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South Africa Orphans and Vulnerable Children Support
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What is the need?
Because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, there are an overwhelming number of orphaned children needing care and nurture from their community members. To develop an adequate care-giving infrastructure, communities must be trained and capacity built.
South Africa has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. In 2002, 36.5 percent of women attending antenatal clinics in the province of KwaZulu-Natal tested HIV positive, contributing to the orphan crisis. According to a study conducted by Dallimore in 2001, nine percent of households in the province’s municipality of Okhahlamba had orphans. Seven percent of its households reported seriously ill family members aged 15-49 years.
What is the solution?
To provide orphan care, it is essential to empower communities to take responsibility for the well being of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) by strengthening capacity and community resources. It is preferable to keep children in their communities. OVCs tend to develop best when they are able to remain with their siblings in a family situation with an adult caregiver in their own community. This helps to mitigate the grief, insecurity and fears commonly experienced by orphans. They also are able to participate in their own traditions and cultures. In turn, they are more likely to succeed in school, develop socialization skills, and prepare for their future livelihood.
Project Objectives
In three years this project will directly impact 3,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) and their households through a network of 200 community-based workers. Activities include:
Providing for the physical needs of OVCs (food, clothes, shelter)
Strengthening capacity of OVCs to secure livelihoods and household management
Providing OVCs with life skills and HIV/AIDS prevention education
Increasing the financial resources of households caring for OVCs
Training local leaders and building capacity of communities caring for OVCs
Improving planning and collaboration for municipal and district OVC support
Building provincial, regional and local knowledge of OVCs
Project Duration: Three Years
Project Duration
Three Years
2005 Funding Need
$227,447*
*Can be funded partially or in full. |
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