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

3. Identify, streamline, integrate and strengthen community-based, local, regional and national
structures that should promote co-ordination and networking of OVC-related programmes,
activities and services resulting in the provision of adequate and quality family-based care and
support.
4. Develop standardised and simplified mechanisms to access funding, and design a monitoring
and evaluation tool that should enable easy funding and other external input to stabilise the
socio-economic situation of OVC, the extended family safety nets and the communities.
COMMENTARY AND ADDITIONAL POINTS IN THE REPORT-BACK
Group 2 had a crucially important task: at the very least we stakeholders want to know how best
to care for OVC.
The group split into four sub-groups, each of which was tasked to tackle one of the four objectives.
The sum total of the sub-groups’ extended analysis was the key strategy of developing a national
home-based family and OVC support programme.
In carrying out the fourth objective we first dwelt on the different categories of “family-centred
approach”. The sub-group covered four topics: (1) How to strengthen the family unit; (2) How to
strengthen the community within which this family unit is accommodated; (3) How to strengthen
the OVC themselves to identify their own needs and work their way out of the challenges; and (4)
How to create an enabling environment for OVC.
On the first recommendation it must be noted that we do not condemn institutionalisation, but
the problems associated with it are such that we must recommend the integration of care and
support into the traditional extended family networks. The traditional way of caring for children
through the extended family network is eroding, and this is the most important safety net so we
have to strengthen it.
On the second recommendation, though there are services available, people do not know of
them and we have to do something about this urgently.
The third recommendation focuses on service delivery, i.e. quality service delivery, and the
co-ordination thereof. The group felt very strongly about the structures referred to being functional
structures and not white elephants.
SUMMARY OF GROUP 2 DISCUSSIONS (verbatim reproduction of flipcharts)
GROUP 2 SUB-GROUP 1: DEVELOPMENT NEEDS BY AGE GROUP
0-6
Love and care
security
material support
shelter
food (nutrition)
health care
education/ECD
holistic development (PSS needs)
7-12
Same as above plus
life skills/exposure
personal identification/needs/experimental
formal educational development
guidance (role models)
special needs
13-18
Same as previous age groups plus
career guidance
relationships (parental guidance)
rights and responsibilities (parental guidance)
self-reliance and independence
19-21
With specific exceptions
education
disability
general/special needs
62 <strong>2nd</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children – Windhoek, Namibia, 25-27 June 2002: Full Report