[Press Kit]

community-based initiatives; and
monitor and evaluate activities.
The Programme is responsible for
coordinating the registration of
orphan data through a national
database; identifying and addressing
the needs of foster children and foster
parents; training community volunteers in basic childcare; providing
HIV/AIDS counselling; and reviewing
and developing government and
child protection policies.
A major goal of the Programme
is to develop a comprehensive
National Orphan Policy, based on
the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. A number of existing laws
that address issues of child support,
paternity, custody, financial support
and guardianship are being reviewed
or amended.
Models as a tool for social planning
To assist policy makers in their planning, Botswana's Ministry of Finance
has developed a way to model the
impact of the epidemic on population
growth and structure, social services
and economic activity. Such a model
will provide the Government with a
clearer picture of the numbers of
children requiring care and their
needs. In the long term, the goal is for
all organizations involved in orphan
care to integrate their family and
community support projects into
larger programmes dealing with
health, education, agriculture, water
and sanitation.

Services for orphan care in Botswana
The Government encourages communities to provide care for orphans
and to rely on institutional care only
as a last resort. Orphans in Botswana,
therefore, are still usually absorbed
by the extended family. Their caretakers are predominantly women.
Nationally, 47 per cent of households
are headed by women, most of
whom are single. And female-headed
households make up the majority of
all the households living in poverty.
A number of NGOs and CBOs
have taken the lead to support these
extended and foster families, including
Childline Botswana, Botswana
Christian Council, Botswana
Christian AIDS Intervention Program
and Tirisanyo Catholic Mission. These
organizations provide services in
communities throughout the country,
ranging from family counselling and
day care for orphans to providing
for basic needs such as food, clothing
and education.
Contracting out services:
The Bobirwa Orphan Trust
In the rural subdistrict of Bobirwa,
district authorities have contracted
out to the Bobirwa Orphan Trust
the delivery of essential government
services to orphans in the area.
Approximately 58,000 people live
in the subdistrict, according to
1991-2021 population projections,
and 54 per cent of households are
headed by women.

The Government
encourages communities to provide care for
orphans and to rely on
institutional care only
as a last resort.