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| CHILD HEADED AND ELDERLY HEADED HOUSEHOLDS |
Our most vulnerable children come from elderly and child headed households.
The absence of role models and mature (but not elderly) decision makers and minders affects the growth and development of these children as much as lack of resources. The elderly are filling a role that belongs to a younger, stronger generation which should provide a type of discipline and order that is at times beyond the abilities of the elderly.
The model we are working on seeks to create a network of support for each household – within the community, amongst service providers and with the input and assistance of other NGOs.
Encourage involvement and attendence to afternoon club.
Desired links:
Head of household encouraged to speak publicly to give encouragement to others and be a role model. We ensure that they meet other similar households to share problems and offer solutions.
The local church – Pastor and congregation provides counselling, spiritual and material support.
Caring neighbours – give advice and deal with emergencies.
Local Leadership – ensure protection and guidance.
Other service providers – Rural health motivators - emergency healthcare, schools – extra lessons, agricultural extension officer – assistance with growing crops
Other NGOs – fundraise/provide for material needs
The average cost for basic food and shelter requirements for a Child Headed Household are about E180 (USD$25) per person per month. If you would like to help a needy family, please visit this link How To Help
Food security and household sponsorship is becoming more and more urgent!
"KIDS ARE TURNING TO THEFT/PROSTITUTION IN DESPERATION AS THERE IS VERY LITTLE FOOD AT HOME. Despite the good rains, etc there are some kids who are living at Mangozeni who have no land and are reliant on cash from somewhere to feed them.
Last week we had to bail a student out of prison who had in partnership with his brother, stolen food from his school at night … they are becoming desperate! We have two young girls and their brother who also have intermittent supplies – no parents and very young aunt who has a family of her own to feed, is relying on her husband to provide the odd bag of maize and beans. .. resources are very stretched and we need to support them in some way until the next growing season .. to hire a field and plant maize/beans for them."
A comment from a concerned community care-giver
Some of the families we assist and their stories
| Lobamba Lomdzala - Child headed family of 5 |
Salvation Army contacted us about a family who lived in an informal settlement in a one roomed mud and stick hut. Their father had died in 2003 and their mother died in April 2008, leaving 5 children, aged 4 – 19 years old. The eldest, is doing her Form 4, having cared for her sick mother and brother over the past couple of years. The brother fell out of a mango tree in 2005 and ruptured his bladder. The local hospital left an instrument in his body when operating, and so has now undergone 6 operations to right the situation. We found the eldest boiling and selling maize after school in order to survive and pay for school related costs. Unfortunately the area designated by the Chief’s inner council where the children now reside do not have land allocated to them. They are dependent on us purchasing food, but we are determined that a small plot of land in the Moya garden will be put aside, so that they can |
| Tsela Household – Ezulwini (elderly headed) – 3 |
Uncle is 65 years old, unemployed and ekes out a living through renting a one roomed mud house. Menzie, 13 years old and his brother, Musa 16 years old are at school.
Musa is schooling at a local High School and Menzie is at a local Primary School.
Menzie is addicted to marijuana – he had phoned the hotline provided by Guidance and Counselling, Ministry of Education. This was how we were introduced to him. Guidance and Counselling have started a counselling programme with him, we have provided schooling and introduced Menzie and his family to the local Anglican Church, where there is a feeding centre. The pastor and one of the counsellors at the church have taken an interest in Menzie. We provided him with a soccer ball and shoes to support his interest in soccer. The class teacher is also aware of his problems and has proved to be very supportive.
Donor: David Bliss
| Mavuso Family |
This family have been our success story. Vuyisile is completing her final year at school this year, her sister Zandile completed her sewing training course in 2006 and has been set up with a sewing machine and tools (thanks to Kim Sakundiak/Canadian Women’s group) to start her business. There have been some sagas which are to be expected, as it is extremely challenging for teenagers to set their own boundaries and to have a sense of self discipline. However, as all mature, and the family are assured of our consistent intervention and support, everyone feels more secure and are settling down. A food garden has flourished during the whole of 2006 and this year – having been fenced (thanks to Mbabane Garden Club) and in December the family planted maize and beans which were replanted with the support of the Agricultural Extension Officer, due to effects of cutworm. Despite their hard work and commitment, their harvest was extremely limited due to the devastating drought we have experienced here. Thanks to members of the public, we are able to feed the family. A water tank
supplied by Dr. Colin and Dienie Stewart has ensured a consistent supply of water to the household, as community water supply is sporadic. The pit latrines have been completed … thanks to the Cornish Parish – and we will be embarking on construction of the maize crib very soon. Eight family members were sleeping in one bedroom and now that the boys are older (school going age), we have decided to complete two of the rooms which their father had half built. Roofing, plastering, concrete floors glazing and hanging doors are about to be complete. The children will assist us with painting the rooms. (Thanks to Liz Ellis, Betty Robinson and the Mbabane Boat Club/members of the public) We assisted the family to plant a woodlot which should be mature by 2009. This will save the family climbing 5 km up the mountain to collect firewood.
| Malaza Family |
This is a child headed family whom we met in July 2006. They were introduced to us by the head teacher of the Mnjoli Primary School. Dumisane (17 years old) and Busisiwe (12 years old) had lost by parents by 2003.Busisiwe is in Grade 6 at the local primary school and Dumisane is in Form 1 at Kuphuka High School. The children were stranded and taken in by their neighbour, Mrs. Ndwandwe(a widow) who is struggling to provide for her own family. The children are keen to return to their own land as this has inheritance implications and if the land is not occupied or planted by them, the Chief has the right to repossess their land. However, their step mother has locked and laid claim to the existing structures, so the children feel that if at all possible we may provide a very simple two roomed structure, with kitchen overhang where they could live. This structure could be built on their land, yet very close to their neighbours, to provide protection and guidance.
| Dlamini Family |
Their father abandoned the family early in life. Their mother died in March 2007.
The head of the household is Londiwe Dlamini – 18 years old. She dropped out of school in Grade 4 and is working as a maid at the local market place. Ncamiso Dlamini (17 years old) and Sizwe Dlamini (14 years old) are both doing Grade 4 at Mahlanya Primary School – thanks to our sponsor.
Their mother was extremely poor. She cut and sold bundles of grass for a living. Two years ago, a man arrived with a baby, (2 months old) and pleaded for her to care for the child and he would remunerate her. He never returned. The mother of the child, extremely weak and sickly sometimes visits the child, but has abandoned the little boy with this family.
We had been awaiting the return of the mother, but to no avail. Social Services will be contacted to assist with tracing the parents. The children are staying in a thatched house which belongs to the local leadership free of charge, and they have given them access to a tap for water, free of charge. They have no fields of their own and are wholly dependent on us for food. The boys eat lunch at the local Neighbourhood Care Point once a day.
