TOTAL 50 TOTAL 50 100%
4.2.2. Parents or guardians of recipients of the grant (young mothers)
This part of the study sought to use a form of triangulation or double-
check on the information given in the statements made by the recipients. Questionnaire B was used for the 50 respondents who were parents or guardians of the young women who were receiving the Child Support Grant on behalf of their children, which is to say the grandchildren of this set of respondents.
In general they opted to chose between the different statements grouped under each question, different respondents choosing which ones they agreed with. Where they agreed, they were either unanimous in being in strong agreement or just in being in agreement, so for the purposes of this study, all were taken as agreement. On only one question was there any dissent, and on only
one other did all respondents make more than one choice, all of them unanimously agreeing on three of the statements.
These results are therefore arranged here according to the type of agreement expressed by respondents.
4.2.2.1 Unanimous agreement of parents and guardians Where they agreed was on the purpose of the grant (Question B.7).
They agreed that the purpose, as expressed in the questionnaire, was for three things:
• To educate my daughter’s child when he/she is old enough
• To buy good clothes for my daughter’s child
• To make sure that my daughter’s child does not starve
4.2.2.2 Agreement with individually chosen statements On the question of eligibility for the grant (Question B.1), there was an interesting variety of response.
Table 4.1.6: Circumstances enabling the granting of child support (Q B.1)
Freq %
She is the only person
able to look after the child 9 18.00
She is the only person available to look after the
child 15 30.00
She does not earn any
money 22 44.00
The money she earns is
less than R1 100 per 1 2.00
0 5 10 15 20 25
She is the only person able to look after the child
She is the only person
available to look after the
child
She does not earn any
money
The money she earns is less than R1 100 per
month
The money we earn is less than R1
100 per month Opinion
Frequency
month
TOTAL 50 100
Majority of the respondents showed that young mothers who are legible for a grant are those who do not earn any money.
Table 4.1.7: Ways in which parents’ and guardians’ lives are made easier by the grant (Q B.2)
Freq %
My daughter spends more time looking
after the child 12 24.00
My daughter is
happier 28 56.00
I am free to look for
work 5 10.00
I can now spend more time with my
friends 5 10.00
TOTAL 50 100.00
My daughter spends more time looking after the child My daughter is happier
I am free to look for work
I can now spend more time with my friends
25 25.5 26 26.5
nc y
Figure 4.1.7: Ways in which parents’ and guardians’ lives are made easier by the grant (Q B.2)
They also recognized some of the difficulties inherent in the grant.
Table 4.1.8: Ways in which parents’ and guardians lives are made more difficult by the grant (Q B.4)
Freq %
The neighbours think we are
dishonest 24 48.00
My sisters and brothers expect us to give them money
26 52.00 TOTAL
50 100.00
Figure 4.1.8: Ways in which parents’ and guardians lives are made more difficult by the grant (Q B.4)
The attitude of neighbours (Question B.8) was seen as somewhat ambivalent.
Table 4.1.9: How parents and guardians see changes in their neighbours (Q B.8)
Freq %
The neighbours are
jealous 9 18.00
The neighbours keep
asking us for money 31 62.00
The neighbours are more willing to help
us 10 20.00
The neighbours are jealous
The neighbours keep asking us for money The neighbours are more willing to help us
50
TOTAL 50 100.00
Figure 4.1.9: How parents and guardians see changes in their neighbours (Q B.8)
Table 4.1.10: Ways in which parents and guardians saw the grant making their daughters’ lives more difficult (Q B.5)
Freq %
She does not get enough money, but
has more expenses 46 92.00
Her friends expect her to pay for
everything 4 8.00
TOTAL 50 100.00
At the same time, parents and guardians acknowledged that the spending pattern of the grant beneficiary did tend to benefit child and family.
Table 4.1.11: How parents and guardians see the money being spent by the grant beneficiary
Freq %
More food for the family so the child
can eat well 29 58.00
Better clothes for
the family 4 8.00
Clothes for the child 13 26.00 Toys for the child 4 8.00
TOTAL 50 100.00
More food for the family so the child can eat well Better clothes for the family
Clothes for the child Toys for the child
Figure 4.1.11: How parents and guardians see the money being spent by the grant beneficiary
-30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20
Frequency
Strongly agree 17
Agree 7
Disagree -26.00
Strongly disagree
She can feed her child on
better food
She has more time for her
child
She can buy clothes for
her child
4.2.2.3 Disagreement between parents and guardians over the ways in which the young mothers’ lives are made easier.
In responding to Question B.3, there was a more fundamental division over the ways in which their daughters’ lives are made easier.
Table 4.1.12: Ways in which the grants make a young mother’s life easier
Strongly
agree Agree Disagree
% Frequencies
She can feed her child on better
food 17 34
She has more
time for her child 26 52 She can buy
clothes for her
child 7 14
TOTALS 17 7 26 50
% 34 14 52 100
Figure 4.1.12: Ways in which the grants make a young mother’s life easier
For purposes of clarity in the above chart, disagreement is recorded as a negative value. Clearly, parents and guardians did not feel that the grant recipients were spending more time with their children as a result of the Child Support Grant.