DIRECT SUPPORT TO OVC PAYMENT OF SCHOOL FEES, PROVISION OF BASIC NECESSITIES TO OVC IN DESPERATE NEED OF CARE AND ASSISTANCE.

Direct support is a short-term intervention strategy that SAHRIT adopted in order to provide for the immediate needs of OVC up until the guardian or parent is able to provide for those needs.  Direct support to OVC is in the form of paying their school fees and providing for other educational needs such as books and school uniforms, provision of basic necessities such as food, clothes, blankets, soap, skills training for older children, start up capital for income generating projects and assistance with special needs related to disability.

In 2004, 864 children had their school fees paid by SAHRIT and 5 OVC who were in desperate need of assistance and had dropped out of school due to lack of school fees were re-enrolled through the programme.  Also, 14 critical cases of orphans and other vulnerable children identified by the CPC’s were provided with basic necessities.

SAHRIT has established through continued monitoring of the child rights programme that most orphans and other vulnerable children were under the care of elderly grandparents, most of who were to frail to fend for the children.  Some under the guardianship of relatives who are too poor to adequately provide for them.

The surviving parent has abandoned a few OVC after the other has died, and the child protection committees have placed such children under informal foster care.  It is imperative that the immediate needs of such OVC were met by SAHRIT whilst the guardians are economically empowered to enable them to adequately provide for the children.  This intervention has resulted in an increase in the number of OVC attending school and in a reduction in the number of children in situations of destitution.