IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsoctx/v15y2025i11p293-d1777229.html

Livelihood Strategies for Adolescent Girls Transitioning out of Residential Childcare Facilities: A Zimbabwean Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Sipho Sibanda

    (Department of Social Work and Social Policy, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
    Department of Sociology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, ZA, South Africa)

  • Pamhidzayi Berejena Mhongera

    (Department of Social Work and Criminology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, ZA, South Africa)

Abstract

Effective transition of youth out of care has been a concern for social workers, policymakers, residential facilities, and other related stakeholders. This paper reports on the livelihood strategies and transition experiences of adolescent girls in and out of two institutions in Harare, Zimbabwe. Using the sustainable livelihood approach, this qualitative research explored and compared the livelihood strategies of 16 girls still in care with 16 who had exited. Framework analysis was used to interpret the data. The findings show that girls in institutions mainly rely on institutional support for their livelihoods, while those who leave employ a wider range of strategies including support from relatives, foster parents, institutions, and spouses. Social networks emerged as a key strategy for both financial and social security. However, differences in the resources available through these networks significantly impacted the girls’ livelihood outcomes, either positively or negatively. Overall, many adolescent girls remained unable to sustain themselves or cope with the challenges of transitioning to adulthood and life beyond institutional care. The study recommends that transition programmes that address early marriage as a means of security, expanding family and fostering care options, reducing institutional dependency, tackling economic exclusion and unemployment be developed.

Suggested Citation

  • Sipho Sibanda & Pamhidzayi Berejena Mhongera, 2025. "Livelihood Strategies for Adolescent Girls Transitioning out of Residential Childcare Facilities: A Zimbabwean Perspective," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:11:p:293-:d:1777229
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/11/293/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/11/293/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephen Morse, 2025. "Having Faith in the Sustainable Livelihood Approach: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-27, January.
    2. Natarajan, Nithya & Newsham, Andrew & Rigg, Jonathan & Suhardiman, Diana, 2022. "A sustainable livelihoods framework for the 21st century," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ardiyanto Maksimilianus Gai & Rustiadi Ernan & Baba Barus & Akhmad Fauzi, 2025. "Composite Index of Poverty Based on Sustainable Rural Livelihood Framework: A Case from Manggarai Barat, Indonesia," Geographies, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-27, October.
    2. Caviedes, Julián & Ibarra, José Tomás & Calvet-Mir, Laura & Álvarez-Fernández, Santiago & Junqueira, André Braga, 2024. "Indigenous and local knowledge on social-ecological changes is positively associated with livelihood resilience in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    3. Li Chen & Stéphane Mbiankeu Nguea, 2025. "Natural Resource Protection: A Path to Human Development in Africa," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 6604-6619, October.
    4. Julius Uti Nchor, 2023. "Livelihood Strategies and Their Determinants among Informal Households in Calabar, Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Yang Yu & Desmond Appiah & Bernard Zulu & Kofi Asamoah Adu-Poku, 2024. "Integrating Rural Development, Education, and Management: Challenges and Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-22, July.
    6. Peiyu Zhao & Jiajun Xu, 2024. "Analysis of Residents’ Livelihoods in Transformed Shantytowns: A Case Study of a Resource-Based City in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-25, February.
    7. Oladele, Oladimeji Idowu, . "Access to Livelihood Capital and Food Security Status as Correlates to Empowerment Among Women on Irrigation Schemes in North-West Province, South Africa," Problems of World Agriculture / Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, vol. 23(2).
    8. Idris, Amina Aminu & Abdullahi, Ali, 2024. "Gender Livelihood Strategies among Farmers’ Household in Kano State, Nigeria," Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, vol. 42(3), pages 1-12.
    9. Rongshan Wan & Hui Yu & Dan Zhang & Bo Yang & Yanhong Huang, 2025. "Effects of Comprehensive Land Consolidation on Farmers’ Livelihood Under Different Terrain Gradients," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-21, April.
    10. Ranaivo A. Rasolofoson, 2024. "Access to Human Health Benefits of Forests in Rural Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Literature Review and Conceptual Framework," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, February.
    11. Fentahun Gebrie Mucha & Solomon Addisu Legesse & Zerihun Yohannes Amare & Mossa Endris Ahmed, 2026. "Rural households’ adaptation strategies, determinants and constraints to climate change adaptation strategies in ethiopia: a review," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 1-29, January.
    12. Wang, Yansong David & Xu, Tao Louie & Yuan, Cheng, 2024. "It Takes Three to Ceilidh: Pension System and Multidimensional Poverty Mitigation in China," SocArXiv xeaqt, Center for Open Science.
    13. Skylar Lindsay, 2026. "Fermenting value on Vietnamese coffee farms: working knowledge and the production of quality," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 43(1), pages 1-17, March.
    14. Ran Zhu & Xiaobo Liu, 2026. "Agro-tourism integration and key livelihood capitals: multi-scale impacts on rural residents’ strategic choices in Western Sichuan ethnic villages," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    15. Fituma Lemessa & Belay Simane & Aseffa Seyoum & Girma Gebresenbet, 2023. "Development-Induced Impacts on the Livelihoods of Displaced Communities: The Case of Bole Lemi Industry Park, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-19, July.
    16. Bombason Kweku Tuoho & Samuel Kwesi Ndzebah Dadzie & Julius Kofi Hagan & Martin Bosompem & Robert Aidoo & Isaac Kwasi Asante, 2025. "Examining the Perception of Undergraduate Students Towards Choosing Broiler Value Chain Business as a Vocation After Graduation," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(3), pages 21582440251, September.
    17. Hiroko Gono & Tsutomu Takane & Dickson Mazibuko, 2023. "Casual Wage Labour, Food Security, and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Malawi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-25, March.
    18. Khatun, Mst Rahima & Amin, Md Ruhul & Pervez, A.K.M. Kanak & Mahedi, Md & Ahmmed, Md. Bulbul, 2025. "Adoption of Climate-smart Agriculture Innovations in Drought-prone Regions: A Global Bibliometric Review (2016-2025)," Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, vol. 43(7).
    19. Zhipeng Chang & Yuehua Wang & Wenhe Chen, 2025. "Dynamic Identification of Relative Poverty Among Chinese Households Using the Multiway Mahalanobis–Taguchi System: A Sustainable Livelihoods Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-22, June.
    20. Tung Song Nguyen & Leslie Mabon & Huong Thu Thi Doan & Ha Van Le & Thu Huyen Thi Nguyen & Duan Van Vu & Dap Dinh Nguyen, 2025. "Resilience for Just Transitions of Agroecosystems Under Climate Change: Northern Midlands and Mountains, Vietnam," World, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-23, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:11:p:293-:d:1777229. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.