Survival strategies of single mothers and family welfare provision in a peri-urban situation: a case study of Lugazi Town Council, Mukono District

Abstract

This study was undertaken among single mothers in peri-urban areas that surround Lugazi Town Council in Mukono District. The main objective of the study was to explore the survival strategies adopted by single mothers in family welfare provision. The specific objectives were to find out vulnerability faced among single mothers in coping with family welfare provisioning, explore the different survival strategies adopted by single mothers in family welfare provision, to find out the challenges faced by single mothers in coping with family welfare provision and the impact of single mother’s survival strategies on family welfare and behavior. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The qualitative methods were used to obtain in-depth understanding of the meaning of single motherhood in peri-urban situations and how these mothers cope with circumstances. The quantitative methods helped to establish the magnitude of the problem. The study found out that single mothers are not homogeneous as their survival strategies depended on the level of education, the category of single mothers, the kind of economic activities they engage in, the resources owned by single mothers and their social net works. Some single mothers are better off in family welfare provision than others and this is common among the educated who have professions and earn incomes that can ably sustain their families. But generally, Single mothers were found to have attained low levels of education with 70% below primary level. They thus depend largely on the informal sector for the survival of their families. Single mothers have a problem of lack of capital to sustain their economic survival strategies. It is necessary to prioritize and provide special funding so as to help facilitate their economic activities like “Entadikwa schemes”, providing soft loans with low interest rates, training on elementary project management, entrepreneur skills and business management especially in local languages that people understand. This would enable them earn more incomes in form of branding products, managing their finances and marketing their products