Orphan Care And Social Rehabilitation
Caring for Orphans
Address
P.O. Box 30200, Capital City, Lilongwe 3, Malawi |
Email
[email protected] |
Telephone
+265(0)888 302 086 |
1. Background
Orphan Care and Social Rehabilitation (OCSR) is a Registered Trustee local non governmental organization (NGO) which started its operations in October 1995. It is a full member of the Council for Non Governmental Organizations in Malawi (CONGOMA). It is being run as a Ministry among the orphans and widows based on James 1:27. OCSR, as a local ministry since 1995 equips orphans and vulnerable children with spiritual mentoring, hygiene and health education, awareness and prevention of HIV infection, behavior change mentoring, supplementary nutrition support, and resources they need to continue with their education.
The formation of the NGO was based on providing care and support to destitute orphans between the ages of 2 and 6 years and who have been affected by HIV and AIDS pandemic, in order to provide a good foundation for their future development. At the time of inception, no outside support could be solicited because the proprietors were new and did not have any track record. The proprietors, Mr. Crosby Mphande and Mrs. Jenny Mphande regarded this as a mission and therefore invested their own resources. They have maintained this support since then.
In the year 1995 OCSR established an Orphan Care Centre in Lilongwe in response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic to support the community of Area 25. Chikondi and Mphatso Orphan Care Centre, within the community of Area 25A in Lilongwe, Malawi, is serving a community of about 40,000 people. The establishment of the Centre was after consultations with the local community leaders and the Councillour, seeking to identify the extent of orphan problems and the means of solving them within the community.
OCSR has been working among the destitute orphaned children of ages between 2 years and 6 years by providing free meals and early childhood education; among children between ages 7 years and 13 years providing free meals and supporting primary school education; among the youth of ages between 14 years and 18 years providing education bursaries and education support, and skills training for income generating activities; among widows providing skills training for income generating activities, training and counselling of the youth through the development of youth groups, training and counselling of the guardians.
The cross-cutting activities have been HIV and AIDS awareness, prevention, psychosocial responses and support, behavior change, counselling, health and hygiene (oral and general), promotion of sports (soccer, netball, volleyball), drama, music as a means for addressing HIV and AIDS issues among the youth, and environmental protection.
The formation of the NGO was based on providing care and support to destitute orphans between the ages of 2 and 6 years and who have been affected by HIV and AIDS pandemic, in order to provide a good foundation for their future development. At the time of inception, no outside support could be solicited because the proprietors were new and did not have any track record. The proprietors, Mr. Crosby Mphande and Mrs. Jenny Mphande regarded this as a mission and therefore invested their own resources. They have maintained this support since then.
In the year 1995 OCSR established an Orphan Care Centre in Lilongwe in response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic to support the community of Area 25. Chikondi and Mphatso Orphan Care Centre, within the community of Area 25A in Lilongwe, Malawi, is serving a community of about 40,000 people. The establishment of the Centre was after consultations with the local community leaders and the Councillour, seeking to identify the extent of orphan problems and the means of solving them within the community.
OCSR has been working among the destitute orphaned children of ages between 2 years and 6 years by providing free meals and early childhood education; among children between ages 7 years and 13 years providing free meals and supporting primary school education; among the youth of ages between 14 years and 18 years providing education bursaries and education support, and skills training for income generating activities; among widows providing skills training for income generating activities, training and counselling of the youth through the development of youth groups, training and counselling of the guardians.
The cross-cutting activities have been HIV and AIDS awareness, prevention, psychosocial responses and support, behavior change, counselling, health and hygiene (oral and general), promotion of sports (soccer, netball, volleyball), drama, music as a means for addressing HIV and AIDS issues among the youth, and environmental protection.
2. Vision Statement at Inception of OCSR
“As a family (husband and wife) who, in 1995 had each lost blood brothers/sisters and their spouses due to AIDS within a period of one year, we were faced with a situation in which we suddenly became responsible for the support and care of 13 young children including the 4 of our own. In view of the so many other deaths that were occurring in the various communities around us, we then began to wonder as to how other orphan supporting families who were economically worse off than ourselves were coping. In response to this question, we then decided to visit one of the badly affected communities and through the help and involvement of the local leaders, we saw for ourselves the very pathetic situation of the orphans and their very poor care givers.
