[Press Kit]

Orphans who need special attention
are closely followed up. In some
centres, arrangements are made with
community health workers to monitor their growth and health status.
Collaboration with district authorities has significantly improved the
capacity of the community-based
organizations to tend to orphans.
The district team trains caregivers
on a variety of issues, including
childcare, income generation to
support the centres and providing
psychological support to orphans
and their guardians.
Strengthening community responses
In rural and urban areas across
Malawi, communities are developing
a variety of ways to cope with the
growing crisis of AIDS orphans.
Village orphan committees have
been established in many villages
to monitor their local situation and
to take collective action to assist those
in need. Anti-AIDS clubs have also
been created to educate communities
about HIV/AIDS transmission and
prevention, as well as to address the
needs of those infected with the
virus. In Namwera village, for example, the local school has formed an
anti-AIDS club where pupils carry
out AIDS-prevention activities as well
as help needy orphans. After children
in one family lost their parents to
AIDS and their house and living
conditions rapidly deteriorated, one
group of students built the orphans

a kitchen for their home. Older
students also look after smaller
children and involve them in recreational activities.
Community work in Namwera
has been organized through Malawi's
Community-based Options for
Protection and Empowerment (COPE)
project. The project, implemented
through Save the Children Federation
Inc., helps villages set up local orphan
committees to detect, monitor and
assist vulnerable families and children.
Women, children and youth all participate in decision-making on the village
committees. The communities have
also set up communal gardens to
support at risk families and orphans.
At the same time, UNICEF assists
families and guardians with loans to
boost income-generating activities.
Many NGOs and communitybased organizations work closely with
government ministries and district
authorities to plan and carry out
orphan programmes. Most extension
workers from the different ministries
are members of the Community
Orphan Care Committees and
provide support through various
activities. For instance, agricultural
extension workers assist communities
in establishing gardens for vegetables
and crops, as well as in maintaining
small livestock for the child-care
centres. Social welfare workers have a
school social work programme that
also looks at ways to support needy
orphans in school.