Fostering Developmentally Nurturant Relationships to Promote Character and Thriving: Perspectives of Program Practitioners in Rural South Africa

Authors

• Jonathan M. Tirrell, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Alexa Hasse, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Margaret Mackin, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Elizabeth Dowling, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Kirsten Olander, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Roya Abbasi-Asl, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Katherine McConnel, Tufts UniversityFollow
• Thobeka Kwela, ThandaFollow
• Raah Msimango, ThandaFollow
• Justine McCarthy-Martin, ThandaFollow
• Tyler Howard, ThandaFollow
• Angela Larkan, ThandaFollow
• Richard Lerner, Tufts UniversityFollow

Abstract

Developmentally nurturant relationships are fundamental to enabling children to thrive across contexts, including homes, schools, and communities. Such relationships are also a central feature of effective positive youth development (PYD) programming. As strengths-based PYD programs are increasingly being adopted in majority-world countries, a better understanding of how to foster and promote developmentally nurturant relationships is needed. As part of the Thanda Study of Character and Health, we interviewed 15 program practitioners about their understandings of and approaches to fostering developmentally nurturant relationships with children enrolled in Thanda programs in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Phenomenological analysis indicated that practitioners’ understanding of and approaches to fostering developmentally nurturant relationships align with the Big Three features of effective youth programming: providing mentorship, life-skill-building activities, and opportunities to contribute and lead. Future directions are discussed regarding exploring the broader impact of these relationships on the positive development of young people in South Africa and other majority-world countries.

Recommended Citation

Tirrell, Jonathan M.; Hasse, Alexa; Mackin, Margaret; Dowling, Elizabeth; Olander, Kirsten; Abbasi-Asl, Roya; McConnel, Katherine; Kwela, Thobeka; Msimango, Raah; McCarthy-Martin, Justine; Howard, Tyler; Larkan, Angela; and Lerner, Richard (2026) "Fostering Developmentally Nurturant Relationships to Promote Character and Thriving: Perspectives of Program Practitioners in Rural South Africa," Journal of Youth Development: Vol. 21: Iss. 2, Article 16.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34068/jyd.21.02.16
Available at: https://open.clemson.edu/jyd/vol21/iss2/16