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| How many children have been orphaned in Swaziland? |
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| Figures show that there are about 40,000 children currently orphaned. The traditional social services network is coping with taking in children, but that network is now starting to break, as unemployment is so high. That unemployment figure is estimated to be close to 50%. | |
| What is it like to be a vulnerable child in Swaziland? |
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| Education in Swaziland is not free. With the high unemployment rate, impending drought and struggle to merely survive, their future is sacrificed by the demands of the immediate. Therefore, a vulnerable child will most likely not be able to receive a reasonable education.
The average vulnerable child will not be able to eat a reasonable meal by third world standards. The local national papers stated that the average child, vulnerable and in these areas, eats less than two meals a day, and that meal is not a nutritionally balanced one. In summary there is little hope for the average vulnerable child in Swaziland. Absent basic human needs, hygiene, sanitation and food and without education or opportunity they are trapped in a morass or tradition and poverty with no way out. The only hope is that the Church will act decisively to meet this critical need. |
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| Are there differences according to gender or age or HIV status of children? |
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| Girls appear to be “looked after” more quickly than boys. This is linked to the usefulness of a woman in and about the house. When a man marries a woman the bridegroom has to pay a dowry for the woman. The average woman who is a virgin would fetch 15 cows. This also means that the woman is really a possession of her father, and then of her husband. Thus the girl child has economic value and is an asset in a house because of her services. Note that these women are not given a choice.
Most often, boys are expected to fend for themselves. Therefore, less help is given to them. As soon as a child has HIV, there is a significant stigma. In fact, because of this, many will not let people know about their illness. As soon as the status is established, the family in general withdraws support. The trend is that the most affected age group is 15-23. Approximatedly 53% of this age group carries the HIV virus. The cities are the worst affected areas. The trend is for the infected to withdraw to their traditional parental homes in rural areas to die. |
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| What are the greatest needs of children in your community? |
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| Children need access to safe homes where they can receive care, food, medical attention and adequate equipping to face the challenges that they face. This needs to be done as both a day care program and a residential program. Each day care center needs to be like a home rather than an institution.
The average child is parented by his grandmother. Aside from this cultural norm, 12% of Swaziland’s rural community is child-led. (UNDP figure) These children desperatedy need residential care programs. |
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| How are we and others addressing these needs? |
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| We have six centers that are in operation. They provide a safe home, adequately equipped staff to care for the children and provide a routine with nutritionally balanced meals, loving staff and education and counseling. |
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| How do we identify the children who are in need of services? |
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| Most of the children are referred to us by social service agencies or the media. We also have a team working on the streets and communities to rescue those in real need. The reality is that we have to be very careful in this process as most children are not born out of an act of love. Many people would gladly rid themselves of the burden of raising children. Therefore, we are cautious and work in a low profile. |
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