Church Intervention and the Holistic Development of Children

The study investigated the Church intervention and the holistic development of children. This study’s objective was to investigate church intervention on the holistic development of children in West Ankole Diocese. This thesis was steered by the subsequent points/objectives: To evaluate the existence of Church programmes for the holistic development of children in West Ankole Diocese, to scrutinise the challenges of the church in the holistic development of children in West Ankole Diocese and to establish a strategy for the holistic development of children in West Ankole Diocese. The researcher used a mixed method for data collection and analysis. Child development workers, church leaders and church members (parishioners) in selected archdeaconries of West Ankole Diocese comprised the population of the study. Study participants were selected using probability and nonprobability sampling methods, based on the category to which they belonged. However, the combined effects of the Church intervention aspect did not significantly predict the holistic development of children in West Ankole Diocese. The challenge of church intervention in the holistic development of children generated themes: Home-related challenges (HRC) and Church related challenges (CRC). Each of these generated several related subthemes. Social, Spiritual and Economic tactics, leadership and management strategies were grouped as the overcoming obstacle strategies. These data suggest that the church intervention in the lives of children has a positive effect on the holistic development of children. However, the church intervention faces a number of impediments that require the fervent devotion of stakeholders in order to encourage the successful involvement of the church in the holistic development issues of children. Therefore, it is concluded that the Church and other stakeholders develop and implement policies that increase the church intervention in the holistic development of children