This led us to also visit the few known orphan support groups in the City of Lilongwe in order to find out how they carried out their activities including fund raising. It is therefore as a result of the sad findings of our visit to the community of Area 25 as well as the study of some good practice orphan care programs that, as members of the body of Christ, we were moved to extend our orphan support activities to orphans in Area 25 by establishing a community based orphan care ministry initially using our own family income”. Crosby and Jenny Mphande, founders of the Orphan Care and Social Rehabilitation ministry in Lilongwe, Malawi
This led us to also visit the few known orphan support groups in the City of Lilongwe in order to find out how they carried out their activities including fund raising. It is therefore as a result of the sad findings of our visit to the community of Area 25 as well as the study of some good practice orphan care programs that, as members of the body of Christ, we were moved to extend our orphan support activities to orphans in Area 25 by establishing a community based orphan care ministry initially using our own family income”. Crosby and Jenny Mphande, founders of the Orphan Care and Social Rehabilitation ministry in Lilongwe, Malawi
3. Vision Validation at Inception of OCSR
Poverty and unemployment as aggravated by chronic food insecurity is a major contributing factor to increasing HIV/AIDS infection in Malawi’s urban areas.
Conservative estimates put the HIV infection rates among the Malawians ages 15-48 at 15 percent nationally representing almost 1 million people, according to Malawi Government’s National AIDS Commission (NAC) which also reports that:
Lilongwe, which is the capital city of Malawi, has 26 percent of its 450,000 residents infected by the disease. Area 25, an unplanned settlement located west of Lilongwe’s main industrial area of Kanengo, is one of the largest informal settlements with a population in excess of 40,000. This settlement falls in the category of ‘poor’ to ‘core poor’ as defined by the World Bank and is one of those that have greatly been affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to Mrs. Baisi, the Ward Councillor for the area, there are over 6000 orphans in Area 25 alone.
Due to its proximity to the industrial area of Kanengo, the densely populated Area 25 acts as a labour pool for the industrial area and this encourages further rural to urban migration. According to the labour market survey of 1998 conducted by Malawi’s ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, “…about 300,000 migrate from the rural areas in search of jobs in urban areas every year. However, only less than 30,000 enter formal employment annually, leaving a balance of 270,000 people”.
For those who cannot manage to find employment in the nearby industrial areas, they join the informal sector such as domestic work in the other residential areas, trade and small-scale businesses and other coping mechanisms used for a living. The rural to urban migration promotes sexual promiscuity as the migrants initially leave their spouses back in their rural areas and bring them to the cities after settling in the squatters such as Area 25. The incomes of these squatter dwellers are among the lowest with the average daily wage of less than US$1.
The rural to urban migration is exacerbated by the chronic food security that is causing a number of vulnerable households to be unable to cover the basic food needs. According to the Malawi Government’s Sustainable Livelihoods Program in collaboration with UNDP First Country Co-operation Framework the country of Malawi faces a serious development challenge:
The increasing number of orphans is causing severe strains on the extended family coping mechanisms, necessitating the need for collective intervention
“The basic needs of children that have been orphaned are the same as needs of all children: food, shelter, clothing, health care, education, opportunities for growth and play, and loving care and attention. Yet left without a mother, and often without both parents, children become dependent on extended family members, and if the extended family is not available or is unable to care for them, they are dependent on the wider community, and if the community is unable to care for them, they are left at great risk. If the needs of orphans are not met, they are likely to turn to delinquency, prostitution, and be subject to exploitation, sexual abuse, and violence”, states the UNAIDS report of 11/30/98 on ‘AIDS in Africa’
In Malawi, the extent of vulnerability of orphans is associated with the social and economic status of the family, both before and after death of parents. While relatives are willing to look after the orphaned children, they seldom have the means and capacities to do so. The increasing number of orphans is causing severe strains on the extended family coping mechanisms. In the case of HIV/AIDS, children lose parents within a very short time, thus creating child-headed households. Children are forced to look after fellow siblings, elderly guardians, or relations who may also be affected in one way or another by HIV/AIDS. The situation exerts a lot of pressure on the extended family and communities, necessitating the need for the community’s commitment to the care support and protection of the orphans collectively. Roy Hauya, Program Director, Malawi National AIDS Commission.
