Abstract

This study examined “the impact of orphanage home on children (0-18) personality development in the Buea Municipality”. A number of research objectives and questions were used to guide the study.

At the level of theories, the Hope theory by Rick Snyder (2002) and the Ecological systems theory by Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979) were used for the study. The study adopted the survey research design.

The population of the study consisted of secondary school students, drawn at Random from three sampled schools. The size consisted of 60 students and closed-ended questionnaires were used for data collection. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential methods. The findings revealed that the absence of parental guidance and positive impact of an orphanage home has an effect on children’s personality development.

However, the negative impact of an orphanage home has no effect on children’s personality development. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: parents should show love and care towards children as well as strictly monitor their activities; orphanage homes should be provided with the necessary resources (financial, material, human) so as to positively impact the lives of children orphans in orphanages should be nurtured towards the development of positive attributes in a bid to ensure a balanced personality.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

In this chapter, the researcher will deal with the background to the study, statement of the problem, research objectives and research questions of the study, the purpose of study, scope and delimitation of the study, the significance of the study, and operational definition of terms.

1.1 Background to the study

Historically, the first orphanage was established in the United States in 1729 to care for White children, orphaned by a conflict between Indians and Whites at Natchez, Mississippi. Orphanages grew and between 1830 and 1850 alone, private charitable groups established 56 children’s institutions in the United States (Bremner, 1970).

By the early nineteenth century, the problem of abandoned children in urban areas, especially London, began to reach alarming proportions. Private orphanages were founded by private benefactors; these often received royal patronage and government oversight.

In the 1970’s, professionals began to question the effectiveness of orphanages, especially as a way to address the complex problems of teens. Available data suggested life in an orphanage did not reduce a teen’s struggle with deviancy, but in some cases, increased the juvenile’s propensity to engage in such behavior. This provided support to the movement to shut down existing orphanages (Downs, 1983).

However, a few orphanages which were also considered to be residential treatment centers remained in business; that is, the Villages, Boys Town, Maryville. These orphanages that evolved to meet the needs of children in residential settings were either group or family style homes (Downs, 1983).

The purpose of these homes was to provide children who had failed in numerous placement settings with a stable structured living environment. Thus, their use was limited. These homes had social workers and psychologists on staff or the homes transported the children to the services.

Orphanages were seen as a place to teach values to the children of the disenfranchised population thus preparing them to become self-reliant adults (Bremner, 1970).

According to Downs (1983), some researchers theorized that orphanages were established in response to health epidemics (cholera, tuberculosis and influenza), wars, influx of immigrants into a particular geographical area, growing urbanization, and poor economic times.

Others theorized that the establishment of these orphanages were for a variety of other reasons: orphanages were viewed as an advance over the colonial conditions of relief provided for children which allowed them to be housed with adult criminals and deviants (Downs, 1983). This was because the function of the orphanages was to provide a home where infants are brought up to serve as alternative actors in welfare, and personality development.

Creation of these orphanages was a way in which the rich could exercise control over the poor. Many believed that punitive conditions and isolation from family made possible by institutionalization would coerce children into obedient labour market behaviour, the functions of children’s institutions were to train and rehabilitate young people and also provide a model for the moral reform of society (Downs, 1983).

This was due to the fact that orphans  living in orphanage homes might be prone to behavioral and emotional problems than others as they are deprived of a family’s love and care.

Labor market conditions played a significant role in the growth of institutional care during the nineteenth century industrialization and mechanization eventually reduced the relative demand for unskilled child labour (Downs, 1983). At the time, vast numbers of young   people were entering the country as immigrants.

The net effect of these trends was an oversupply of child labour. Communities became concerned about what to do with these youths.

Thus, institutions were created to house children who were not needed in the labour force. Today, orphanage home is just one of the numerous social institutions that carter for some of the social needs of orphans.

An orphanage is a residential institution, or group home, devoted to take care

of orphans and other children who were separated from their biological families. Examples of what would cause a child to be placed in orphanages are when the parents were deceased, the biological family was abusive to the child, there was substance abuse or mental illness in the biological home that was detrimental to the child, or the parents had to leave to work elsewhere and were unable or unwilling to take the child (Bremner, 1970).

The role of legal responsibility for the support of children whose parent(s) have died or are otherwise unable to provide care differs internationally (Bremner, 1970).

Contextually, many orphanages have been set up around the world and in Cameroon. In Cameroon, the Ministry of Social Affairs and other development partners like the Chantal Biya’s foundation, the Ministry of Public Health has been striving hard to care for orphans and other vulnerable children.

