BUSE Institutional Repository

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Access status: Open Access ,
Beyond visibility: social workers’ perspectives on child neglect among children living with disabilities in Chitungwiza
(BUSE, 2026) Mahuni, Felistas
Child neglect remains one of the most prevalent forms of child abuse worldwide, with children living with disabilities being particularly vulnerable due to their increased dependency on caregivers and social support systems. This study explored social workers’ perspectives on child neglect among children living with disabilities in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. The study was guided by Attachment Theory and employed a qualitative research approach within an interpretivist paradigm to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. A case study design was adopted, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with social workers and key informants drawn from government departments, non-governmental organisations, and community-based organisations working with children with disabilities. Purposive sampling was used to select participants with relevant experience and knowledge. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that child neglect among children living with disabilities manifests in various forms, including physical neglect, emotional neglect, educational neglect, and medical neglect. The study identified poverty, caregiver stress, limited knowledge of disability issues, stigma, and inadequate support services as key factors contributing to neglect. The findings further highlighted several consequences of neglect, such as poor physical and mental health, social isolation, low self-esteem, educational challenges, and compromised overall wellbeing. Social workers reported employing interventions such as case management, family counselling, community awareness campaigns, referrals, and advocacy; however, these efforts were constrained by high caseloads, limited resources, and inadequate inter-agency coordination. The study concludes that addressing child neglect among children living with disabilities requires a multi-sectoral approach involving government institutions, social workers, communities, and families. The study recommends increased funding for child protection services, strengthened community awareness programmes, enhanced support for caregivers, and improved coordination among stakeholders to promote the welfare and protection of children living with disabilities.
Access status: Open Access ,
An Evaluation on how school feeding programmes can enhance academic success among students. The case of Wayerera secondary school
(BUSE, 2026) Madzivanzira, Obert
The study aimed to design an intervention on how school feeding programmes can enhance academic success among students. Its objectives were threefold firstly, to examine how school feeding programmes influence students’ concentration and classroom participation, to explore the perspectives of beneficiaries on the impact of school feeding programmes on academic success and to propose an intervention model that strengthens scholastic achievement through feeding initiatives. The study is anchored in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the study recognized that meeting students’ physiological and safety needs through consistent nutrition is a prerequisite for higher order outcomes such as learning, self esteem, and self actualization. A qualitative case study design was adopted, with purposive sampling selecting teachers, students, and caregivers as participants. Data were collected through in depth interviews and focus group discussions, guided by semi structured instruments. Findings revealed that while school feeding programmes improved attendance and reduced hunger, their academic impact was constrained by socio economic deprivation, inconsistent meal provision, weak infrastructure, and limited financing. Participants emphasized that poverty and inadequate resources undermined sustainability, leaving students vulnerable to poor concentration and reduced performance. The study concludes that sustainable academic success requires a feeding model that prioritizes nutritional equality, diversified financing, infrastructure development, and holistic interventions. Recommendations urge policymakers, educators, and communities to integrate school feeding into child development frameworks, advancing inclusive interventions aligned with Zimbabwe’s Education 5.0 strategy and the Ubuntu philosophy of collective responsibility
Access status: Open Access ,
Post treatment experiences of leprosy patients at Mutemwa Leprosy Catholic and Care Centre in Mutoko
(BUSE, 2026) Chidindi, Princess C.
For many years, leprosy has been medically curable through Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT), yet cured patients continue to face lifelong social, psychological, and physical complications due to stigmatization, rejection, and permanent disabilities. This has called for a deeper understanding of post-treatment lived experiences, particularly in institutional settings such as Mutemwa Leprosy Catholic and Care Centre in Mutoko, Zimbabwe, where cured patients remain resident long after biomedical cure. Hence the study sought to explore the post-treatment experiences of leprosy patients at Mutemwa Leprosy Catholic and Care Centre. The research objectives were to examine the post-treatment services given to cured leprosy patients, to scrutinize the complications associated with post-treatment lives, to analyses the coping mechanisms adopted by patients, and to propose recommendations to enhance service delivery and address complications. The study adopted a qualitative approach using a descriptive phenomenological design with a sample size of 12–14 participants selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semistructured in-depth interviews and key informant interviews. Thematic analysis grounded in descriptive phenomenology was used to analyses the data. The findings show that post-treatment services at Mutemwa are limited to basic medical rehabilitation (wound care, physiotherapy) and spiritual support, with no formal psychological counselling, vocational training, or community reintegration programmes. Cured patients face profound complications including permanent physical disabilities, internalised stigma, social death (loss of identity and community ties), family rejection, economic dependency, and psychological distress such as depression and hopelessness. Coping mechanisms adopted include religious faith, peer support among residents, withdrawal from social contact, and acceptance of institutional dependency. The findings also identified challenges such as lack of trained mental health personnel, exclusion from national disability benefits, absence of discharge pathways, and policy fragmentation between health and social welfare sectors. Strategies that can be employed to address these challenges include integration of psychosocial services into leprosy care, establishment of vocational training and microenterprise support, family mediation and community sensitization, legal advocacy for inclusion in disability benefits, and development of formal community reintegration pathways. The study therefore recommends holistic, human rights-based approaches that extend beyond biomedical cure to include psychological rehabilitation, economic empowerment, legal protection, and community reintegration for cured leprosy.
Access status: Open Access ,
Experiences of male gender-based violence survivors. Case of Padare men’s forum, Harare
(BUSE, 2026) Prisca, David
This study explored the experiences of male gender-based violence (GBV) survivors at Padare Men’s Forum in Harare, Zimbabwe. Guided by the Strength-Based Theory, the study employed a qualitative case study design involving five male survivors and three key informants. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that male survivors experienced physical, verbal, psychological,economic, and spiritual abuse. Survivors employed coping mechanisms including avoidance and denial, social isolation, substance use, faith-based coping, and helpseeking. Padare Men’s Forum provided counselling, peer support, legal advocacy, community awareness programme, and referral services, although economic empowerment support remained limited. The study concludes that male GBV is a significant but under-recognized social problem in Zimbabwe and that culturally responsive, gender-inclusive interventions are required. The study recommends strengthening support services, improving awareness, expanding economic empowerment initiatives, and promoting gender-inclusive policies and social work practice.
Access status: Open Access ,
Development of a model to prevent and manage school dropouts amoung secondary students in rural Zimbabwe: a case of Bushu secondary school
(BUSE, 2026) Ndoofa, Ngonidzashe
This study examined the persistent challenge of secondary school dropout among learners in rural Zimbabwe, with Bushu secondary school in Shamva District serving as the focus case. The overarching aim was to develop a context-specific, community- based intervention model to strengthen prevention and management of dropout. The objectives were to identify the key factors contributing to dropout, to explore existing strategies employed by schools, families and communities and to design a culturally responsive model that integrates local actors in sustaining learner retention. The study was anchored in ecological systems theory, which emphasizes the interplay of microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem influences on human development, thereby providing a holistic framework for understanding dropout dynamics. A qualitative research approach was adopted, utilizing interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis to capture diverse perspectives from student and, teachers. Findings revealed that school dropout is driven by spiritual factors, poor modeling by parents, proximity to school, financial constraints, Existing intervention such as child profiling, counseling, and reinforcement of laws. Recommendations emphasized the need for a community-based model that mobilizes parents, schools and local leaders to collaboratively address school dropout drivers. Key strategies include strengthening parental involvement, enhancing school-family partnership, expanding psychosocial and financial support systems, and aligning national polices with local realities. The proposed model advances inclusive education, gender equity, and sustainable development by empowering rural communities to safeguard learners’ right to complete secondary education.