Orphan Care

Psychosocial Support – educational support

Helping orphaned and vulnerable children through bereavement counseling and continued schooling.

Umhlabuyalingana is facing an orphan care crisis. It is estimated that there are in excess of 3,000 orphans in the area and between 7,000 and 9,000 vulnerable children, a large percentage of which are school going.

The Orphan Care Programme consists of psychosocial support, assistance with school uniforms and school nutrition which all serve the same goal - to provide care and support to orphans and vulnerable children.

Psychosocial Support

Why?

In a population of 152,500 people, there are over 3,000 orphaned children. Losing a parent is a very difficult event for a child to deal with. But when it happens in an atmosphere of insecurity, extreme poverty and surrounded by stigma and secrecy associated with AIDS, it becomes an even more difficult situation. Without healing, specialist guidance and adequate support, too many of these children grow up and go on to make dangerous decisions in life.

How?
Psychosocial workshops    
The orphans and vulnerable children that attend the psychosocial workshops learn to cope with the feeling of loss due to the death of a parent. The caregivers of these orphans attend workshops in which they are given the language tools, skills and information necessary to guide the orphans in their altered environments towards better social integration.

Synergy of the programmes Orphan Care & Paralegal Assistance. An elderly carer (Gogo) who takes care of three orphans, her own two grandchildren and her sick son, is given a stove donated by NURA. This decreases cooking time and allows the Gogo to spend more care time with the children.

Educational Support

Why?
Due to significant poverty in the area many orphans and vulnerable children do not have access to the basic resources needed to be able to concentrate in class or to ensure school attendance, key factors of successful education.

Children of Myayisa Primary School with their new school uniforms

How?
Purchasing school uniforms for vulnerable children, enhancing their self-esteem at an age where social exclusion because of appearance may influence their school attendance.  This activity encourages children, especially orphans, to continue schooling. Providing nutritional meals to orphans at primary school level and encouraging school attendance through counselling helps them to concentrate in class.

Child at St. Joseph Primary School for School Breakfast