The major focus has been on the identification of these orphans. Some of the activities carried out include the provision of psychosocial support like counseling to children and to families or caregivers.

There have also been education and training through the sponsorship of children in schools and vocational training and life skills development including nutrition, education to children and their caregivers.

In Buea, there are orphanages like the Mountain Kids Orphanage which was

established in 2012 by a young energetic and visionary team of 4 Cameroonians and 1 German. There is also St. Valentine’s Centre Orphanage Buea, St. Glory Orphanage, Malingo Street Molyko Buea, Teleola Martha Foundation, Grace of God Philanthropic Foundation Orphanage started in 2004 located in the city of Buea in the South west region of Cameroon.

Also, the HOTPEC orphanage in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon is an orphanage that was created in 1995 by individuals to take care of the orphans and the less privileged children in and around the Fako Division.

Theoretically, Hope theory by Rick Snyder (2002), Hope has been defined by Snyder (2002) as a learned thinking pattern, a set of beliefs and thoughts, involving two relatively distinct ways of thinking about a goal: Agentic thinking  involves  thought  related  to  one’s  successful  determination  about reaching goals  (for example, “I  meet  the  goals  that  I  set  for  myself”);  whereas  pathways  thinking involves  thoughts  about  one’s  effective  abilities  to  pursue  different  means  of obtaining goals (“I can think of many ways to get what I want”).  However, hope is also one’s belief in the ability to pursue goals.

This belief is postulated to lead directly to corresponding hopeful behaviors that, in turn, strengthen hopeful thought (Shorey, Snyder, Hal, Cheavenens & Jennifer, 2002).

The dynamic interactions between personal (inner) and environmental (contextual) factors may modify thechildren’s responses to adversity, predicting their hope for change, their ability to adapt through various developmental paths regardless of major assaults on the developmental processes and expectations for wellbeing (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000). This theory is relevant to this work in that people with low levels of hope especially those in orphanages need to learn to enjoy the process of goal attainment, and not just focus on the goal itself.

If a goal is truly blocked, they should be encouraged to switch to a substitute goal which is more reachable (Snyder, 1997). Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) develop the ecological system review to explain how everything in a child and the child’s environment affects how the child grows and develops. He labeled different aspects or levels of the environment that can influence children development.

These aspects of environment include; The micro-system, The meso- system, The exo-system, The macrosystem and The chrono-system. According to this theory, in order to understand development in children, it is necessary to have an understanding of the dynamic interaction between the contextual factors (Donald, Lazarus & Lolwana, 2002).

The ecosystemic perspective provides a means for understanding the levels of system related to the education process, and to recognise the systematic factors that influence children’s development. These factors are both internal factors, internal to the individual student and the local community and external factors, factors in the wider community and the whole social system, and develop over time (Donald, Lazarus & Lolwana, 2002). Therefore, as orphans interact with others in school, with peers, parents and in the society, they are bound to learn news behaviours.

1.2 Statement of the problem

The quest for identity and independence result in adolescents paying a lot of attention to many undesirable behaviours that negatively affects their future personality. A vast majority of children live with their parents in familial environment while others are less fortunate, have no families, do not have this privilege. This is likely to affect the various aspects of their personality development.

The personality development of the deprived children would not be the same as that of children in intact families. Apart from the fact that the child is being deprived of his biological mother, the deprivation of stimulation provided by others is also a major factor in the growth and personality development of a child.

According to Coleman (1980), the traumatic experience of losing parents does not only temporarily shatters children’s feelings of security, adequacy and worth among the children but also is important in influencing their later evaluations of themselves and their personality development.

Building a personality is challenging as children battle as a lot of developmental crisis emerge. Therefore, orphans may show some peculiar and different behaviour and personality characteristics compared to the children from intact families.

Children living in orphanage homes might be prone to behavioral and emotional problems than others as they are deprived of a family’s love and care that might impaired their personality development. It is hoped that children in orphanage homes might develop differently. Hence, the study seeks to find out the impact of orphanage home on children (0-18) personality development in the Buea Municipality.

1.3 Objectives of the study

1.3.1 General Objective

The study investigates the impact of orphanage home on children (0-18)

personality development in the Buea Municipality.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

The following objectives have been outline for the study;

1. To examine the absence of parental guidance and the impact on children (018) Personality development in the Buea Municipality.
2. To find out positive impact of orphanages home on children (0-18) personality development in the Buea Municipality.
3. To find out negative impact of orphanages home on children (0-18) personality development in the Buea Municipality