2026-09-25T09:38:41Zhttps://dspace.unza.zm/server/oai/request

oai:dspace.unza.zm:123456789/88642024-09-08T03:00:27Zcom_123456789_18col_123456789_76

Nyondo, Lydia 2024-09-04T07:20:52Z 2024-09-04T07:20:52Z 2024 Thesis of Master of Education in Guidance and Counselling The study explored the lived experiences of COVID-19 survivors within their communities in Lusaka District, Zambia. The exploration of the lived experiences was guided by three objectives which were; To explore experiences of COVID-19 survivors in terms of stigma from their communities during and after the illness, to ascertain experiences of COVID-19 survivors in terms of discrimination from their communities during and after the illness and to establish experiences of COVID-19 survivors in terms of support received from their communities during and after the illness. In order to have an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of COVID-19 survivors within their communities in Lusaka District, Zambia, the study used the interpretive phenomenological design within a setting of qualitative methodologies. The population of the study comprised male and female COVID-19 survivors who lived and worked in Lusaka District, Zambia. Typical case purposive sampling procedure and snowball was used to come up with a sample size of ten (10). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The semi-structured interview guide was used as the research instrument. The study established that COVID-19 survivors had varied experiences in terms of stigma, discrimination and support in the communities. These experiences oscillated between presence and absence of stigma, discrimination and support in the communities. The experiences of stigma included humiliation, blame, condemnation, rejection, reprimands, and prejudice while forms of discrimination included avoidance, deprivation, isolation, neglect and abandonment. In terms of support, survivors received encouragement, love, care and warmth. The study's findings thus supported the assertions made in the literature that COVID-19 survivors had encountered stigma, discrimination and community support both during and after their illness. The provision of counselling services to stigmatization and discrimination victims was one of the recommendations made because the victims acknowledged being emotionally impacted. Additionally, in order to encourage behavior change and responsible actions toward COVID-19 survivors, the Ministry of Health should coordinate with the Ministry of Education to undertake awareness campaigns about the dangers of discrimination and stigma. https://dspace.unza.zm/handle/123456789/8864 en The University of Zambia Exploring lived experiences of COVID-19 survivors within their communities in Lusaka, Zambia. Thesis