Abstract:
The study focuses on challenges facing single parenting in
Tanzania and the Kigamboni district in particular. While
most scholars asserted single parenting is ineffective in sub-
Saharan Africa, little evidence is available on the challenges
of single parenting, particularly in Tanzania. Becker’s
economic theory and Bowlby's attachment theories were
applied in the study. The former focuses on an economic
angle as the atomy of family formation and the latter shows
that our attachment representation is from the sensitivity of
care received from our primary caregivers. The study used a
case study design in which Kigamboni district of Tanzania
was the area of investigation. Qualitative data, that is, words
and phrases were analysed. Ten single-parents’ families
were selected purposefully by using the snowball technique.
Unstructured interviews were used as a method to collect the
intended data from the participants. Findings have shown
that the challenges of single parenting centred on the aspects
of psychological, financial constraints, and academic
performance. In Tanzania there is a steady rise in single
parenting, which has an impact on the welfare of the
children, parents, and community at large. It is
recommended that alternative care and guidance and
counseling programmes should be established especially for
needy children and single parents.
