Strengthening AIDS hit families
18/10/2007
SOS Family Strengthening Programme, Lusaka, Zambia:
SOS Children runs Family Strengthening Programmes (FSP) as a cost effective way of keeping Aids orphans within their family context near whatever relatives they have left: the alternative being the older ones becoming street children and the younger being left. The FSPs continued supporting those who care for orphans and vulnerable children, by providing them with education scholarships (to the SOS School and local schools), medical care, skills training at the SOS Vocational Training Centre, and house weather-proofing. There was an emphasis on helping people cope through the implementation of income generating activities, community skills training and food security.
Beneficiaries
We currently support 2,016 people in 285 households in 6 townships in northern Lusaka. Most of the guardians in the supported homes are very old and some of them take care of terminally ill relatives or adult children
Sponsoring Education
The FSP offered education scholarships to 1,080 pupils at the SOS School and local schools, while 143 vulnerable youths were offered scholarships at the Vocational Training Centre (VTC). 60 of these students have finished their courses and have now graduated with skills in Carpentry, Electrical, Catering and Tailoring.
Two teenagers currently study at the University of Zambia in Lusaka they were so gifted they were offered scholarships by a local company. The girl is in her third year of Veterinary Science, and the boy is in his second year in the School of Humanities. Considering they probably missed out on a lot of their education when they were younger, gaining access to university is an incredible achievement.
Another FSP-supported youth was accepted to study for a degree in Urban Planning at the Copperbelt University (there are only two universities in the whole of Zambia). Steven did an Electrical Course at the VTC whilst waiting for this opportunity. This will bring to three the number of FSP youths at University. He began his course in March this year.
Food security
The FSP disbursed farm inputs to 72 households for the latest farming season. Inputs like fertilizer, maize seed, groundnuts, and sunflower seed were disbursed after an agronomist conducted a field assessment. The farmers planted, and monitoring of the fields was done. 31 families were trained in mushroom and vegetable growing. These beneficiaries were able to grow mushrooms for consumption and sale, especially during the dry season. The growing of maize, mushroom and vegetables greatly improved the nutrition status in these homes.
Maize returns were collected from beneficiaries. They were requested to return one 25-kilo bag of maize for each 2 bags of fertilizer they collected, as a way of instilling a sense of responsibility.
All the collected maize was sprayed with preservatives and stored. However all the maize has been given to the neediest homes e.g. child-headed homes and those with terminally ill patients.