Educational Workshops for a group of Visually Impaired People

Workshops

Educational Workshops for a group of Visually Impaired People

HIV/AIDS Programme in conjunction with the Disability Development Programme conducted a three-day educational workshop for a group of Visually impaired adult men and women. These were selected from the four regions of Swaziland and basically are members of Incoming Generation Groups, which our Disability and Development Programme works with. It is one of our goals as an organisation to ensure full participation of disabled people in developmental issues; we seek to spread awareness of HIV/AIDS as it negatively impacts on the development of disabled people in Swaziland. We found this to be of paramount importance since people with disabilities are not prioritised for HIV/AIDS awareness and education because of their disability.

Workshop Aim and Expected Outcome

The main aim of the workshop was to provide HIV/AIDS education and life skills to a group of visually impaired people. The participants are expected to use their knowledge to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and as well to address issues of HIV/AIDS with their children and families and among their peers.

Responding to the needs of Children affected by AIDS

Response to the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS entails the protection of children’s basic rights and the assurance of the fulfillment of these rights. As it might be expected the mere function of an HIV/AIDS programme within a Child Protection Organisation is that of ensuring the protection of children in a world where it has been proven that HIV/AIDS has such devastating effects on children. Therefore the efforts we put into accomplishing this objective will be seen to extend beyond and intermingling with our core function.

An exercise of this nature encompasses the involvement of the community as much as possible to ensure sustainable solutions to the problems faced by children at community level. The current most common problems include:

• Children living on their own in most cases without the most basic things such as shelter, food, care
• Children living with grandparents without any source of livelihood
• Children robbed of their inheritance rights by the relatives, extended family and the community
• Children growing up without guidance and advice, not knowing their origins and legacy
• Children without opportunities to learn, express themselves and continue with school
• Children robbed of their inheritance rights

Educational Needs

Even though the Sponsorship Programme was eventually abated in our organisation, donations are still forwarded to us by individuals. This year we were able to gather from the Life Foundation (Ekhaya) a donation of US$5000 with which we were able to afford once off educational relief to a total of 106 children affected by AIDS.

Basic Needs

Relief is afforded to children found to be without food and clothing or shelter while we together with the community explore sustainable solutions to the plight of these children.

Guidance and Advice

Our field offices conduct home visits to assess and ascertain the emotional wellbeing of children and provide counseling where needed.

Protection of Inheritance Rights of Children

Children’s rights to inheritance are often violated even while the mother is still alive and becomes more severe when both parents have died. The relatives are the first to gain access to the property of children left alone and the community leaders in terms of property pertaining to land. Our intervention broadly consists of; awareness and advocacy for the rights of children to their inheritance and especially the children’s right to land, and educate the community on the rights of children and the needs and vulnerability of children affected by AIDS. Specifically, the negotiations with the community leaders and members of the extended family regarding observing the inheritance rights of children and for them to protect this right from violation by any other community members.