Parenting in Malawi: An Exploratory Study on the View of Parenting of Malawian Parents and the Influence of the Parenting Challenge on this View

Abstract

Each parent has his or her own view on parenting (Keller et al., 2005). The parenting view influences parenting practices (Mowder, 2005). Parenting practices are of influence on the development of the child, and can lead to positive or negative outcomes for the development of the child (Respler-Herman et al., 2012). Little is known about the parenting view of parents in Malawi. As it is crucial to know these views of parents, this research explored the parenting view of Malawian parents. Parenting can be enhanced by interventions focusing on positive parenting (Shenderovich et al., 2019), such as the Parenting Challenge of the Dutch NGO Help a Child. Therefore, this research also focused on how this parenting intervention influenced parenting views of Malawian parents. To answer the research questions, 20 photovoice interviews were conducted and six sessions of the intervention were observed. Results showed that the Malawian parenting view mainly focuses on practical aspects such as the provision of food, school needs, and clothing for their children. Besides, the results showed that the Parenting Challenge influenced the parenting view of the parents participated. These findings contribute to the knowledge on parenting views in Malawi and possible influences of parenting interventions. Recommendations are made to Help a Child and other organisations on how to further develop and adapt a parenting intervention. Suggestions for further research are also provided.