South Africa
Vana Veto OVC Programme
 Activity Dates
2005 – ongoing
Activity Summary
Many factors are contributing to a crisis situation for children in South Africa. The legacy of apartheid, the social upheaval which accompanied its downfall and the rapid social change that has marked the transition to democracy have all impacted negatively on the integrity of nuclear and extended families and communities. The rapid development of the largest HIV and AIDS epidemic in the world has been superimposed upon this already dire situation. The impact of HIV/AIDS on communities, families and children is multi-dimensional, long-term and complex. The impact on children has been largely invisible for too long, but we can no longer ignore the enormous numbers that are caring for ill and dying parents, for younger siblings, trying to be breadwinners without any practical skills and ending up in commercial sex and/or petty crime which increases their own vulnerability to HIV infection.
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Office (ACSA) has established an Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Programme, recently named “Vana Veto”, or “Our Children”. Vana Veto’s vision is for OVC to receive the appropriate support to grow and develop to their full potential. The program is tasked with managing, coordinating and supporting the different programs in the Dioceses in Southern Africa. The aim of Vana Veto is to prepare communities to care and support orphans and other children made vulnerable by the scourge of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in a home-based community context. OVC programmes are integrated into specially strengthened Mother’s Union (MU) structures in a total of selected community-based branches in the Dioceses of Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Umzimvubu and St. John’s through a process of mentoring, training, management, support, monitoring and evaluation. The church provides capacity building and training to members of its volunteer women movements, Mothers Union, and community facilitators to be able to provide psychosocial and material support as caregivers.
Objectives
 To ensure coordinated action to realize the rights of orphans and other children make vulnerable by HIV & AIDS, their caregivers, families and communities- To ensure that frameworks for the protection and promotion of the rights of affected children are implemented at all levels
- To proved support in the development of comprehensive, age appropriate, integrated and quality responses to orphaned and vulnerable children
- To develop strong partnerships with faith and community-based organizations
- To pilot effective programmes and develop OVC models as best practice models of care and support
Implementation
Capacity Building
Training of MU leadership, caregivers and child care workers is conducted through Barnabas Trust. Those trained go on to train additional caregivers and mentor them in how to reach OVC through the program. Caregivers then reach OVC with direct services. Training objectives are on the establishment and effective management of community forums, household assessments and child protection.
Child Community Forums (CCF)
CCFs aim to enhance community responsibility to care and protect their orphans and vulnerable children and work towards ensuring that children are kept in their communities and with families. CCF volunteers identify OVCs, register OVCs with relevant documentation (e.g. birth certificate, parents’ death certificates, clinic cards), ensure that the children have food, shelter and access to medical and health care, organize the care or placement of children with existing family members, help obtain access to grants, help authenticate childrens’ housing deeds and obtain secure rights to these, negotiate with and advocate to other services and agencies, and assist with income generating activities.
The CCFs network with community and faith based organizations and mobilize them to launch other CCFs. The CCF in St. Paul Parish, for example, has integrated the Department of Social Development, Municipality, South African Police, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and the private sector.
Back to School Program
The aim of Back to School Program is to expand the provision of comprehensive care of orphans and vulnerable children through school environments. Schools are supported to implement the government policy that children should not be denied access to education because they cannot pay fees. The program develops networks between school and community groups that work with vulnerable children to identify why children are not in school and ensure that as many vulnerable children as possible are at school. The program also strengthens the capacity of schools to be able to respond to the needs of HIV affected students. The program is now distributing clothing and school supplies to 800 children.
Psychosocial Support
MU and caregivers are trained to provide counseling and support to orphans and vulnerable children to mentor them towards adulthood, offer, legal, moral and spiritual support, help keep them in school, and increase awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention and other infections. Psychosocial support groups are offered to OVC to ensure that they receive appropriate support to grow up as well balanced children. The support groups take place at schools every 2 weeks. Support groups have addressed the following topics:
- Children affected by HIV and AIDS
- Facts about HIV and AIDS
- Being infected themselves
- Sickness of parent/ caring for parent
- Dealing with HIV and AIDS in schools
- Telling others about HIV and AIDS status
- Dealing with the death of a parent
- Preparation for the death of a parent
- The mourning process
- Helping children cope with stress / building resilience
- Child abuse
At present,800 OVCs are receiving psychosocial support.
Child protection
Vana Veto ensures protection and access to essential services such as education, birth registration, health, nutrition, judicial protection, water, sanitation and placement services.
Other
Vana Veto also provides after school care, HIV prevention education, agricultural initiatives, and tracks defaulters on TB/ARV medications.
Outputs
- The program was recently registered as Anglican AIDS and Healthcare Trust
- 4 Anglican Dioceses in Eastern Cape
- Replicated the OVC projects in 40 parishes
- 4 Diocesan OVC Coordinators
- 20 team leaders
- Over 150 child care workers
- Have gone beyond their 10,000 OVC target for FY06
- Trained over 1,000 childcare workers
Audiences
OVCs aged 0-18 years
Partners
Anglican Church of Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Office (ACSA), Anglican Mothers’ Union (MU), Diocesan Coordinators, Anglican Women’s Fellowship (AWF), Barnabas Trust, Care for Kids, SA Dept of Health, NACCW, SA Dept of Education, SA Dept of Social Development
Back to South Africa
Note about materials: Some of the materials and resources listed on each page are available in their full form, others are represented by image or citation only. For more information and resources, go to www.jhuccp.org
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