title: Assesment of household burden of orphaning and coping strategies by guardians and families with orphans and vulnerable children in Hossana Town, SNNPR.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Globally the number of orphans is increasing due to HIV/AIDS, internal corflicts and others. Orphanage and vulnerability causes much of its burden on poor households and children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was initiated to assess household challenges of orphaning and coping strategies by families and guardians living with Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC). It has also tried to look at the types and level of challenge facing OVC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community based descriptive cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted from October to November 2008 using a pre-tested Amharic questionnaire among guardians of OVC in Hossana town. Hadiya zone, SNNPR. A total of 334 samples were selected using a simple random sampling technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty nine percent (69%) of guardians were women. Almost all of the OVC had participated in one domestic activity and 26.9% of OVC were involved in domestic work in other houses. A little more than twenty two percent (22.2%) have history of involvement in productive child labor; of whom 79.7% were found working at the time of data collection Above thirty five percent (35.6%) of respondents believe that the OVC are discriminated and 23.5% of the discriminators were step parents. As household coping mechanism 24.9% reported selling domestic animals, 15.6% selling household equipments and 12.9% sell plots of land which all occurs due to lack of resources in households.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study concluded that caregivers lack sufficient resources to provide basic needs to OVC. Hence, community based training on micro finance assistance, discrimination and psychological support should be given to guardians and the community in general.
authors.affiliation: AMRF in Ethiopia, P.O. Box 20855 code 1000, Addis Ababa. gizachew2k6@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Gizachew
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balew
authors.forename: Netsanet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Worku
authors.forename: Tesfaye
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tilaye
authors.forename: Kahsay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huruy
authors.forename: Teshome
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fetene
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D054540:Child, Orphaned; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007872:Legal Guardians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D035862:Vulnerable Populations