To investigate factors preventing the care-givers from accessing the social grants and other benefits entitled to the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) under their care

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the consequences of HIV/AIDS is the large number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Most OVC care givers in African communities are elders. The elders use their meagre pension hand out to support their OVC grandchildren. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Well Fare (MGECW) has responded to the financial burden of the OVC care-givers by issuing different social grants to the OVC. Due to preventing factors not all OVC are receiving these grants.The Namibian Government has formulated different policies protecting the rights of OVC. However, not all stakeholders are implementing these policies which lead to the OVC`s rights being compromised. This study was conducted in Omusati Region in Namibia to determine the factors that prevent some of the OVC care-givers from accessing the social grants and other benefits entitled to the OVC under their care. Data for this study have been obtained from four sources, using four different data collection methods. In depth interview have been used to collect data from twelve Community Childcare Workers (CCW) in the (MGECW) administering the OVC`s grants applications at twelve Constituencies. Some information was obtained using structured questionnaire from twenty four teachers dealing with OVC at twelve schools in twelve Constituencies. The officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAI) have been engaged in focus group discussion to provide valuable information to this study. Literature has also been reviewed to shed more light on the subject under investigation. This study discovered that there are various impediments preventing the care-givers from obtain the OVC social grants. Lack of documents, transport costs and long distances coupled with cumbersome process of processing grants applications and issuing national documents are among the preventing factors. This project has been concluded with recommendations which if implemented will smoothen the process of grants accessibility.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University