Whereas most Orphans and Vulnerable Children live with and are cared for by a grandparent or a great-grandparent, while others are forced to assume caregiver and provider roles without adequate protection and care.
These Orphans and Vulnerable Children are more susceptible to child labour, and sexual and other forms of exploitation, increasing their risk of acquiring HIV infection.
90% of children living at Rondebult informal settlement are Orphans and Vulnerable Children that were not attending Early Childhood Development Programmes. They have no primary caregiver, or secondary caregiver, no mobile clinic, library, nutrition, food security and no support. The lack of parental knowledge in a child-headed household causes many children to fall ill and suffer severe consequences.
Therefore; effective beneficiaries’ participation is practically indispensable to render a project successful.
Our Solution
Siyakholwa Support Care Centre runs from Monday to Saturday child support and developmental support with nine full-time employees and 21 volunteers on a monthly stipend.
We have implemented a job creation and sustainability plan, as there is no income for these families. Siyakholwa Support Care Centre reached out through services directly (mobilising strategy) targeting the poor households to collect these children using Home-Visiting with Capacity Building Training.
Further, we have implemented a Community Support Structure. In so doing, it is our goal to promote the creation of a large number of jobs for the Rondebuilt underprivileged community, giving them empowerment in their communities.
It becomes challenging to maintain Early Childhood Development Programmes and Drop-In Programmes for our Orphans and Vulnerable Children, as we do not get any support and funding from the Gauteng Government.
5. 99% of our beneficiaries are HIV positive, Siyakholwa Support Care Center interfaces between HIV/AIDS beneficiaries and infectious diseases supporters. By addressing their needs, effectively in response to the HIV pandemic in disadvantaged communities.
The organisation’s purpose is to directly address the HIV/AIDS pandemic by providing access to education, debate, information, treatment referral, nutrition, food security, job creation projects and ongoing family support.
All our Mobile programmes are in disadvantaged communities where HIV/AIDS, and poverty are at a high level, and the death rate is high due to lack of knowledge. We have played a central role in mobilising an effective, multi-sectoral response to poverty and HIV.
