The impact of child support grants on the community, with special reference to Fondwe Village,Vhembe District, Limpopo Province

Abstract

The South African government should ensure that each and every South African has food to eat, as well as clothes and shelter. The existence of widespread poverty in South Africa led to Child Support Grants being introduced as a means of assisting in poverty alleviation programmes. The South African government has also put poverty alleviation on its priority list, yet there are many reasons that lead to poverty.The main aim of this study was to examine and describe the perceptions of grant recipients of FONDWE VILLAGE and their parents or guardians, focusing on advantages and disadvantages. The perceptions of the Social Development authorities through their agents, South African Social Security Agents (SASSA), about the impact of the grant were also examined. Data were gathered by means of structured interviews. Interviews were utilized to collect data in an effort to explore different facets of the study and to get a range of information. These interviews were used as the main method of data collection. Questions in the interview schedule were pre-tested. Some participants in a pilot group were used to test the interview guide. The researcher compiled three different interview schedules, namely: • for young mothers, (grant recipients) • for parents or guardians of grant recipient or young mothers, and • for social and welfare authorities all with interview questions. The findings show that most young mothers (recipients) know the purpose of the Child Support Grant, but are often just ignorant, careless and selfish in their use of it. The following recommendations were made:

• Grant recipients should, when their children’s age next birthday is 13 years, if they are not themselves at school or in full-time employment, offer their voluntary services at public institutions situated near them until their children are no longer receiving the Child Support Grant. Such voluntary services may be offered for 3 work days in a week. The public institutions concerned can include schools, clinics, hospitals, tribal and government offices. This might also help them to acquire useful skills which might help them be more permanently employable. • Rather than giving grant recipients money which they can spend on inappropriate things, vouchers should be introduced that enable the recipients to purchase only what is needed for children • Parents or guardians should be led to see the importance of informing the Social Development authorities of any Child Support Grant abuse. They should be assured that this would not in any way disadvantage the child/children in question, but would be very much to their benefit. • Young mothers should also be encouraged to inform the Social Development Authorities of any difficulties they encounter due to their receiving the grant,such as pressure to share it with their spouses or boyfriends.