School Enrollment in Lesotho: Do Grandmothers Matter?

Erin Parker, Brown University

In this project, I use the 2001 Lesotho Demographic Survey to look at the relationship between residence with a grandmother and current school enrollment for children 6-14 in Lesotho in the context of poverty, changing labor migration patterns, and HIV/AIDS. I first examine the prevalence of co-residence with a grandmother in Lesotho, the characteristics of children living with grandmothers, the characteristics of grandmothers living with children, and the characteristics of households in which grandmothers and grandchildren co-reside. I then consider the relationship between residence with a grandmother and current school enrollment and whether this relationship varies by child, grandmother, and household characteristics. Approximately 25% of all children and 30% of orphaned children in Lesotho are resident with a grandmother. Preliminary results suggest that having a grandmother in the household is positively related to school enrollment for children in Lesotho regardless of orphan status.