Programme Design
Care for Kids has developed a three-phase process to guide local churches in their response:
Preparation Phase - This involves building a relationship with the church and formalising the partnership.
Foundation Phase [Phase 1] focuses on providing physical relief and is run by an OAT Building Phase [Phase 2] focuses on psychosoial support and is run by a Management Committee and implemented by the OAT.
Extension Phase [Phase 3] focuses on moving the project towards intdependence, where the church establish a network with other orphan programmes.
Since each church is unique, Care for Kids does not try to impose a pre-designed programme. Instead, we support and enable local churches to develop their own programme at their own pace, based on the available resources.
Care for Kids provides support and care for orphans and vulnerable children.
Care for Kids has defines an orphan as, children without a primary carer due to the carers' abandonment or death, who are under 18 years of age (or under 20 years if still in school).
A vulnerable child is a child who lives with a family that has taken in an orphan.
1. Foundation Phase
In this first phase, Care for Kids helps churches set up a basic orphan relief programme. The relief provided includes food and hygiene packs which are given on a monthly basis until government grants can be accessed. In this phase, volunteers - who will be the link between churches as families with orphaned and vulnerable children - are mobilised. These volunteers are trained to determine the needs of the orphans, while at the same time providing them with support through regular visitis to the homes.
2. Building Phase
In this second phase, Care for Kids helps churches build onto their relief programme and set up other support services for the orphans and their carers. In order to do this, the programme needs to take into account the following issues:
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The needs of the orphans and their carers.
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The gaps in existing service in the community.
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The resources available within the church.
The focus in this phase is:
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Building the resilience of orphans by providing them with emotional and spiritual support
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Building the capacity of the carers and providing them with emotional and spiritual support
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Building the capacity of the churches by training volunteers to support both the orphans and their carers
3. Extension Phase
Once the programme has taken root, we encourage the church to develop it into an independent project. This does not mean that the church is abandoned. Care for Kids co-ordinates a network of independent churches and is available to provide support and assistance on request.
Embracing the bigger picture
Dealing with issues
Care for orphans cannot be separated from the context of HIV/AIDS. Each church needs to deal with issues related to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support. We give particular attention to removing the stigma associated with the disease. For many people living with AIDS, a large part of their suffering comes from the fear and reality of rejection by their own family and community.
Practical preparations
Care for Kids works with churches to empower HIV+ parents in the community to prepare their children for their death. This may include:
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Helping parents to disclose their status to their children
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Helping support the children emotionally and spiritually
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Creating a memory box
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Writing a will
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Planning a funeral
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Identifying who will care for their children after their death and then preparing all those concerned
Enabling links
Care for Kids helps well-resourced churches to form links with under-resourced churches to respond to the orphan crisis in our country.