The impact of poverty on children’s sexual and reproductive health in urban areas. A case study of Chiremba located in Epworth, Harare

Abstract

The aim of the research was to assess the impact of poverty on children’s sexual and reproductive health in Chiremba located in Epworth. The study used the qualitative methodology in its approach were focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. Judgmental and purposive sampling techniques were used to selects participants of the study. The research questions were put into themes which enabled thematic content. Firstly the research aimed on the identifying challenges faced by children on their sexual and reproductive health due to poverty. It found out that children face a myriad of challenges to include sexually transmitted diseases, lack of contraceptives, maternal mortality and lack of sexual and reproductive health knowledge. The research further on looks on the coping strategies used by children in addressing poverty and found out most children living in poverty in Epworth resort to going into streets to live and work as a way of coping up with poverty at home, due to poverty they won’t be able to sustain their families with enough basic commodities hence their children engage in unreliable, lowincome casual labor, which places more responsibility on each household member to contribute economically to the household, prostitution is one of the coping strategies used by young children in Chiremba in addressing poverty and entering into early marriages for young girls was another way young girls were using in addressing the issue of poverty in Chiremba, Epworth. The last objective was to come up with strategies that can be used on improving vulnerable children's sexual and reproductive health. The findings unveiled that community health care workers, awareness campaigns and gender sensitization of communities. The research also showed that children need more assistance as cases of child marriages, pregnancies and maternal mortality are still high and existent. Poverty has therefore proven to be the most causative factor to the risk to which the children are exposed. The family as one the support systems, can be existing but lacking the needed finances and other resources to provide for the health needs of the child regarding to his or her sexual and reproductive health. Moreover, the police can be available to take perpetrators of child marriages and sexual abuse to court but the ones abused may be unaware of the use of the police victim friendly unit and how they can access justice.