DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2015.v03i09.012

Pages: 1460-1463

This study sought to establish the effect of poverty among Early Childhood Development (ECD) children in Chimanimani District of Manicaland Province using a case study of Muchadziya Primary School. The qualitative methodology as used to conduct the study. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants who included the head, four (4) ECD teachers and ten (10) parents for the ECD children in the school. The questionnaire, interview and document analysis were used to collect and generate data. The study revealed that children who live in extreme poverty or who live with poor parents or guardians are most likely to perform badly in school work and are also very like to drop-out of school. The study also revealed that the children who were lacking basic needs like food, clothing and shelter were not motivated to initiate play, join in class activities or interact freely with peers. The study recommends that schools need to come up with more programmes to assist poor families with children in their schools. Teachers and heads of schools ought to be observant in order to notice manifestations of poverty among children under their care and assist them thorough Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) or the Social Welfare Department.