The PALM scheme is causing significant changes in family care dynamics due to the absence of parental figures at home. Talei Cama, a child protection specialist with UNICEF, noted that workers involved in the initiative often leave their homes for long periods, resulting in a shift of responsibilities that can foster generational trauma.
Ms. Cama highlighted that the mothers left behind by spouses who have gone abroad to work under the PALM scheme are facing increased burdens. She stated, “There’s a huge shift in gender roles.” These mothers are not only taking on their traditional roles of child-rearing but are also managing households, working on farms, and completing tasks usually handled by their partners.
Additionally, older siblings often step in to care for younger children, as they typically find themselves at home with only their mother. This situation forces them into roles that require them to behave more like adults than children. “So really playing a more premature adult role than you would expect children to perform,” Ms. Cama commented.
Grandparents are also affected, as they are frequently required to help take care of the children. The overall impact of the PALM scheme illustrates a complicated interplay of growing responsibilities and the emotional strain on families adjusting to these transitions.