Browsing by Author "Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso."

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

An exploration of the experiences of social workers and nurses treating HIV/TB patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at King Dinuzulu Hospital in Durban.
(2023) Thabethe, Thandiwe Bonisiwe.; Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso.
The outbreak of COVID-19, a global health pandemic, created a tsunami of problems resulting in lockdowns as the world grappled to understand and contain its spread and save lives. For King Dinuzulu Hospital, a specialised healthcare centre for the treatment of TB, its designation as a COVID-19 health facility in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, turned it into a facility managing three epidemics, COVID-19, TB and HIV. The main aim of this study was to explore the experiences of public social workers and nurses caring for and treating TB/HIV patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at King Dinuzulu Hospital. This study utilised a qualitative research methodology. Data were collected from 15 HCWs (seven public social workers and eight nurses) selected using a purposive sampling methodology. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted. These were guided by an interview guide with open-ended questions, and the collected data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The study revealed that COVID-19 negatively affected the delivery of social work and nursing services at King Dinuzulu Hospital, and HCWs experienced psychological distress due to fear of being infected, infecting their family members and seeing some of their colleagues and patients at KDH die from COVID-19 pandemic. The mitigation measures that were put in place to blunt the full impact of COVID-19 on HCWs providing services to TB/HIV patients, went some way in preventing a total disaster from happening. KDH needs to resolve the shortage of HCWs, provide sufficient PPEs, repair and provide access to telephones/ mobile phones, and provide adequate and conducive offices.
Distance parenting: the views of domestic workers and their partners in the eThekwini Metro.
(2018) Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso.; Sewpaul, Vishanthie.
The separation of children from their parents is widespread in South Africa, more so in Black families where a majority of parents have historically lived far from their children (Montgomery, Hosegood, Busza & Timæus, 2006). This study was designed to understand how men and women parented their children whom they did not live with. I was interested in how they negotiated parenting from a distance, and what implications this had for themselves, their children and caregivers. The study also aimed at understanding the meanings attached to parenthood against dominant constructions of motherhood and fatherhood. Informed by critical social work, I used an interview guide to gather data through in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions with the participants who were domestic workers employed and living in central Durban, in the eThekwini metro. Of the 33 females and 7 males who participated in the study, only one couple, who lived separately from each other took part. The inclusion criterion was that participants be domestic workers with children who were not co-resident for a minimum period of one year. Thematic analysis and critical discourse analysis constituted the basis of the analysis of the data. Despite distance parenting being widespread and normalised in many rural communities, the findings indicated that parents wanted to live with their children and raise them. The challenges in recruiting men to participate in a study, which they perceived as dealing with “women’s issues”, is in itself, telling. The few men who participated supported my initial assumption that men and women parent differently. While women were more nurturing and emotionally close to their children, men tended to construct responsible parenting in monetary terms. Mothers depended on othermothers in the community to care for their children, and despite distance, these mothers reconstructed mothering practices to suit their reality. Distance did not necessarily affect fatherhood which was defined along dominant hegemonic masculinities, but put pressure on men to be providers even when they were employed in the low income sector of domestic work. The study also showed the resourcefulness of domestic workers, and how they developed social protection systems for themselves, and their children and families. Finally, the study showed the agency of domestic workers, and that power between domestic workers and their employers is not unilateral, nor one directional as is always thought; workers are able to assert themselves, and meet their needs even in this ultra-exploitative and oppressive employment sector. Based on the study findings and the literature, policy and practice recommendations, and recommendations for further research are made.
Exploring heterosexual students' attitudes towards students who identify as gay and lesbian at the Howard College Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2022) Base, Mandisa.; Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso.
LGBTQIA+ students seem to be the most marginalised group in the university environment. Homosexual attacks, discrimination, oppression, verbal harassment, and physical threats reflect negative attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ students on the Howard University campus. Numerous factors play a role in influencing attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ students such as culture, religion, social media, and derogatory language that is used against LGBTQIA+. This study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the attitudes of heterosexual students towards LGBTQIA+ students on campus. Ten participants were interviewed using an interview schedule, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The study’s findings show that negative attitudes towards gay and lesbian students at UKZN still exist, and male heterosexual students have more negative attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ than female heterosexual students. The main themes that emerged from the study show that verbal harassment and physical threats are common toward gay and lesbian students on campus. The study’s findings provide insight into the attitudes of heterosexual students towards students who identify as gay and lesbian. The recommendations from the study are that educational institutions develop strategies for integrating LGBTQIA+ students into the higher education system by ensuring a support system and appropriate organisational responses to specifically address these issues. The study further recommends that the university give specific support by hiring social workers to provide attitude-responsive educational programmes and participate in policy development at the university management level.
Investigating the acceptability of unsupervised/private HIV self-testing among young male students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2022) Mhlongo, Sanele.; Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso.
