New Era

WINDHOEK - The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare reports that the country's OVC programme is "very strong", but serious challenges remain.

The number of Namibian children under the age of 18 is pegged at 250Â 000, of whom 155Â 000 are orphans, said the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW).

This figure is according to the 2006 Demographic Health Survey (DHS), and exceeds a previous estimate of 128Â 000. This means that about a third (28.2 percent) of children are considered vulnerable.

Most children have been orphaned due to HIV/Aids. These children's welfare has been exacerbated due to the stigma attached to the disease. Namibia's pervasive poverty â€" where 35 percent of the population lives on less than US$1 per day â€" coupled with high levels of violence against women and children, further worsened the situation.

To deal with this rather desperate situation, Government has adopted a national plan of action on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). This programme stretches over four years (2006 to 2010).

It is intended to initiate a wide-scale, multi-sectoral approach to ensure child rights and protection, education, care and support, health and nutrition, and management and networking.

Namibia has set itself the target to reduce under-five mortalities by 20 percent this year. Also, it set a target that there be an equal spread of HIV infections among orphans and vulnerable children and those children that are not, also by this year.

And although headway has been made in food support programmes and development partner input into food, nutrition and healthcare, no significant inroads have been made to slash under-five deaths. In fact, the under-five mortalities have increased since 2006.

Further, said the ministry, 26.8 percent of OVC and 20.5 percent of non-OVC appear to be malnourished.

The ministry acknowledged that dealing with the OVC situation, multiple forms of care and support for a holistic care "safety net" has not yet been created, "who in 10 to 15 years time should represent 25 to 50 percent of the economically active population of Namibia".

It said the impact of OVC programmes is primarily felt in the education and care sectors, saying the impact will eventually be felt at a broad and national level in the economy and social fabric of this society.

"If there is no moral duty to ensure that OVC receive the package of care that they require at a more basic level, the need to ensure the country's future economic welfare must drive action to ensure a safety net for all OVC," said the ministry.

But in its first annual review of the national plan of action, the ministry did report some progress.

As far as the rights of children â€" and specifically OVC are concerned, the ministry reported, all 15 women and child protection units countrywide have trained and sensitised traditional leaders and other community members on child protection matters.

Staff at these protection units has also been trained in all laws pertaining to child rights and protection.

Development partners have funded protection services for over 1Â 879 children between October 2007 and March 2008, and plans are in place to enable hospitals with maternity units to have an office of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration on their premises to enable easy access to birth certificates.

But, reported the ministry, interventions such as these may not altogether have the desired impact due to the widespread acceptance of violence against women and children. It called for the completion of the Child Care and Protection Bill that is behind schedule, as well as the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC).

The Bill is said to update antiquated laws of the apartheid era and relate to the current scale and environment in terms of protection services required.

Reportage on education for OVC for 2007/08 found that there is not much difference in the number of OVC to non-OVC attending schools, and Government's feeding programme at school has reached as many as 84Â 666 children, although weekend and holiday feeding programmes are not in place in many places.

But, said the ministry, exception from hostel fees - then to 1Â 266 learners - falls short by far if one considers the size of the OVC population (181Â 948).

It went on to say that there is a suggestion that OVC are being discriminated against by the process of allocating hostel places on a "first come, first served" basis.

Equally, exemption procedures for paying examination fees do not exist.
Anecdotal reports purportedly indicated that some OVC are turned away from school if they cannot afford uniforms, stationary or the non-compulsory school development fund.

The ministry said many social welfare grants it gives out are used to pay school, hostel and examination fees, "which effectively is a transfer from one ministry to another, defeating the purpose of supporting the basic needs of OVC".

It said the education system is missing opportunities to provide the OVC with the range of services they require from education related exemptions to psychological care, life skills training and safe hostel care.

"The only areas where there appears to be measurable success are those of equal enrolment of OVC to non-OVC in school and the school feeding programme," it criticised.

Social grants to OVC have increased over the years. In 2006, 41Â 000 received grants, while in 2007/08, 90Â 126 got grants.

The impact of social grants, however, remains unclear, since reports have been received that these are often absorbed in other household costs.

Development partners funded psychosocial support to 18Â 334 OVC; 2Â 553 with shelter; and economic strengthening services to 7Â 582.

Government targeted that 50 percent of all registered OVC should receive external support â€" economic, home-based care, psychological and education â€" by this year.

But the availability of sufficient data has hampered a proper measure of the situation on the ground.

If the number of social grants are considered, this means that a minimum of 36 percent of OVC some form of external support.

As far as health and nutrition go, the Ministry of Health and Social Services does not make a distinction between OVC and non-OVC in its collation of data.

Be that as it may, the gender ministry said anecdotal reports still suggest that those who cannot pay for health services at public institutions are often turned away.

Information on fee exemptions for health services is not collected, so this situation remains blurry with the gender ministry complaining that there appears to be a general lack of overall OVC strategy within the health ministry.

It recommended, among others, that dedicated OVC staff with an appropriate budget is required in each "relevant" ministry to oversee specific implementation activities under its national plan for OVC.

Furthermore, it propagated for the sustainability of existing services to be addressed, and better integrated to reach more children.

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