References Regarding the Need:
“… [These} children and youth need emotional, physical and social support for them to grow into stable people. It is an enormous collective responsibility to ensure that they attend school and develop some economically valuable skills. Malawi faces the risk of increased crime and social unrest if children in special need are not given the care and attention that they deserve…” says Justin Malewezi, former Vice President of the Republic of Malawi.
“…As Councillor of the area, I feel so helpless as the number of orphans keeps on rising… we have people dying due to this disease (AIDS) literally every day and as a leader I do not know how to help anymore” says Mrs Baisi, Ward Councillor for Area 25.
“… we all know and have shared the tragedy of suffering and death due to HIV/AIDS in this country, the majority of them in the most productive part of their lives; they are our brothers, our sisters, and our children. Every family is affected; we are a nation living in grief…” Justin Malewezi, former Vice President of the Republic of Malawi.
This initiative meets the principles and orientations of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS adopted by the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on HIV and AIDS (June 2001), that states the importance of emphasising the role of cultural, family, ethical and religious factors in the prevention of the epidemic and in treatment, care and support, taking into account the particularities of each country as well as the importance of respecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms (paragraph 20). The project is also in line with the National Gender Policy, the National HIV and AIDS Policy, the National Youth Policy, the National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (2000).
Conservative estimates put the HIV infection rates among the Malawians ages 15-48 at 15 percent nationally representing almost 1 million people, according to Malawi Government’s National AIDS Commission (NAC) which also reports that:
- On average 267 people are infected every day and 139 people die daily from AIDS-related diseases.
- 30% of the Ministry of Health’s curative budget is now spent for AIDS patients, according to UNAIDS.
- As a result of too many AIDS deaths, the number of children being orphaned due to this epidemic is increasing alarmingly.
- According to the UNAIDS, more than 470,000 Malawian children under 15 lost one or both parents to AIDS by end of 2001.
- This number is projected to increase to more than 500,000 by 2005, says the UNAIDS.
Lilongwe, which is the capital city of Malawi, has 26 percent of its 450,000 residents infected by the disease. Area 25, an unplanned settlement located west of Lilongwe’s main industrial area of Kanengo, is one of the largest informal settlements with a population in excess of 40,000. This settlement falls in the category of ‘poor’ to ‘core poor’ as defined by the World Bank and is one of those that have greatly been affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to Mrs. Baisi, the Ward Councillor for the area, there are over 6000 orphans in Area 25 alone.
Due to its proximity to the industrial area of Kanengo, the densely populated Area 25 acts as a labour pool for the industrial area and this encourages further rural to urban migration. According to the labour market survey of 1998 conducted by Malawi’s ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, “…about 300,000 migrate from the rural areas in search of jobs in urban areas every year. However, only less than 30,000 enter formal employment annually, leaving a balance of 270,000 people”.
For those who cannot manage to find employment in the nearby industrial areas, they join the informal sector such as domestic work in the other residential areas, trade and small-scale businesses and other coping mechanisms used for a living. The rural to urban migration promotes sexual promiscuity as the migrants initially leave their spouses back in their rural areas and bring them to the cities after settling in the squatters such as Area 25. The incomes of these squatter dwellers are among the lowest with the average daily wage of less than US$1.
The rural to urban migration is exacerbated by the chronic food security that is causing a number of vulnerable households to be unable to cover the basic food needs. According to the Malawi Government’s Sustainable Livelihoods Program in collaboration with UNDP First Country Co-operation Framework the country of Malawi faces a serious development challenge:
- 60 percent of its rural and 65% of its urban populations live under appalling levels of poverty, manifested through very high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition especially among children and mothers.
- Malawi has some of the worst food insecurity and malnutrition indicators in sub-Saharan Africa:
- 55 percent of rural Malawians (85% of the population is rural based) suffer chronic food insecurity.
- 31 percent are marginally food secure
- Only 14% are food secure.
