Eritrea : Collective Responsibility for War Orphans

The note reviews the impact on collective responsibility for orphans in Eritrea, as a result of the thirty-year war, when the number of children who lost both parents increased in geometric proportions. At the same time, the social structure of the...

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Main Author: Wolff, Peter H.
Format: Brief
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
WAR
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10788
id okr-10986-10788
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-107882017-12-13T11:53:56Z Eritrea : Collective Responsibility for War Orphans Wolff, Peter H. CHILD CARE EXTENDED FAMILIES EXTENDED FAMILY FOSTER CARE GROUP HOMES MOTHERS ORPHANAGES PARENTS SIBLINGS UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN VIOLENCE WAR WAR ORPHANS ORPHANS POST-WAR CONFLICT RESOLUTION INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE TRADITIONAL SOCIETY GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION FAMILY ENVIRONMENT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS & POOR CHILDREN GROUP HOMES FOR CHILDREN ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS The note reviews the impact on collective responsibility for orphans in Eritrea, as a result of the thirty-year war, when the number of children who lost both parents increased in geometric proportions. At the same time, the social structure of the traditional society was grossly disrupted, and, as a result, the "grass-roots" pattern of caring for orphans, no longer functioned, and the Eritrean administration had to make special provisions of group care as long as the war lasted. The negative experiences Eritrea had had with foreign adoptions, or foster care, was conducive to concerted efforts to close all orphanages, and instead, formulated a nation-wide plan for the rescue, and rehabilitation of unaccompanied children, largely built on indigenous practices of child care. The plan's main component was the reunification of orphans with their extended family, and an income-generating scheme was implemented, whereby families accepting orphans, received financial assistance - in kind. The program has been in place for some seven years, and is being monitored to provide economic, and social assistance. However, all extended families were not possibly traced, and an alternative plan, provided decent housing, and social environment for children to live together, with one or two surrogate mothers, also based on indigenous traditions of child care among the larger community. 2012-08-13T13:07:32Z 2012-08-13T13:07:32Z 2002-11 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10788 English Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Notes; No. 50 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Brief Publications & Research Africa Eritrea
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution World Bank
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection Online Access
language English
topic CHILD CARE
EXTENDED FAMILIES
EXTENDED FAMILY
FOSTER CARE
GROUP HOMES
MOTHERS
ORPHANAGES
PARENTS
SIBLINGS
UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
VIOLENCE
WAR
WAR ORPHANS ORPHANS
POST-WAR CONFLICT RESOLUTION
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE
TRADITIONAL SOCIETY
GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION
FAMILY ENVIRONMENT
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS & POOR CHILDREN
GROUP HOMES FOR CHILDREN
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
spellingShingle CHILD CARE
EXTENDED FAMILIES
EXTENDED FAMILY
FOSTER CARE
GROUP HOMES
MOTHERS
ORPHANAGES
PARENTS
SIBLINGS
UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN
VIOLENCE
WAR
WAR ORPHANS ORPHANS
POST-WAR CONFLICT RESOLUTION
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE
TRADITIONAL SOCIETY
GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION
FAMILY ENVIRONMENT
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS & POOR CHILDREN
GROUP HOMES FOR CHILDREN
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Wolff, Peter H.
Eritrea : Collective Responsibility for War Orphans
geographic_facet Africa
Eritrea
relation Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Notes; No. 50
description The note reviews the impact on collective responsibility for orphans in Eritrea, as a result of the thirty-year war, when the number of children who lost both parents increased in geometric proportions. At the same time, the social structure of the traditional society was grossly disrupted, and, as a result, the "grass-roots" pattern of caring for orphans, no longer functioned, and the Eritrean administration had to make special provisions of group care as long as the war lasted. The negative experiences Eritrea had had with foreign adoptions, or foster care, was conducive to concerted efforts to close all orphanages, and instead, formulated a nation-wide plan for the rescue, and rehabilitation of unaccompanied children, largely built on indigenous practices of child care. The plan's main component was the reunification of orphans with their extended family, and an income-generating scheme was implemented, whereby families accepting orphans, received financial assistance - in kind. The program has been in place for some seven years, and is being monitored to provide economic, and social assistance. However, all extended families were not possibly traced, and an alternative plan, provided decent housing, and social environment for children to live together, with one or two surrogate mothers, also based on indigenous traditions of child care among the larger community.
format Publications & Research :: Brief
author Wolff, Peter H.
author_facet Wolff, Peter H.
author_sort Wolff, Peter H.
title Eritrea : Collective Responsibility for War Orphans
title_short Eritrea : Collective Responsibility for War Orphans
title_full Eritrea : Collective Responsibility for War Orphans
title_fullStr Eritrea : Collective Responsibility for War Orphans
title_full_unstemmed Eritrea : Collective Responsibility for War Orphans
title_sort eritrea : collective responsibility for war orphans
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2012
url http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10788
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