2nd National Conference on Orphans and Other ... - FHI 360

I will now read out our group’s short- and
long-term recommendations.
Short-term recommendations:
Ensure that OVC are consulted on all issues
regarding OVC.
Shorten the grant application process as the
long time lapse causes trauma.
The example of the Social Welfare Community
Committee in the Karas Region should be
explored for use in the other regions.
OVC families should be supplied with sufficient
information regarding their situation.
OVC should be supported in re-establishing
regular contact with their family members.
Ensure that siblings remain together.
Certain incidents regarding school admission
should be reported to the MBESC.
Improve co-ordination between OVC
support institutions and schools.
Long-term recommendations:
Create a special fund to fulfil special needs
of OVC in relation to sports, pocket money
etc.
Create a support system for caregivers that
includes emotional, social, financial and
other support.
Sensitise communities regarding psychosocial
support in order to create safety nets.
Co-ordinate OVC care and support in order
to prevent exploitation.
Continue education on psychosocial care
and support.
Ensure that counselling and guidance are
available to OVC in the long term.
Those working with OVC should have a
multicultural approach.
Keep a continuously updated OVC register
to allow for:
better statistics;
a starting point for joint planning;
better planning for budget provision;
better planning for educational needs;
better understanding of OVC on the part
of teachers;
co-ordinated donor support;
constant evaluation of the situation; and
enhanced professional treatment of
OVC (e.g. information provided on OVC
to be treated as confidential).
OVC should be part of decisions-making on
their future.
Counselling support should be developed
nationally.
The shortage of social workers, as well as their
working conditions and remuneration should
be addressed urgently.
Provide continuous life skills empowerment
for OVC.
NGO, CBO and FBO activities should be
enhanced to support OVC.
The chairperson thanked Ms Mbako for her
confident, assertive and straightforward input,
adding that this is exactly what the role-players
had hoped for.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS ON GROUP 1
(BLUE GROUP) REPORT-BACK
Comment (Petronella Masabane): I noticed
that a lot of eyes turned to look in my direction
when the issue of social workers’ salaries was
raised. While I do not determine the salaries of
civil servants, I would like to place on record
that as a social worker myself I definitely share
the sentiments expressed and thank the group
for raising the issue again.
Question: The group referred to the example
of the Social Welfare Community Committee in
the Karas Region. What is it doing?
Answer (Social Welfare Community Committee
member): In short, the committee trains
volunteers to trace orphans and abused children
and to provide basic support to them. We have
established a group of volunteers in each of four
districts in the Karas Region and are in the process
of expanding to other Karas districts. But it should
be noted that there are volunteers doing this kind
of work in the Hardap Region and in the north
as well.
Comment (Doris Roos): I was in the Caprivi
last week and found there too that a number of
organisations are providing this kind of service,
not only the government social workers. I hope
this conference will serve as a platform for sharing
experiences on these initiatives, and that those
which prove positive in one region are replicated
in others.
<strong>2nd</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children – Windhoek, Namibia, 25-27 June 2002: Full Report
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