Instituitionalised on-campus child care arrangements and breast-feeding student mothers' academic undertakings: a case of Kyambogo University

Abstract

The study focused on institutionalised on-campus childcare arrangements for breast-feeding student mothers and their participation in academic undertakings in Kyambogo University ( KyU). The study sought to establish whether there are adequate institutionalised on-campus childcare arrangements in KyU; explain how these affect breast-feeding student mothers· academic undertakings and. identify coping strategies student mothers undertake in playing dual roles in KyU. A phenomenological qualitative approach wa used to capture the student mothers· narratives using interviews and observations. The findings established the inadequacy of the mstitutionalised on campus childcare arrangements for student mothers. Additionally. the dilemmas student mothers face in taking up the dual and sometimes conflicting student-mother roles coupled with their coping strategies were illuminated. It was concluded that there is generally lack of institutionalised on campus childcare arrangements in KyU. Among the recommendations made were that KyU management provides institutionalised on-campus childcare arrangements for breast- feeding student mothers to enable them juggle dual roles effectively. KyU Management should sensitise . student mothers about the child study centre and also improve it. It should also bench mark other universities to help in designing and Implementing policies that cater for the needs of breast-feeding student mothers. The univer ity should also identify all student mothers and create a database to help in proper planning for the breast-feeding student mother .