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

SLIDE 3: NUMBERS OF AIDS ORPHANS IN NAMIBIA
(Orphans defined as children under 15 years who have lost their mother to AIDS)
Commentary: The study projections 180,000
make obvious the fact that we are 160,000
facing a big challenge in the coming 140,000
years. They show that in 2002 we 120,000
have around 20 000 AIDS orphans 100,000
alone. People may wonder why these
80,000
figures differ to those already given,
and why they seem low. The answer
is that we do not yet have a definition
of OVC, and these figures are based
on the definition given on the slide.
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
Figures based on a definition including children up to 18 would thus be higher than these. Also,
these figures pertain only to children orphaned by AIDS whereas others pertain to all orphans and
other vulnerable children. What is important is that the figures are rising. By 2010 we will have
140 000 AIDS orphans, or more than 10 times the number we have in 2002. These projections
are therefore saying that we need to wake up if we have been sleeping.
SLIDE 4: % OF CHILDREN WHO WILL BE ORPHANED BY AIDS BY AGE GROUP
Commentary: The graph shows a 35%
steady rise from 0% for all age groups 30%
in 1995 to about 4% of all children in 25%
the 0-4 group, 20% in the 5-9 group,
±32% in the 10-14 group and ±13%
in the 15-19 group in 2015. In 2002
1-4% of children in each age group
20%
15%
10%
0-4
'5-9
'10-14
15-19
are AIDS orphans. Children in the 5-
5%
9 group are about to start school and
small as their numbers are today, we
are already at pains to ensure them
0%
access. Children in the 10-14 group are moving into a new growth phase without parents, and we
are not ready to address their plight. It is gratifying that we are planning our strategies now, while
the proportion of AIDS orphans in all age groups is still under 5%, so we will not be caught with our
pants down, so to speak.
1995 1995
SLIDES 5-6: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ON ORPHANED LEARNERS’ NEEDS
1997 1997
Learners’ needs have been divided into three categories:
1. Economic
Fees/levies, uniforms, materials; food, clothing and housing; transport; employment; time.
Hunger a common cause of dropout and poor performance – on the part of both teachers
and learners.
2. Parenting/family structure
Cared for by elderly, siblings or extended family; child roles in care and households change;
siblings are separated; and all these lead to early marriage and motherhood. Forty percent of
teachers reported being aware of child-headed households, 39% of Grade 10 learners reported
caregiving and other household activities to cause them to be absent from school.
All these things have implications for socialisation and nurturing.
42 <strong>2nd</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children – Windhoek, Namibia, 25-27 June 2002: Full Report
1999 1999
2001 2001
2003 2003
2005 2005
2007 2007
2009 2009
2011 2011
2013 2013