| dc.description.abstract | The primary focus of many orphanages in Kenya is the provision of shelter and food
with little investment in mental health care provision. It presents significant
implications for the self-efficacy of children brought up in orphanages, which could
persist in their adulthood. Moreover, the orphanages offer general guidance and
counselling programs, with little effort directed to counselling services offered for
purposes of adjusting and coping with orphanhood. Research has not adequately
established the link between counselling services provision and its relationship with
orphans efficacy. This study was aimed to find out the influence of guidance and
counselling services on the self-efficacy of orphans living in orphanages in Bungoma
County. The objectives of the study were; to establish the influence of individual
guidance and counselling services on the self-efficacy of orphaned children living in
orphanages in Bungoma County, to establish the influence of group guidance and
counselling services on the self-efficacy of orphaned children living in orphanages in
Bungoma County, to determine the influence of career guidance services on the selfefficacy
of orphaned children living in orphanages in Bungoma County, to establish
the influence of guidance and counselling referral services on the self-efficacy of
orphaned children living in orphanages in Bungoma County and to determine the
influence of mentorship programs on the self-efficacy of orphaned children living in
orphanages in Bungoma County. Four theories (Adlerian theory, Systems theory, Selfdetermination
theory and the social learning theory) were used in this research. The
researcher adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was
2132 orphans in the 20 orphanages within Bungoma County. Two hundred and forty
(240) of the orphans in all the 20 orphanages were purposively sampled and
interviewed. One (1) caregiver and one (1) administrator (again per orphanage) were
interviewed, totalling to 280 respondents. Questionnaires and interview schedules were
used to collect data from the respondents who included the orphans, orphanages
administrators and caregivers. The self-efficacy scale of 1-4 was converted to between
0-100. The data was prepared, coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Strict ethical considerations were observed during
the study. The study established that there was a positive and significant relationship
between self-efficacy of orphaned children and individual guidance and counselling
services, group guidance and counselling services, career guidance services, guidiance
and counselling referral services and mentorship programs. The study conclude that
guidance and counselling services significantly influences the self-efficacy. The
study‘s recommendation for a policy was that the government should come up with a
policy to guide all the orphanages in Kenya, including the process of guidance and
counselling. Recommendations for practice were that every orphanage should engage
the services of a qualified and practising guidance and counselling specialist for the
orphans. Individual guidanceand counselling services should be encouraged in
orphanages, as they are effective. Group guidance and counselling services should be
encouraged in orphanages as they create confidence among orphans. In addition,
referral, mentorship and career guidance and counselling services help the orphans
open up and focus more on their engagements for purposes of improving their lives in
the post-orphanage days. The study recommends further studies on the influence of
guidance and counselling services on the quality of life of the orphans, with special
reference to their post-orphanage lives as well as on academic performance of the
orphans living in orphanages. | en_US |