- About half of the children less than five years of age and 9 percent of mothers suffer chronic protein energy malnutrition.
- Marginal farmers are becoming poorer and more vulnerable to food insecurity, largely influenced by drought and environmental and economic factors affecting production capacities.
The increasing number of orphans is causing severe strains on the extended family coping mechanisms, necessitating the need for collective intervention
“The basic needs of children that have been orphaned are the same as needs of all children: food, shelter, clothing, health care, education, opportunities for growth and play, and loving care and attention. Yet left without a mother, and often without both parents, children become dependent on extended family members, and if the extended family is not available or is unable to care for them, they are dependent on the wider community, and if the community is unable to care for them, they are left at great risk. If the needs of orphans are not met, they are likely to turn to delinquency, prostitution, and be subject to exploitation, sexual abuse, and violence”, states the UNAIDS report of 11/30/98 on ‘AIDS in Africa’
In Malawi, the extent of vulnerability of orphans is associated with the social and economic status of the family, both before and after death of parents. While relatives are willing to look after the orphaned children, they seldom have the means and capacities to do so. The increasing number of orphans is causing severe strains on the extended family coping mechanisms. In the case of HIV/AIDS, children lose parents within a very short time, thus creating child-headed households. Children are forced to look after fellow siblings, elderly guardians, or relations who may also be affected in one way or another by HIV/AIDS. The situation exerts a lot of pressure on the extended family and communities, necessitating the need for the community’s commitment to the care support and protection of the orphans collectively. Roy Hauya, Program Director, Malawi National AIDS Commission.
References Regarding the Need:
“… [These} children and youth need emotional, physical and social support for them to grow into stable people. It is an enormous collective responsibility to ensure that they attend school and develop some economically valuable skills. Malawi faces the risk of increased crime and social unrest if children in special need are not given the care and attention that they deserve…” says Justin Malewezi, former Vice President of the Republic of Malawi.
“…As Councillor of the area, I feel so helpless as the number of orphans keeps on rising… we have people dying due to this disease (AIDS) literally every day and as a leader I do not know how to help anymore” says Mrs Baisi, Ward Councillor for Area 25.
“… we all know and have shared the tragedy of suffering and death due to HIV/AIDS in this country, the majority of them in the most productive part of their lives; they are our brothers, our sisters, and our children. Every family is affected; we are a nation living in grief…” Justin Malewezi, former Vice President of the Republic of Malawi.
This initiative meets the principles and orientations of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS adopted by the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on HIV and AIDS (June 2001), that states the importance of emphasising the role of cultural, family, ethical and religious factors in the prevention of the epidemic and in treatment, care and support, taking into account the particularities of each country as well as the importance of respecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms (paragraph 20). The project is also in line with the National Gender Policy, the National HIV and AIDS Policy, the National Youth Policy, the National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (2000).
4. Track Record
Orphan Education and Nutrition Program: In 1995 OCSR established an Orphan Care Centre to support the community of Area 25. Lack of resources prevented orphan caregivers from sending the orphan children to school. OCSR established a centre that supports an average of 203 orphaned children and youth with food, clothing and education every year. Currently, 52 children (2-5 years of age) attend early childhood education, 118 (6-12 years old) attend primary school, and 33 (13-19 years old) are in secondary school.
To-date 538 children since 1995 at the rate of MK6,800 per child per annum have gone through this early childhood school at the centre. 150 of these children have continued with formal schooling in government primary schools in the community and the centre has continued to support them with feeding, school materials and after-school coaching program. The centre has been providing after-school coaching to those in the primary school. As a result of this service, nearly 50% of the centre’s orphan children (about 48) have in this school year (2003/04) been among the top 15 in their respective primary school classes.
