Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 16 August 2002
Marietjie Naude in Ekolola, Namibia
Now, Joseph lives with his grandmother in a homestead near Ekolola village. Seven other orphans live in the same homestead, also being raised by their grandmother. Most of them lost their parents to AIDS. His aunt Justine was suffering from HIV/AIDS and died at the end of May. She was the third adult Joseph had to witness dying of AIDS. His youngest cousin has fallen sick recently and according to the grandmother, the child is suffering from Tuberculoses.
In order to help Joseph and his cousins, Namibia Red Cross home-based care facilitators are being trained on specific information on children's legal rights, assistance available for orphans as well as information on the way orphans should be identified and registered .
The theoretical training for the volunteers is provided by the ministry of health and social services who are based at the Eenhana District Hospital. This is also where the Namibia Red Cross volunteers will take the caretakers and orphans in order to apply for assistance from the government; after a visit to the social worker, a referral form is issued in order to refer the caretakers and orphans to social services.
The only income Joseph's grandmother has is her pension of about 30 Swiss francs per month. This money is obviously not sufficient to support the eight orphans in her care. Now, the Namibia Red Cross has assisted the family to apply for government financial assistance. The grandmother is still waiting for the approval of the additional funds as this can take more than six months.
All the orphans living with Joseph and his cousins are all attending school and some have even been provided school uniforms. The family also receive food assistance when it is available. The ministry of health and social services has written letters to the principal of the school in order to get exemption from school fees.
The Namibia Red Cross refers caretakers for exemptions from tuition to try and maintain as much social integration for families like Joseph's who might otherwise be forced in to extreme poverty and social exclusion.
Material assistance to the beneficiaries of the Namibia Red Cross home-based care project is based on available funding. To date, the project provided school uniforms to 91 orphans and food parcels on a regular basis.
The psychological support the families receive from the Namibia Red Cross also plays a key role in the project. Joseph has a Namibia Red Cross volunteer he knows can always talk to if he has a problem, or if he just needs someone to listen.
In Eenhana district, the Namibia Red Cross home-based project has established village committees that should support the home-based carers as well as orphans in the community. One of the village committees organized milk and food for a 10-month-old baby who has no parents and no close relatives to take care of him. Together, the home-based carer and the community are taking care of the baby.
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