|
WE ARE CURRENTLY CARING FOR 180+
ORPHANED CHILDREN WITH NUMBERS GROWING DAILY.
Background Information
 |
JCWS has
developed a Centre for orphaned children living in the Kliptown/Eldorado
Park area. The area is historically disadvantaged and densely populated.
The high rate of HIV/AIDS infection and poverty, inadequate medical care
and poor nutrition has a negative effect on the life expectancy of the
HIV positive residents. JCWS works closely with palliative care community
organisations, schools, churches, and other service providers.
Caregivers help dying parents understand that once they pass away the
Johannesburg Child Welfare Society will take care of their children.
When the parents die, the children are offered care and support at the
Masibambisane Centre for HIV/AIDS orphans. |
The
Services Offered:
|
The aim of
the Masibambisane Centre is to enable orphaned children to continue
functioning as a family unit in their own environment. The Centre
offers intervention with schools, bereavement and general counselling,
life skills and capacity building.
|
 |
The Centre
is a roomy building situated in ample grounds, within easy walking
distance of Kliptown. Social and childcare workers assist the children
by offering a range of practical services; thereby enabling the child
headed household to function. Community caregivers and extended family
members receive support and training to help them care for the orphaned
children in their community. Older children are given the opportunity to
join our economic empowerment project.
The
children receive one balanced meal per day and are able to bath or
shower and wash their clothes. Homework is supervised and outings are
arranged. Social and childcare workers monitor their physical and
emotional health and also allocate resources such as school uniforms,
blankets and, whenever available, food for the weekends.
The Centre
facilitates pre-school attendance for younger children, thus allowing
the older siblings to attend school knowing that the youngsters are
safe. A brand new, fully equipped Edutainer has been erected on the
premises, thanks to the generosity of Citigroup, for the young
pre-school children.
Our future plans include
helping the children make special “Memory Boxes” to remember their
deceased parents, as well as providing them with food parcels to take
home over weekends.
Community Involvement
Community workers, who
act as caregivers to children, are being trained by the Society. The
project will be based on the Community Caregivers System, and volunteers
will be responsible for regularly checking up on the living conditions
of children.
Our Community Caregivers
Project will also aim to enable participants to increase their
income-generating skills, by using part of the grounds for vegetable
cultivation and introducing other income generating projects.
Finances and Funding
Requirements
The 2004/2005
Expenditure Budget for JCWS is R21 million. As previously
mentioned, HIV/AIDS has a major impact on all of the services we
provide. Government grants amount to 33% of our budget.
A further 20% of our income is generated through adoption and training
fees, Christmas card sales and investment income but JCWS has to raise a
further R12
million.
Although we have
applied for a government subsidy, we do not receive any such funding at
present. We need the support of the donor community in order to
continue the provision of crucial services to orphaned and vulnerable
children in our care.
|