In the last school year, 21 out of 32 children who sat for the primary school leaving certificate were successful. 9 of these were selected for form 1 in the government secondary schools, while OCSR helped 12 of them to enrol in the private schools and is currently paying school fees and providing school uniforms for them apart from 21 others who were already in secondary school from the previous years. By year 2009, tuition fees bursary has extended to 150 youth attending secondary school every year at the cost of £50 per semester including examination fees for students in second and fourth year
Since its inception in 1995 the OCSR has been providing a two meal feeding program to orphan children registered with them. The centre cooks fortified corn flour porridge that is served to the early childhood school at 9.00 am mid morning. The centre has also been serving lunch to all the children including those who are attending primary school and secondary schools between 12.00 noon and 4.00 pm from Monday to Friday. 6 volunteer guardians who have all their children fed at the centre (which is a strong motivation for them) provide the cooking services at the centre.
OCSR also borrows five hectares of land that is used for growing their own maize. In the two years 2000/01 and 2001/02 they managed to harvest up to 100 bags of maize (50kg per bag), part of which was sold to supplement on cash income for the centre and the rest was used for feeding of the children. The feeding programme at present, catering for between 300 and 400 children daily consumes 50kg maize every day; there is none of the harvest being sold for cash.
Life and Vocational Skills Training: OCSR officially started this program in 1999 following a donation of 3 sewing machines from a well wisher in England and in 2000 a knitting machine from the same source. To-date the centre has been able to train 20 women guardians in sewing, 3 in knitting and has also been able to train 62 children and youth (girl orphans) in hand knitting and 15 of them in tailoring using the sewing machines. The sewing and knitting classes have been conducted during weekdays for six months and three months respectively, during which the guardians and girls have also been instructed in psychosocial life skills within the context of the word of God. This includes how to care for the children, health and sanitation, love, HIV/AIDS. To date 100 widows have been trained as tailors, 20 widows have been trained in knitting skills, and 20 youth have been trained in sewing. Some of these widows have established their own sewing businesses and employed their colleagues, others have been employed in sewing concerns within Lilongwe. Widows trained in knitting are yet to get established.
As one of the income generating activities, the centre has constructed a multi-purpose hall that was partly funded by Malawi Social Action Fund. It has kitchen facilities with provisions for installing three electric cooking pots; these pots have not been procured yet. The hall is being used by the community for weddings and religious ceremonies and services.
Spiritual Nurture: The centre integrates spiritual lessons in all its programs with the children, youth and guardians. Children and youth are normally at the OCSR centre every day from Monday to Friday after the lunch meal. The centre’s program for the afternoon hours, apart from the school lessons coaching, include sports and games; and drama and choir (music) activities. It is during these activities that spiritual lessons are taught both formally and informally. However, on Thursdays, the centre runs special Bible clubs, one for the children and the other for the youth. These had been running successfully with the help of volunteer students from the Africa Bible College (ABC). Apart from the ABC students, the youth pastor of Lilongwe Christian Church who used to visit on a weekly basis also assisted the centre with the running of these clubs whenever the students were on long vacation. As a result of the various spiritual programs at the centre, there is now a group of between 30 and 40 children and youth who have committed their lives to Christ and are very regular attendees of the Bible clubs. Their commitment has also been attested by their good behaviour and participation in the youth groups in their local church as clubs.
To-date 538 children since 1995 at the rate of MK6,800 per child per annum have gone through this early childhood school at the centre. 150 of these children have continued with formal schooling in government primary schools in the community and the centre has continued to support them with feeding, school materials and after-school coaching program. The centre has been providing after-school coaching to those in the primary school. As a result of this service, nearly 50% of the centre’s orphan children (about 48) have in this school year (2003/04) been among the top 15 in their respective primary school classes.
In the last school year, 21 out of 32 children who sat for the primary school leaving certificate were successful. 9 of these were selected for form 1 in the government secondary schools, while OCSR helped 12 of them to enrol in the private schools and is currently paying school fees and providing school uniforms for them apart from 21 others who were already in secondary school from the previous years. By year 2009, tuition fees bursary has extended to 150 youth attending secondary school every year at the cost of £50 per semester including examination fees for students in second and fourth year
Since its inception in 1995 the OCSR has been providing a two meal feeding program to orphan children registered with them. The centre cooks fortified corn flour porridge that is served to the early childhood school at 9.00 am mid morning. The centre has also been serving lunch to all the children including those who are attending primary school and secondary schools between 12.00 noon and 4.00 pm from Monday to Friday. 6 volunteer guardians who have all their children fed at the centre (which is a strong motivation for them) provide the cooking services at the centre.
