GEITA: GRANDPARENTS are increasingly taking on the responsibility of raising their grandchildren as some biological parents step away from their duties, creating growing social, economic and emotional challenges for elderly caregivers.
While grandparents have traditionally played an important role in preserving family values, culture and providing guidance, child welfare experts warn that many are now being pushed into becoming full-time parents when mothers and fathers fail to provide adequate care.
For 67-year-old widow Ms Asteria Buseng’wa of Geita, raising grandchildren has become her daily reality. She currently cares for four grandchildren after her daughters separated from their spouses and later left in search of employment.
“They said they were going to find jobs. The responsibility of taking care of their children is now on me,” she said.
Ms Buseng’wa’s experience reflects the struggles of many grandparents across the country who have been forced to assume parental duties due to migration, family separation, economic hardship or parental neglect.
Although grandparents continue to provide love, protection and stability for their grandchildren, experts warn that the growing dependence on elderly caregivers places additional financial and emotional pressure on people who may already be facing challenges associated with ageing.
Commenting, Chairperson of the Geita Municipal Council of Elders, Mr Manoni Mgema, said many grandparents love and are willing to care for their grandchildren, but the responsibility has become difficult due to limited financial resources.
“We love our grandchildren, but caring for them is becoming difficult because we lack stable income to meet their basic needs,” he said.
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For elderly caregivers, the situation creates additional financial pressure at a stage in life when many expected to depend on family support rather than take on new responsibilities.
Social psychologist Mr Deo Sukambi said the problem is not only linked to financial difficulties but also reflects deeper social and psychological challenges affecting modern families.
He explained that some young adults are physically capable of having children but lack the emotional preparedness required to raise them responsibly.
According to Mr Sukambi, childhood experiences strongly influence future parenting abilities. Children raised in stable and supportive families are more likely to develop responsible parenting skills, while those exposed to unstable environments may later struggle with family responsibilities.
He said some parents transfer their children to grandparents, boarding schools or domestic workers because they feel overwhelmed or unprepared for parenting challenges.
Economic pressure is also a contributing factor, with some parents focusing heavily on earning income and assuming that providing money alone is sufficient parenting.
However, Mr Sukambi warned that such arrangements risk becoming normalised.
“What starts as an emergency arrangement risk becoming a social norm,” he said.
He stressed that the relationship between children and their biological parents is irreplaceable, especially during early childhood.
Prolonged separation, he said, may contribute to emotional insecurity, identity challenges and long-term mental health difficulties.
He added that children raised away from their parents may sometimes view care from relatives as an act of assistance rather than a natural family bond, affecting their confidence and self-esteem.
Although grandparents provide love and commitment, Mr Sukambi noted that ageing may limit their physical strength, ability to enforce discipline and capacity to adapt to modern parenting demands.
He also pointed out that generational differences create additional challenges, as grandparents may have grown up in a different social environment from today’s children.
“Some grandparents adopt softer parenting styles, believing their earlier methods were too strict,” he said.
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Child Dignity Forum Advocacy Officer Ms Irene Nambuo warned that the increasing burden on grandparents could have wider implications for national development.
She said children who grow up without adequate parental care face higher risks of dropping out of school, engaging in crime or becoming dependent on social support systems.
“If this continues, society will pay the price through rising crime, weakened values and persistent poverty cycles,” she said.
Ms Nambuo added that lack of proper supervision exposes children to exploitation, early marriages among girls and criminal behaviour among boys.
To address the challenge, the government has been strengthening parental responsibility programmes through initiatives such as the ‘Familia Bora, Taifa Imara’ campaign, according to Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups Dr Dorothy Gwajima.
She said the government is providing parenting education through community forums, religious institutions and media platforms. During the reporting period, 469,634 caregivers were reached, including 157,291 men and 312,343 women.
Dr Gwajima said media campaigns have also expanded through 29 national media outlets and 16 community radio stations to promote responsible parenting and child care.
Additionally, 4,526 parenting groups have been established nationwide to support caregivers at community level, with a target of reaching 200,000 groups and establishing 52 child-care systems by 2030.
However, she acknowledged that participation by parents in parenting programmes remains limited, posing a challenge to efforts aimed at strengthening families.
A study conducted by the ministry in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the University of Dodoma (UDOM) identified several barriers affecting parental involvement.
The findings highlighted low awareness of parenting programmes, long distances to service points and economic pressures that limit parents’ available time.
Experts say addressing the growing burden on grandparents requires stronger awareness of parental responsibilities, expanded support systems and policies that enable parents to actively participate in raising their children.