ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN WORK
More than 35 community run projects have been established and supported to assist children find stability and build hope after losing parents or carers.
Over 250 volunteers support more than 24,000 children to ensure they have food, schooling, clothing, emotional support, and help them obtain government grants designed to help relieve poverty until they are aged 15. Thereafter HABSR offers support to generate income, allowing teenagers to finish school, and access vocational training for the future.
The programme includes establishing feeding schemes, help for children without identity documents, after–school projects, pre–school education, food gardens and home visits to help relatives – most often grandparents, care for the increasing numbers of children being orphaned.
Partners
- Highveld Board of Social Responsibility (HABSR)
- Gauteng and Mpumalanga Provinces
- Various independent community based organisations such as Imbiza, North West Province
Case Study – Child Advocate Service
Specially trained Child Care Advocates paid for by the Bishop Simeon Trust, visit needy families to help with funeral arrangements, foster caring, accessing and tracing family documents for grants and help with health and nutritional needs. Often Child Care Advocates are a vital lifeline for such families and their work makes a marked difference to a child’s future development. While the work is emotionally difficult, the Child Care Advocates team are keen to tell of their many rewards because thousands of children have benefited and continue to be nurtured with their schooling, health and psycho-social needs. Pinky, the Child Care Advocate in Tsakane, tells us about two of ‘her’ families:
- In December last year, Thabang aged 14 years was given a bicycle to help him travel the twenty four kilometre journey to and from school each day which he previously had to walk, having no money for transport. Thabang lives with his granny as both his parents have passed away. They survive on a small government grant and Pinky’s guidance in growing food and her emotional support. Thabang says he now has energy to do better in school because of the bike.
- A child headed household of four, led by Maria (17 years), Mpho, Nganetsang, and Sello, from Freedom Square Informal Settlement survived a fire which destroyed their shack. When Child Care Advocates visited the area, they discovered that the family had no identity documents (ID) which gives access to healthcare, school and grants. They only possessed their mother’s ID and death certificate. The Child Care Advocate located surviving members of the family to help the children obtain their own IDs and help get their lives back to some sort of normality.
To support a child advocate helping up to ten orphans costs £71 a month.