OCSR also borrows five hectares of land that is used for growing their own maize. In the two years 2000/01 and 2001/02 they managed to harvest up to 100 bags of maize (50kg per bag), part of which was sold to supplement on cash income for the centre and the rest was used for feeding of the children. The feeding programme at present, catering for between 300 and 400 children daily consumes 50kg maize every day; there is none of the harvest being sold for cash.
Life and Vocational Skills Training: OCSR officially started this program in 1999 following a donation of 3 sewing machines from a well wisher in England and in 2000 a knitting machine from the same source. To-date the centre has been able to train 20 women guardians in sewing, 3 in knitting and has also been able to train 62 children and youth (girl orphans) in hand knitting and 15 of them in tailoring using the sewing machines. The sewing and knitting classes have been conducted during weekdays for six months and three months respectively, during which the guardians and girls have also been instructed in psychosocial life skills within the context of the word of God. This includes how to care for the children, health and sanitation, love, HIV/AIDS. To date 100 widows have been trained as tailors, 20 widows have been trained in knitting skills, and 20 youth have been trained in sewing. Some of these widows have established their own sewing businesses and employed their colleagues, others have been employed in sewing concerns within Lilongwe. Widows trained in knitting are yet to get established.
As one of the income generating activities, the centre has constructed a multi-purpose hall that was partly funded by Malawi Social Action Fund. It has kitchen facilities with provisions for installing three electric cooking pots; these pots have not been procured yet. The hall is being used by the community for weddings and religious ceremonies and services.
Spiritual Nurture: The centre integrates spiritual lessons in all its programs with the children, youth and guardians. Children and youth are normally at the OCSR centre every day from Monday to Friday after the lunch meal. The centre’s program for the afternoon hours, apart from the school lessons coaching, include sports and games; and drama and choir (music) activities. It is during these activities that spiritual lessons are taught both formally and informally. However, on Thursdays, the centre runs special Bible clubs, one for the children and the other for the youth. These had been running successfully with the help of volunteer students from the Africa Bible College (ABC). Apart from the ABC students, the youth pastor of Lilongwe Christian Church who used to visit on a weekly basis also assisted the centre with the running of these clubs whenever the students were on long vacation. As a result of the various spiritual programs at the centre, there is now a group of between 30 and 40 children and youth who have committed their lives to Christ and are very regular attendees of the Bible clubs. Their commitment has also been attested by their good behaviour and participation in the youth groups in their local church as clubs.
5. Goal
The main goal is to mobilise and strengthen community based HIV/AIDS impact mitigation efforts and to provide support and care for OVC and their families.
The sub goals are as follows:
The sub goals are as follows:
- To empower the youth and guardians in advocacy skills;
- To provide knowledge about prevention, treatment, care and support of HIV and AIDS;
- To facilitate dialogue on sexual reproductive health and HIV and AIDS;
- To encourage and motivate the youth and guardians in positive behaviour change.
- To empower the guardians and youth in technical and business skills for the support of their families.
- To provide educational support to the youth in order to contribute towards preparing a foundation for their social and economic development.
- To provide early childhood education to orphaned children as well as nutritional support in order to lay a good foundation for their growth and education.
- To contribute towards maintaining the children at school through provision of supplementary nutritional support.
6. Target Groups
The following direct achievements have been registered:
The Centre has not registered any HIV and AIDS affected child.
- Income Generating Activities: Chicken rearing; Pig rearing; Tailoring training; knitting and crocheting.
- Early childhood education to 151 children: including capacity building of caregivers in “Children’s Corner” strategies.
- Tuition fees bursary to 150 youth attending secondary school at the cost of £50 per semester including examination fees for students in second and fourth year;
- Youth training programmes in HIV and AIDS awareness, prevention, and behaviour change: including training in “Journey of Life” reaching 209 youth.
- Supplementary nutrition support: reaching 538 children at the rate of MK6,800 per child per annum.
- HIV and AIDS awareness, prevention and behaviour change among school children of the nearby community primary school: 100 children.
