educational relief to a total of 106 children affected by AIDS

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.

Staff Training

HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Workshop for Save the Children Swaziland Child Protection Field Workers and Disability & Development Field Workers.

Field Officers from the Child Protection Programme and the Disability and Development Programme were taken through an in-service training workshop divided to fit into 4 parts of two-day workshops per week.

Workshop Aim

The aim of the workshop was to equip the officers with the necessary skills to effectively address HIV/AIDS issues within the communities where they work. It was geared at providing the participants with comprehensive and updated HIV/AIDS information, harmonise information they have, clarify myths and misconceptions address some training approaches that encompass child particpation and are conducive for children.

Expected Output

• Disseminate relevant and updated information
• Use acquired skills to enhance service provision
• Have in place a functional referral system to better handle cases reported to them
• Develop networks with other AIDS Service Organisations at regional level

Networking

Save the Children was able to facilitate HIV/AIDS awareness/education sessions together with other organisations in the Incwala National Ceremony and the Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony an exercise coordinated by the HIV/AIDS Crisis Management and Technical Committee.

Save the Children also participated in the formulation of a Strategic Plan for the HIV/AIDS NGO Consortium of which we are members.

We are members of the Save the Children Alliance aidsnet and we also network regularly with the other Save the Children organisations in the Southern African region.

We have been co-opted to be implementing partners in the Health Promotion in Schools Initiative.

Trainers from our organisations were asked to be part of an HIV/AIDS training of trainers workshop for civil servants, Lumbobo nurses and Rural Health Motivators on HIV/AIDS and Children.

Constraints

The major constrain faced in trying to accomplish the set objectives are time, inadequate resources and funds to be able to reach more children in need.

Way Forward

• We seek to continue our work in the area of Advocacy, Awareness and Education of Children and Young People on HIV/AIDS and also to incorporate the life skills education. Child-to-Child clubs will also continue to be used as they are found to be a very good strategy of engaging children as a means of influencing behaviour change.
• We will also persist in our advocacy and education campaigns among the adults in order for us to realise the protection of children affected by HIV/AIDS and the respect of children’s rights especially the inheritance right.
• Adult HIV/AIDS education will be focused on the groups of people with disabilities as we have observed that they are marginalised when it comes to receiving information on HIV/AIDS.
• Counseling of children affected by HIV/AIDS will continue and as well the provision of relief for educational needs and basic needs if our financial capacity can cope.
• Our main focus will also be on the involvement of the children, community leaders, extended family and the community in the protection of children affected by AIDS from stigma and discrimination and the violation of their rights.
• Networking has been very pivotal in our service provision, collaboration and focusing and therefore we feel it is crucial to persist in this angle.
• The issue of HIV/AIDS is ever evolving and new information keeps coming to light. Therefore we feel obligated that we always keep our staff members trained and updated on the latest developments regarding HIV/AIDS.
• Concentrated efforts on HIV/AIDS will not only be afforded to beneficiaries of Save the Children but also to the staff members of the organisation itself. Information, Education and Communication will be focused on the staff members and condoms will be made available that staff members are able to protect themselves against HIV.
• The HIV/AIDS Staff Policy will also be reviewed in an attempt to ensure that staff members infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are protected and supported where possible by the organisation