Globally only 84% of individuals knew that they were living with HIV by 2020 (UNIAIDS, 2021; WHO, 2021). Young people are a growing proportion of individuals living with HIV who do not know their status and there is a growing need for innovative HIV testing methods such as the HIV Self Test (HIVST). Unlike traditional testing methods, HIVST offers privacy for patients, low cost and thus it is a much-needed method to increase youth testing and knowledge of their HIV status. This study investigated the knowledge and acceptability of male student’s unsupervised HIVST at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study utilized a cross-sectional quantitative methodology, and the theory of Planned behaviour guided the study analysis and discussions. This research study used numerous scales to measure participant’s attitudes towards HIVST, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control towards the HIVST. In this investigation, 99 male students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal were sampled using time location sampling. The findings of this study suggest that perceived behavioural control with (positive correlation of .289 with a p-value of .004 at an alpha level of .001) and attitude with (positive correlation of .310 with a P-value .002 at an Alpha level of .001) are the most influential factors for young male youth to use the HIVST. At the same time, the subjective norm is not statistically significant (negative correlation and P-value .067) in influencing the intention to use the HIVST. Younger males aged between 18-21 years were much less likely to test for HIV in general than older youth males above the age of 21 years, who were more likely to be tested or test for HIV in general.
Parenting their children : the experiences of young women at Kwa-Makhutha township in Kwazulu-Natal.
(2019) Mavundla, Penelop Sibonelo.; Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso.
Globally, studies have shown higher fertility rate amongst young women compared to other age groups. The challenges of early parenthood often have negative consequences for young women, including disappointment from parents, financial challenges and having to negotiate life tasks with a young dependent. The aim of this study was to understand the factors influencing parenting among young women in KwaMakhutha Township. The study used a social constructivism approach to understand the meaning participants attach to their experiences of early motherhood. This qualitative study included 21 young mothers selected through a snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through individual interviews, and permission was obtained from participants to record these interviews, which were later transcribed and translated from IsiZulu into English. I used thematic data analysis and the findings of the study showed that young mothers face many challenges, but these also helped the participants to grow and be responsible for their children. Some participants reported undesirable experiences including financial challenges, rejection by family and fathers of the children and the need to earn a living in order to support themselves and their children. Those who had some positive experience expressed personal growth and an increased sense of responsibility. The absence of fathers in the care of children was a conspicuous outcome as these young fathers either reported to have denied responsibility for the parenting or being incapable of financially supporting their children. As a result, young mothers were left to take full responsibility for the financial, physical and emotional needs of their children. None of the participants would recommend early motherhood to other young women. This insight can be considered by government and other relevant stakeholders to develop youth-friendly healthcare facilities, specifically in the provision of reproductive health and rights services to adolescent girls and young women. This study therefore concludes that it is challenging for young women to raise their child without full support of their partners or primary care givers. Although the child support grant is financially helpful, this study identified a great need for psychosocial support services in the prevention of early parenthood amongst adolescent girls and young women, support to young mothers and their families, and the implementation of policies and programs that support young mothers who bear the burden of raising the children alone.
Perceptions and experiences of taxi drivers on fatherhood in Wentworth, Durban.
(2017) Adarkwa, Sbonisile Ofori.; Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of absent fathers globally with many children growing up without fathers. This has prompted many studies to be undertaken in South Africa to understand fathers’ absence with few studies being done on those fathers that are present in their children’s life. Against this backdrop this study set out to understand the perceptions and experiences of taxi drivers as fathers due to the dearth of research on taxi drivers as fathers in South Africa. Taxi drivers in South Africa are commonly stereotyped as violent, reckless and stubborn. With this stereotype in mind it was important to find out their experiences and perceptions of fatherhood and whether the taxi industry environment has an impact on their role as fathers. To achieve this the study aimed at understanding the perceptions and experiences of fatherhood amongst taxi drivers in Wentworth Durban. The study adopted a qualitative research paradigm which was guided by an ecological framework. It was an explorative study which utilised purposive sampling where ten taxi drivers with one or more children were interviewed. Semi-structured individual interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The major findings of the study were that taxi drivers perceive fatherhood as comprising both biological and social fatherhood. With biological fathers as those that have fathered a child whilst social fathers are those that play a part in the lives of other children other than their own. Most of the taxi drivers preferred a boy child over a girl child with the underlying belief that a boy child will eventually carry on the surname unlike a girl child who will get married and leave. The participants saw their role of fathers as that of providers and protectors of the family and that of their partners as essentially child carers. This showed their belief in the masculine roles that divides the roles of men and women in society. The participants also work long tiring hours which adds to their inability to spend quality time with their children.
University students’ lived experiences of parenting while studying at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2022) Mbuyazi, Snenhlanhla Nginaphi.; Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso.
Education is believed to provide knowledge and skills that hold the potential for economic empowerment, better livelihood, and social development. However, in traditional society, a man is perceived as the head of the family and a provider, while a woman is perceived as a home keeper and must be trained to provide care. This role is difficult, and more so when one is a student. This study aimed to explore lived experiences of university students who are parenting while studying. This qualitative study included fifteen students who were purposively sampled and interviewed individually using a semi-structured interview schedule. The key findings indicated that young parents are struggling to balance their dual roles of full-time university students and parents, distance from their children was a significant issue, and many had financial challenges. For the male participants, the payment of damages was a major issue, while rejection by fathers of their children was significant for the female participants.