Caring for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Africa:
An Integrated Model in Mozambique & Namibia
Andee Cooper, Project HOPE
Presenter Disclosures
(1) The following personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this presentation existed during the past 12 months:
Andee Cooper
“No relationships to disclose”
OVC in Africa
• Almost 12 million children in sub-Saharan Africa are orphans due to HIV/AIDS
• Effort to keep children in their own communities, with extended family members
OVC Needs
• Families already struggling with poverty and unemployment are supporting additional children
• The needs of the OVC are tremendous - Many are coping with loss of a parent or parents or helping to care for sick family members
• Some are also sick themselves• Many face stigma and discrimination
Caring for OVC in Africa
• Seven established domains of OVC care agreed upon by the international community:
Health EducationNutrition Protection
Shelter & Care Psychosocial supportEconomic strengthening
Rationale : Caring for OVC is an Economic Issue
• Majority of OVC care is through informal fostering (relative & non-relative families)
• Poverty – a significant barrier to achieving even the most basic needs of OVC
• Expanded household size increases basic needs requiring more financial resources
• HIV contributes to reduced economic productivity while assets are liquidated for needs
• Vulnerability of children is linked to economic resources available
Percentage of Project HOPE Micro-credit Clients Caring for Orphans
68%
51%
0%
10%20%
30%
40%50%
60%
70%80%
90%
100%
Malawi Mozambique
Project HOPE’s Program
Sustainable Strengthening of Families of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Mozambique and Namibia
•USAID Funded project• April 4, 2005 to April 2, 2010• Aim: Improve economic status and quality of life of 45,000
OVC and strengthen the capacity of families to provide care and support to 75,000 OVC
Program Area
Gaza and Zambezia Provinces, Mozambique
Omusati, Oshana, and Ohangwena Regions, Namibia
Integrated Model
Focus on OVC caregivers• Economic strengthening • Health education/
parenting skills• Community outreach
OVC Caregivers require economic strengthening and an increased ability to provide comprehensive care & support
leading to improved well-being for children
Economic Strengthening
• Families in our current program care for an average of 3.5 OVC• Micro-credit loans are provided to OVC caregivers, primarily
women, to start or expand businesses• Enables caregivers:
• with the means to implement the lessons learned in health education & parenting skills training
• with greater financial resources• with expanded self-sufficiency
So they can better provide for needs of their families
Economic Strengthening –Group Based Focused on Caregivers
Self-selection of participants creates peer-pressure for performance
Formal management structure reinforces roles & responsibilities, develops leadership skills
Self Management – gain capacity to overcome problems
Emphasis on solidarity to help each other
Safe environment to explore issues
Economic Strengthening – Micro Loans & Savings for Income Generation
Loans start small & grow upon repayment
Invested in productive activities
Collective guarantee (all are responsible if one doesn’t pay)
100
130
169
220
1025
45
70
103
0
50
100
150
200
250
Begin Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4
Am
ou
nts
Loan Amount
Personal Savings
Institution
Loan Group Loan Group Loan Group
Participants
Loans
Education/Training for Caregivers
Responsible Parenting
Preventative Health
Family Nutrition
Child Development
HIV/AIDS
Psycho-social needs
Protecting Children: child rights
Linking and increasing access to services
Follow-up Support for Caregivers & OVCat Home
Community volunteers are trained
Weekly home visits are conducted
Status/conditions of children and housing is assessed and reviewed
Develop household improvement plan
Provide appropriate training as needed
Referrals to services & resources needed
Community Gardens
• Volunteers in Mozambique started community gardens
• Caregivers involved with working gardens
• Food provided to OVC families & sold
• Profits used to buy school materials & clothes for OVC
Measuring Program Success
• Tools to measure program success include our “Member Profile”• Economic indicators• Child-level data• Baseline & after 1 year in the program
• New low literacy “Parenting Map” for use at household level recently developed & implemented to measure impact at the child level across all 6 domains
Results: Caregiver Economic Impact –Namibia
29%
48%
87%
40%
24%21%
34%
69%
91%
49%
58%64%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Permanent wallmaterials
More than 4rooms/huts
Owning specifichousehold assets
Able to seekmedical help when
needed
Consuming 4 ormore meals in past
2 days
Contributing half ormore of household
income
Baseline Recollection (1 yr)
Results: Caregiver Economic Impact – Mozambique
35%
8%
83%
47%
85%
73%
40%
11%
91%
73%
100%
90%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Permanent wallmaterials
More than 4rooms/huts
Owning specifichousehold assets
Able to seekmedical help when
needed
Consuming 4 ormore meals in past
2 days
Contributing half ormore of household
income
Baseline Recollection (1 yr)
Results: Child-level Impact – HealthNamibia
39%
96%95% 99%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Hospital last 3 times needed* Fully immunized
Initial At recollection
Results: Child-level Impact – EducationNamibia
93%
44%
96%
75%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Attends school regularly Notebook & pencil*
Initial At recollection
Results: Child-level Impact – ProtectionNamibia
61%
85%
51%
94% 99%
70%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Regular visits fromadult*
Birth registered* HIV Preventiontraining*
Initial At recollection
Results: Child-level Impact – Shelter & CareNamibia
47%
34%
78%
100%
52%
85%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Same type bed asothers*
2 pairs clothes Shoes
Initial At recollection
Conclusion and Lessons Learned
• Innovative & sustainable approaches are needed to address the needs of OVC
• Economic strengthening is shown to be a valuable component of comprehensive OVC care and support
• Interventions need to accommodate a social and not only financial relationship
• Follow sound principles and well-established procedures • Integrated OVC-focused training is critical to foster changes in
care and support
Success Story
By strengthening economic capacity with teaching skills to care for OVC, HOPE is helping families and communities help themselves.
Marta Gavilela, is a treasurer of VHB named Malanguizo that is in the process of receiving their 5th cycle loan in Milange. Marta is caring for 7 orphans and 5 of her own children. She says that she used the money received in the first cycle to bake biscuits to sell with tea at the central market. When the group received the 2nd cycle loan, she moved into a prepared food business, and with the loan received in the 3rd cycle, she was able to start a new business of selling capulanas (women’s wraps also used to carry babies) and did improvements in her stall. “I am happy because now I can feed my children and buy them clothes. I see my life improving, and I thank Project HOPE for that”.