Browsing by Author "Nguru, Janet"

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    Grief care to children ophaned by HIV and AIDS within Nairobi province Kenya : towards a pastoral strategy for identity formation
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-12) Nguru, Janet; Thesnaar, C. H.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis deals with pastoral grief care for children orphaned through HIV and AIDS in Nairobi City County in Kenya (formerly Nairobi Province in Kenya). This concern developed as a result of realising that children’s grief is rarely attended to before, during and after burial in most Kenyan communities. The research question that guided the research was: What theoretical, theological and contextual pastoral intervention strategy can the church use to provide grief care to children orphaned through HIV and AIDS? To respond to this question, the research had four objectives, which helped the researcher to remain focused on the key problem. An empirical research design was adopted to establish the impact the death of parents has on children and to examine how their grief has been responded to, particularly by the church. It was clear that children do experience grief that manifests in various forms including emotional, behavioural, cognitive, spiritual and physical responses. Grief is also heightened by the events that transpire after the death of parents plus the status of the children as double orphans, paternal orphans or maternal orphans. Despite the fact that children are overwhelmed by grief and grief-related issues when their parents die, the family and community as well as the church, rarely provide children with grief care. Through a literature study the research engaged with other disciplines in order to broaden the understanding of children’s grief. The study revealed that children’s development in general is affected by their grief and their stage of development, in turn, has an effect on their grief. However, it should be noted that African cultures have great impact on the development of African children and their grief. It was also noted that African people have their own way of grieving and mourning when a family loses a person through death. Various rituals that are calculated to help the mourning family work to through the grief process are performed. Interestingly, children rarely participate in the performance of such rituals. It was very clear that, in order to provide pastoral grief care to children orphaned through HIV and AIDS, it is of utmost importance to understand the nature of human beings in relation to God. Such an understanding could determine how the church responds to the grieving children’s situation. It is suggested that the church should work closely with the family, community and institutions in order to provide meaningful pastoral grief care within an African setting. It was argued that various rituals performed during funeral ceremonies are of help in grieving and the mourning process; hence it is suggested that children should also be given the opportunity to participate in performing the rituals. It is noted that the Christian and cultural rituals that are relevant to grief care could be employed. Given the above understanding, a pastoral intervention strategy for grief care to children orphaned through HIV and AIDS is proposed. Different interventions that respond to children’s grief and grief-related issues before, during, and after burial are discussed.