Community-Based Assistance to orphaned children

The Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh) began its project in 1992 in Maputo in 1ero de Maio Orphanage following an accord with the Government of Mozambique. The objective was to assist the orphanage technically and financially so as to be able to cope with the influx of children into the orphanage as a result of a 16-year war. The age range was 0-5 years. After the age of 5 years, the children had to leave for Matola orphanage that was caring for 6–15 years age group. Following the needs Assessment of Infantarios carried out in the year 2000 and based on the projected figures of HIV/AIDS orphans, it became obvious that the coping capacity of these orphana- ges would be overwhelmed by the number of HIV/AIDS orphans as being projected by the National Institute of Statistics. In 2001 Tdh carried out a survey in 23 districts of 6 Provinces of Central and Southern Mozambique. The results revealed quantitatively and to a certain extent qualitatively the different categories of orphans in the study area. Following an analysis of these results, the need for a strategic reorientation of the project became obvious.

The current project commenced in 2001 in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It operates in the Provinces of Manica, and Gaza and provides community-based as opposed to institutional solutions for orphaned children and children living with a chronically ill widowed parent.

Project organisation and structure
The project office is located in Chimoio, capital of Manica Province. The project coordinator is responsible for work planning and implementation and for operational liaison with the Ministry for Women and Social Affairs (MMAS) and its provincial directorates in Manica and Gaza. All planning and fieldwork implementation is carried out in collaboration with a social work counterpart from the provincial directorates of MMAS or with the district directors of MMAS. Conjoint counterpart work is the prevailing system of project implementation for Tdh.

Target groups
a) Orphans of both parents living in child-headed households,
b) Orphans of both parents aged 0-5 years living within their extended family or in substitute families who meet the criteria of vulnerability;
c) Orphans of both parents aged 5-17 years who meet the criteria of vulnerability, living within their extended family or in substitute families;
d) Vulnerable children, living with a single surviving parent in a critical state of health,
e) Orphaned children of both parents living in the provincial children’s homes of Gaza and Manica who can be integrated into their families of origin or into substitute families within the project districts;
f) Community Welfare Committees who will guarantee psycho-socio-economic support and follow-up to beneficiary families.

Project aim and perspectives
The aim in 2007 is to work for the increasing autonomy and integration of orphaned family groups and Community Welfare Committees so that the lives of orphaned children do not differ materially or socially from their peers, and so that their future can be sustained beyond 2007 without creating long-term dependency on further project support.

The Tdh strategy for a community-based approach to the care of orphaned children developed follows Mozambican Government guidelines established by both the Ministry of Women and Social Action and the Ministry of Health. The only potential obstacles to its success lie in unforeseen logistical, environmental and human factors. The great strength of the strategy lies in family involvement, community commitment, the support of MMAS partners and District Administrations and Tdh’s determination to develop this psycho-socio- economic model of work as the key to ensuring a positive and sustainable impact on the lives of orphaned children.