Young Children's Opportunities towards Development and Attachment at an Orphanage in Uganda

Author: Alida Karlman and Emma Jonerud Title: Young Children's Opportunities towards Development and Attachment at an Orphanage in Uganda Supervisor: Bodil Rasmusson Assesor: Malin Arvidson This study was performed at the orphanage Sanyu Babies Home in the capital city Kampala of Uganda and became possible with the financial support through the Minor Field Study (MFS) scholarship from SIDA. The purpose of the study was to view how the employees promoted children’s attachment and development with the existing conditions at the orphanage. We used a qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured interviews as well as participant observations. Two different types of sampling were used, convenience sampling for the orphanage and purposive sampling for the employees. The theories we applied on the analysis was Maslow’s Hierarchy, Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory and The Attachment theory. In our conclusion we recognized deficiencies in the employee’s fulfillment of the children’s needs due to lack of knowledge as well as limited resources. The methods used at the orphanage were influenced by cultural values instead of evidence-based knowledge. Additionally, the extensive use of corporal punishment and special treatment affected the children’s ability to develop and attach. Although, the desire to love and care for all the children were still present. Key words: Orphanage, Uganda, Children's development, Attachment, Cultural aspects