Revitalising Ubuntu Values for Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy and Strengthening Child Protection in Rural Zimbabwe

Despite legislation, education, and health interventions to protect children's well-being in rural Zimbabwe, adolescent pregnancy remains one of the larger child protection and public health issues. This chapter looks at the potential for Ubuntu to be revived as an indigenous African philosophy of responsibility, respect, compassion and moral accountability and to reinforce work at community level to protect children and prevent adolescent pregnancy. The study utilised a qualitative exploratory design after employing Ubuntu Theory in the collection and analysis of data, using an interpretivist paradigm. This study was based on the collection of data which was obtained via a focus group discussion with fourteen purposively selected community elders (mothers and fathers) from the community of Gwenungu in Gokwe South District of Zimbabwe. The District Development Coordinator gave permission to undertake the study and community entry was established with the assistance of the local ward councillors. Thematic analysis as per Braun and Clarke (2006) was used in analyzing these data. The findings suggest that adolescent pregnancy is influenced by inter-related socio-economic and cultural issues, such as poverty, migration for labour, child headed household, sexual victimisation by extended family, and informal small- scale gold mining. Each time, however, participants attributed a weakening of Ubuntu values as the root cause of the weakening of communal parenting responsibilities, the collective responsibility, respect for elders, and traditional child protection systems. They wanted to improve family life, build up the role of indigenous leaders, encourage better parenting practices and re-establish the community's responsibility for the wellbeing of children. The chapter therefore suggests that the adoption of the positive principles of Ubuntu and existing legal, educational and public health interventions can constitute a culturally responsive and sustainable strategy to bolster child protection, reinforce community ownership, and prevent adolescent pregnancy in rural Zimbabwe.

Keywords: adolescent pregnancy; child protection; community-based interventions; rural Zimbabwe; Ubuntu.