Prise en charge des orphelins vivant en institution et qualité de vie : Cas du Centre Communautaire de l’Enfance de Yaoundé au Cameroun.

Abstract

The subject of this study is ‘Care for orphans living in institutions and quality of life: the case of the Yaoundé Community Centre for Children’. Within the framework of this work, we identified the following research problem: the lack of social reference points for orphans. With regard to methodology, we chose the qualitative method and used an interview guide to collect data. We conducted interviews with five (5) children from the community children's centre. We know that orphans are a vulnerable group, often exploited and marginalised, and therefore more prone to social isolation. The loss of one of their biological parents seems to be a serious handicap in their social life. The problem of orphaned children remains a major concern for most countries, a phenomenon that has undergone various changes and become more complex. The child's lack of maturity and vulnerability mean that the law must regulate his or her property and non-property life, without granting full legal capacity (Gallant, Estelle. 2004. Quoted by Geoffroy. Hilger, 2004. The child is a being in the making, not a fixed being, but a linked person who is constantly evolving as he or she develops. By way of solution, there are many reasons to help these children who have lost their bearings, to give them comfort, to help them financially, to give them confidence in the future. To provide better support for these children, we are calling on all political players, NGOs and orphanages to look after this vulnerable group. This research problem raises the following main question: How does care contribute to the quality of life of orphans living in institutions? To define this problem, a general hypothesis was put forward: care contributes to the quality of life of orphans living in institutions. We then identified three (3) specific hypotheses: HS1 : Medical support contributes to the quality of life of orphans living in institutions HS2: educational support contributes to the quality of life of orphans living in institutions HS3: psychosocial support contributes to the quality of life of orphans living in institutions. Our hypotheses are validated in the sense that care contributes to the quality of life of orphans, and our results allow us to confirm our general hypothesis.