-three researchers agreed to participate and were randomly allocated. The intervention group (n = 26) participated in three group debriefings and the control group (n = 27) in three leisure sessions (film viewings). The primary outcome was change in levels of emotional distress (SRQ-20); secondary outcomes were levels of VT and STS at end-line. A paired t-test assessed the difference in mean baseline and end-line emotional distress. Un-paired t-tests compared the change in mean emotional distress (baseline vs. end-line), and compared levels of VT and STS at end-line. Separate logistic regression models tested the association between end-line emotional distress and a-priori risk or protective factors. RESULTS: Baseline and end-line levels of emotional distress were similar in control (p = 0.47) and intervention (p = 0.59) groups. The superiority of group debriefing over leisure activities in lowering levels of emotional distress in the intervention group (n = 26; difference in SRQ-20 = 0.23 [SD = 2.18]) compared to the control group (n = 26; difference in SRQ-20 = 0.23 [SD = 1.63]) could not be detected (p = 1). In regression analysis (n = 48), baseline distress increased the odds of end-line distress (OR = 16.1, 95%CI 2.82 to 92.7, p = 0.002). Perceived organisational support (OR = 0.09, 95%CI 0.01 to 0.69, p = 0.02) and belief in God (OR = 0.21, 95%CI 0.03 to 1.26, p = 09) was protective against end-line distress. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence that violence researchers experienced elevated emotional distress after doing violence research. There was no difference between group debriefings and leisure activities in reducing distress in our sample. However, the hypotheses presented should not be ruled out in other violence research settings. Our findings suggest that organisational support is a significant protective factor and belief in God may be an important coping mechanism. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials NCT02390778 . Retrospectively registered 19 March 2015. The Good Schools Trial was registered at ( NCT01678846 ), on August 24, 2012

Additional file 1: of Secondary distress in violence researchers: a randomised trial of the effectiveness of group debriefings

Study Protocol. (DOCX 28 kb

Adapting a complex violence prevention intervention: a case study of the Good School Toolkit in Uganda

Abstract Background Adaptation is a key strategy to extend the reach of evidence-based interventions to prevent violence in new populations, but there is a dearth of practical case examples. The Good School Toolkit was developed by Ugandan NGO Raising Voices for use in primary schools (GST-P). We describe our systematic approach to adapting the GST-P for use in secondary schools in Uganda, and reflect on the utility of the process as well as limitations of existing adaptation frameworks. Methods We adapted the GST-P in four phases, which included: I) clarifying the logic model and core intervention components using a streamlined process; II) conducting formative research (cross-sectional survey, focus groups, etc.) to understand the new population; III) selecting and preparing new intervention components and modifying existing intervention components; and IV) pretesting new intervention components with teachers and students in Uganda. Results We identified core components using a logic model. Formative research showed results largely in line with our apriori hypotheses. Teacher violence remained highly prevalent in secondary versus primary schools (> 65% of secondary students reported past year exposure), while peer violence significantly increased (secondary = 52% vs. primary girls = 40%, P < 0.001; secondary = 54% vs. primary boys = 44%, P = 0.009) in secondary versus primary schools. Significantly more secondary girls (51%) than secondary boys (45%) reported past year dating/intimate partner violence (P = 0.03). Inequitable, gendered educational practices emerged as a salient theme, perceived to heighten female students’ vulnerability to violence. In light of these findings, we made several adjustments to the adapted intervention. We strengthened existing teacher and peer violence intervention components. We also developed, pretested and revised new program components to prevent dating violence and promote ‘gender fairness in schools’. Finally, original activities were modified to support engagement with school administration and promote increased student agency in secondary schools. Conclusions Based on our experience, it was difficult to apply mechanistic models to clarify the intervention logic of the GST-P, a complex multicomponent intervention, and simpler methods may be sufficient. Our team had high levels of contextual knowledge before the adaptation, and formative research to understand the new target population provided only limited additional insight. In similar situations, a simplified approach to mapping the core intervention components, qualitative research to understand the new target population, and pre-testing of new intervention components may be the most informative elements of systematic adaptation processes