Being a father at young age: Assessment of Challenges Faced by Young Fathers Living in Kigali City, Rwanda

Abstract

V This study is an assessment of the challenges faced by young fathers living in Kigali Rwanda. The birth of a child in the Rwandan culture is significance of joy, happiness prosperity. However, these feelings are almost inexistent toward a child born to young unmarried parents due to the overwhelming responsibilities and social perceptions. This situation is arduous if the child‘s father is still going through adolescence. His inability to be ‗‘a goodfather will not only affect his child and the mother of his child but also their parents and surrounding community. He is also affected negatively in different ways on the personal level. It is for this reason that this study sought to identify the challenges faced by young fathers in Kigali City, to assess the consequences of fatherhood on young father‘s present and lives as well on their surrounding community, and to identify the causes of young fatherhood suggest strategies to address it. The current study used a qualitative approach and explored lived experiences of young fathers. The sample was selected using purposive sampling was composed of twenty research participants and five key informants. Data were collected through in depth interviews, focus group and documents reading. The findings revealed that the experience of fatherhood is more likely to happen to adolescents who have dropped out of school or with a difficult background. Consequently, it increases already existing socio-economic burden of building a house, securing an employment marrying in the formal setting like the majority of young men. These young fathers have to up their plans for the future and navigate through psychological and socio relational problems with everyone around them. In Addition, they have to deal with the negative perceptions community and the lack of support from their parents or guardians. This isolation is aggravated by the general invisibility of young fathers in wellbeing programs, lack of advocacy, risk imprisonment due to underage sex and negative masculine behaviours of young fathers. As strategy, this study suggested that the government of Rwanda, parents and others institutions should work together to increase the sexual education of boys and promote positive behaviours among the youth to tackle the problem of young fatherhood. For young fathers, there should facilities in securing employment, pursuing education, enrolling in technical schools and learning basic parental skills.