- Income generating activities support such as a revolving scheme of pig production among 48 beneficiaries with 4 pigs and 4 piglets under the care of individuals. Piglets are distributed in turn to other group members.
- Community care of trees planted in 2007.
- OCSR has one football team comprising about 40 youth which is now at position sixteen from last year’s seven, one netball team comprising 26 youth that also participates in local competitions and one volleyball team. The football team is participating in the junior league of under seventeen first divisions which is currently under way. The team is lacking soccer boots and soccer balls, which has contributed to there bad performance this season.
- There is one soccer team No.5 in the local junior league. The Centre has a netball team.
The Centre has not registered any HIV and AIDS affected child.
7. Financial Resources
Financial resources for the support of all the activities have been from the following sources:
There is no funding from the Government. In kind contributions are received from Rotary Club, Lions Club, and Faith based groups.
- Contributions from Trustees;
- Contributions from “Friends of Malawi Orphans” in England coordinated by a retired pastor who once worked in Lilongwe, Malawi, and his friends.
- Also there is an NGO called FEED THE CHILDREN which is supporting OCSR with fortified porridge for the children every month. This NGO has provided support since two months on a trial basis and it is yet to asses the program for further support.
- Students for Kids Project (SKIP) of Glasgow Scotland come to the Centre for three months to provide in kind medical support to the youth and children.
There is no funding from the Government. In kind contributions are received from Rotary Club, Lions Club, and Faith based groups.
8. Facilities and Equipment
The Centre has a two classroom block, an ablution block, a kitchen newly built and not yet furnished, a multi-purpose hall, and a two-roomed poultry rearing block. One room of the classroom block is being used for accommodation for some three orphans because there is no accommodation facility for the very desperate orphans. The multi-purpose hall is being used for capacity building and skills training, hiring out to the community for weddings and worship services, entertainment (drama and music). It also has facilities for installation of electric cooking facilities. The Centre is completely enclosed in a brick wall fence.
The grounds of the Centre have a netball pitch and a playground for children.
The Centre is deficient in the following equipment and facilities:
There is one health centre that is being run by the Government and services to the public are free. There are two others clinics that are run privately and services are chargeable. Major cases are referred to the main referral hospital, the Kamuzu Central Hospital.
I have provided more information that you had requested to give you an insight of what we are doing and what we seek to do among the community of Area 25 in Lilongwe. You may wish to select information that you would want to use depending upon the appeal that you are promoting at the time. Please advise if more information is required.
I have also included the pictures that you had requested as follows:
Crosby & Jenny Mphande
Please address all official communication to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] which are the official e-mail addresses for the Orphan Care and Social Rehabilitation and its orphan care centres.
Crosby U. Mphande
Executive Director
November 2021
The grounds of the Centre have a netball pitch and a playground for children.
The Centre is deficient in the following equipment and facilities:
- Wet food storage facilities (fridge and freezer);
- Cooking facilities and utensils;
- Catering equipment and facilities;
- Storage facilities for teaching aids and text books;
- Teaching aids and text books;
- Office equipment for communication and data storage and processing;
- Soccer uniforms, balls, netball uniforms and balls, volleyball uniforms and balls;
- Musical instruments for the choir;
- Costumes for the drama group;
- Sewing and knitting machines for income generation support to youth and guardians;
- Accommodation facilities for at least 20 very desperate orphaned youth;
- Facilities for skills training in the following skills: carpentry, motor mechanics, electrical, plumbing, and bricklaying;
- The transport for the Centre is old and beyond its useful life.
There is one health centre that is being run by the Government and services to the public are free. There are two others clinics that are run privately and services are chargeable. Major cases are referred to the main referral hospital, the Kamuzu Central Hospital.
I have provided more information that you had requested to give you an insight of what we are doing and what we seek to do among the community of Area 25 in Lilongwe. You may wish to select information that you would want to use depending upon the appeal that you are promoting at the time. Please advise if more information is required.
I have also included the pictures that you had requested as follows:
Crosby & Jenny Mphande
Please address all official communication to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] which are the official e-mail addresses for the Orphan Care and Social Rehabilitation and its orphan care centres.
Crosby U. Mphande
Executive Director
November 2021