Junior-headed households as a possible strategy for coping with the growing orphan crisis in northern Namibia.

This paper reports research concerning junior-headed households among Oshiwambo speakers in north-central Namibia. Based on field interviews with randomly sampled junior heads of households and selected key informants, we outline some features common to the junior-headed households and the ways in which they attempt to manage their lives. The concepts of child- and junior-headed households are also clarified.