[pronut-hiv] NAMIBIA: Vulnerable children receive food and an allowance

["ProNut-HIV" <pronut-hiv@healthnet.org>]

RUNDU, 22 May 2006 (IRIN/PLUSNEWS) - Registering and feeding over
100,000 orphans and vulnerable children in the rural areas of northern
Namibia is underway, bringing much needed relief to many of these
often-neglected youngsters.

"They [the children] are very excited about the help that is being
provided and that they will be registered," said Linius Kuume,
coordinator at a feeding point in the north run by the Catholic AIDS
Action (CAA), a WFP implementing partner. "Feeding rations consist of
maizemeal, vegetable oil, CSB [corn-soya blend] and beans," he added.

Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the northeastern Okavango
Region, where 7,000 have been receiving food rations since the end of
April, were the first beneficiaries. The Caprivi, Oshikoto, Ohangwena,
Omusati and Oshana regions will also benefit from the two-year
programme, run by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Welfare, NGOs and
the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). 

Namibia has a growing number of OVC, mainly as a result of HIV/AIDS -
around 23 percent of people aged 15 to 49 are HIV positive. Caprivi is
the worst affected region, with an alarming 43 percent prevalence rate.

The statistics point to an emerging tragedy, where elderly people lose
the traditional support of their children, leaving single parents, elder
siblings, grandparents or other caregivers, who are themselves
struggling to survive, to take care of children whose parents have died.
Constant food insecurity is often a fact of life. 

According to WFP, some 24 percent of Namibian children aged under five
are chronically malnourished, and around nine percent are acutely
malnourished, despite the country being classified as middle income.

WFP has pledged N$94 million (US$14.2 million) from 2006 to 2008. "The
funds provide some immediate relief to the growing numbers of OVC in
Namibia, who live on a daily basis with the punishing effects of
long-term hunger," said John Prout, the WFP country director for
Namibia.

"There is a widespread tendency to associate hunger with crises -
natural disasters and conflict. The reality is that some 90 percent of
deaths related to hunger and malnutrition occur among the chronically
hungry, rather than the victims of emergencies," Prout commented.

Apart from feeding, the operation also aims to register participating
orphans for the Grant Payment System (GPS), a government allowance of
N$600 [US$90] per month that provides a small safety net.

"Each case is carefully registered and the guardians and village elders
must fill in the registration documents with the help of our
counsellors," said Sister Margaret-Mary, a Roman Catholic nun and
programme coordinator in the town of Rundu near the Angolan border. "We
want to avoid doubling up and prevent [putting] those who are not in
need ... on our lists."

Marlene Mungunda, minister of gender equality and child welfare, said
111,000 vulnerable children had been identified, of which 45,400 had
already been registered for the GPS. "Our target is to eventually have
all OVCs registered and paid the social grant," she added.

NAMIBIA: Vulnerable children receive food and an allowance

The Roman Catholic Church uses its existing network of HIV/AIDS
counsellors and volunteers in the villages to select the most needy
children, with the help of the Namibia Red Cross Society, the Lutheran
Church's HIV/AIDS programme and local headmen and village elders.

The Namibian government is trying to increase the public's awareness of
social grants for vulnerable children, as many caregivers do not know
the money is available or how to apply for it.

"It costs about 80 Namibian cents [12 US cents] to feed a child a day,"
said Father Wayne Weinlader, who runs a soup kitchen at the Roman
Catholic Church in Kehemu, the poorest suburb in Rundu. "We feed 250
children each day of the year and it costs us N$6,060 [US$919] per
month."