December 1966. A baby girl is born in the forests of central Zimbabwe. Seventeen years on, on a cold concrete floor at Gatwick arrivals, she sits alone, afraid, abandoned by the country she fought for. The Forgotten Child of Zimbabwe is the heart-rending story of Debra Mina Chidakwa-Akue, her early life of abuse, slavery, war, and betrayal. Set during the years of Zimbabwe's long and bloody struggle for independence, Debra's journey shines a harrowing light on life in her country, how conflict and power corrupts, and what horror the human spirit can somehow endure. It is through one girl's life experiences and the desire to share how we meet with life's challenges and how we should never give up that the author opened her heart to share a journey of a thousand miles full of pain, heartache, disappointments, near-death experiences, physical and emotional abuse, and the experiences of the bitter liberation war in Zimbabwe. Through every little journey that she endured there exists tremendous encouragement, inspiration, sadness, and thought-provoking encounters, of which some will send shivers in your spine. The Forgotten Child of Zimbabwe reveals the hidden agendas and real life stories that human beings experience, which is sometimes impossible to talk about. The Forgotten Child of Zimbabwe brings into the open the realities of life through the life and experiences of this brave young African girl. It will leave you with a challenge to take control of your life, to do something positive, and to see other human beings with fresher eyes. It will make you laugh, cry, and celebrate life and uplift you as well give you hope and be thankful. It is a story that is difficult to put down as it takes you on journey that is full of adventure and real life experiences, and, in the end, strengthens your faith or leads you to it.

Social rights are a pivotal concern for all of society, including today’s population of children. The study of the rights, or lack thereof, that children have must be undertaken to ensure that future generations are thriving members of their communities. Global Ideologies Surrounding Children's Rights and Social Justice highlights the trials and tribulations that children have often had to overcome to be considered true citizens of their communities. Featuring comprehensive coverage on a wide range of applicable topics such as child abuse, socio-economic rights, social injustice, and welfare issues, this is a critical reference source for educators, academicians, students, and researchers interested in studying new approaches for the social advancement of children.

World War II tore apart an unprecedented number of families. This is the heartbreaking story of the humanitarian organizations, governments, and refugees that tried to rehabilitate Europe’s lost children from the trauma of war, and in the process shaped Cold War ideology, ideals of democracy and human rights, and modern visions of the family.

The Human Sciences Research Council was commissioned by the WK Kellogg Foundation to develop and implement a five-year intervention project focusing on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in southern Africa. In collaboration with several partner organisations, the project currently focuses on how children, families, and communities in Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to develop models of best practise so as to enhance and improve support structures for OVC in the southern African region as a whole.

This is a report on census of orphans and vulnerable children in two districts in Zimbabwe.

This study is a presentation of Zimbabwean refugee learner experiences. Children escaped political persecution and economic problems which affected Zimbabwe in the year 2008. Many of these children were abused and witnessed traumatic experiences, their close relatives and neighbours being executed in cold blood. This study was guided by three critical questions: i) who are the Zimbabwean refugee learners? ii) what were Zimbabwean refugee learners’ migration experiences? and iii) what were Zimbabwean refugee learners’ school experiences? The study employed Bronfenbrenner’s Social Ecological Model as its overarching theoretical framework. Each stage of the refugee experience was described at each point in time.

This book examines the lives of children and young adults living in residential care systems in Zimbabwe and their unique conceptualization of family. While the importance of family for the development and wellbeing of children can't be overemphasized, the questions of what and who counts as family to orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) are under-researched. Gwenzi brings a social constructionist approach to study OVCs in institutional care as well as living with their families in Zimbabwe, finding that they do not have a single definition of family and that they use diverse characteristics to describe what family means to them. With the data suggesting a need for belonging, continuity of relationships, protection, and trust, this study makes recommendations for policy and practice with youth in alternative care in sub-Saharan Africa.