THUSANO ovc Programme

Introduction

• The Thusano OVC programme is aimed at providing care and support to orphaned and vulnerable children.
• Usually these children are either living on their own OR with older sibling OR grandparents/aunts and uncles OR with biological parents who are living with HIV and AIDS.
• The centre provides care and support through identifying their holistic needs and assisting in provision of the needs that have been identified
• The centre also provides psychosocial services to families and children who are in need of these services
• There is a team of community caregivers who work directly with families through conducting home visits on a weekly basis for each family
• The programme also provides food parcels to 100 families, toiletries and sanitary pads to school going children who are in need

Projects under the Thusano OVC programme

Home visits

The centre conducts home visits for the following households and aim of these visits is to identify holistic needs of the households then provide care and support services;

• Child headed households; these are children who are under 18 years old and living on their own and heading the household
• Youth headed households; these are households that are headed by an older sibling who is over 18 years old
• Granny headed households; these households of grandparents/aunts/uncles who are left with orphaned children
• People living with HIV/AIDS households; these are households of parents/guardians who are living with HIV/AIDS and have children. These children are seen as vulnerable especially if the parents are ill and unemployed

Educational/Vocational Support

• This project aims to provide support for school going children with needs such as educational challenges, lack of school uniforms and school equipment
• Support is also provided for grade 12s where they are assisted with applications for admission in tertiary institutions and applications for bursaries and NFAS
• Support is also provided for out of school youth where they are linked to learnership, skills development programmes and other opportunities that will give them access to jobs opportunities

Events

This project is preventive since it aims to educate the Thusano OVC programme’s beneficiaries on different social ills and it is done through facilitation of different activities

• Educational groups; these are facilitated on monthly basis when beneficiaries come to collect food parcels, they are based on issues that affect beneficiaries and on calendar themes

• Seminars; these are facilitated on quarterly basis

• Career day; this event is for school going children both in primary and high school where they are introduced to different careers that they can choose when they leave school

There are also events that are aimed at appreciating guardians of orphaned and vulnerable children for the outstanding care they provide for children that they are left with

• GOGO Day; this event is facilitated on 18 July (Mandela day) it is aimed at celebrating guardians of children for the efforts they make to care for children. The programme of the day includes motivation, celebration, lunch and gifts for them

• Holiday Programme; this event is conducted in the month of December where fun is provided for all the families, lunch will be served and gifts will be provided for all the children

Thusano OVC programme team

 Social workers,

Social Auxiliary workers,

Community Caregivers

Student Social Workers

Social Auxiliary work Learners

Child and Youth Care Work Learners