PLAN OF ACTION - UNICEF...ii NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN Acronyms ART Anti-Retroviral Treatment MGECW Ministry of Gender Equality and Child

PLAN OF ACTION

ORPHANSAND

VULNERABLE CHILDREN

VO

LU

ME

1

Coordinated by

MINISTRY OF GENDER EQUALITYAND CHILD WELFARE

Directorate of Child Welfare

Director: Helena Andjamba

Juvenis Building, 380 Independence Avenue, WindhoekPrivate Bag 13359, Windhoek, Namibia

Telephone 061-2833111Fax 061-229569 / 238941

Email [email protected]

NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION

FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

Volume 1

Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareGOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA

WindhoekOctober 2007

ii NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

Acronyms

ART Anti-Retroviral TreatmentMGECW Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareMTP III Third National Strategic Medium Term Plan for HIV and AIDS 2004-2009OVC Orphans and Vulnerable ChildrenPMTCT Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIVRAAAP Rapid Assessment, Analysis and Action PlanningRACOC Regional AIDS Coordinating CommitteeUNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDSUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural OrganisationUNICEF United Nations Children’s FundUSAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentWFP World Food Programme

Contents

Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................iv

Foreword ......................................................................................................................................v

Commitment from Ministries ................................................................................................vi

1. Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 1

2. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 3

2.1 Who are Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)? .............................................. 3

2.2 National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children .......................................... 5

2.3 The broader policy environment............................................................................ 5

2.4 The development of the Plan of Action................................................................ 7

2.5 Listening to children’s voices.................................................................................. 8

3. Overview of the situation of OVC ........................................................................10

4. Multi-sectoral responses to the OVC crisis ......................................................14

4.1 The OVC Permanent Task Force............................................................................14

4.2 Government initiatives ..........................................................................................15

4.3 Time frame ..............................................................................................................16

4.4 Costing .....................................................................................................................16

5. The National Plan of Action ...................................................................................17

(1) RIGHTS AND PROTECTION ........................................................................................ 18Plan of Action.......................................................................................................... 20

(2) EDUCATION ............................................................................................................... 24Plan of Action.......................................................................................................... 27

(3) CARE AND SUPPORT ................................................................................................. 31Plan of Action.......................................................................................................... 34

(4) HEALTH AND NUTRITION .......................................................................................... 37Plan of Action.......................................................................................................... 41

(5) MANAGEMENT AND NETWORKING .......................................................................... 44Plan of Action.......................................................................................................... 46

6. Summary of activities and indicators of progress.......................................49

Agency contact details .......................................................................................................... 60

NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN iii

iv NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

Acknowledgements

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare would like to thank the following people for theircontribution to the National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children:

The members of the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Permanent Task Force, for their continuedsupport and interest in ensuring a multi-sectoral response.The government line ministries and civil society partners who participated in a series of meetingsand workshops between 2004 and 2007 to finalise the Rapid Assessment, Analysis and ActionPlanning (RAAAP), and to develop a costed plan and a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.UNICEF, WFP, UNAIDS, UNESCO and FYI/USAID, for supporting the RAAAP process.UNICEF, for financial assistance to finalise the National Plan of Action.UNAIDS and USAID, for extensive technical support in finalising the Monitoring and EvaluationPlan for the Plan of Action.

Foreword

The Namibian Constitution enshrines the rights of childrento life, health, education and a decent standard of living.

The Namibian Government is signatory to a number of inter-national conventions (such as the Convention on the Rightsof the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare ofthe Chilld and the Convention on the Prohibition and Imme-diate Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour) whichshow the seriousness of our commitment to safeguarding ournation’s future leaders and citizens. However, the efforts of theGovernment to realise these rights has been hampered by thespread of the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

Just a few years ago, it was almost impossible to imagine the tragedy of children grieving for dying ordead parents, stigmatised by society through association with HIV and AIDS and then plunged intoeconomic crisis and insecurity by their parents’ deaths. The limited services and support systems inimpoverished communities only add to the difficulties faced by so many of our children. As the numberof orphans and vulnerable children rises, the risk increases that these children will not be able to realisetheir rights and be supported – economically and emotionally – through their trauma.

I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the Orphans andVulnerable Children Permanent Task Force for their tireless work to improve the lives of so many childrento date, and I pledge my support to their continuing efforts.

Addressing the needs of children involves action at national, regional and local levels. The issue is anurgent one. Our nation already has far too many children who are being forced to shoulder too muchresponsibility too early in life. If we do not act quickly, many will lose their chance to experience childhoodaltogether, and thus may grow up ill-equipped to act as responsible citizens. We must provide them withthe support that they need now, before it is too late.

This document provides a road map for achieving protection, education, health and emotional supportfor our orphans and vulnerable children in a concrete and verifiable way. Through its implementationwe will ensure a better future for all of Namibia’s children.

Rt Hon Prime Minister Nahas Angula

NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN v

Rt Hon Nahas Angula

Commitment from Ministries

Agriculture, Water and Forestry: Commits to providing access to sustainable food security, cleanwater and sanitation for all children.

Education: Commits to ensuring that all orphans and vulnerable children can access quality educationalservices, and complete schooling successfully.

Finance: Commits to ensuring that resources are available to different ministries to meet the rights ofchildren.

Gender Equality and Child Welfare: Commits to coordinating the multi-sectoral response to the crisisaffecting children in Namibia, and building community coping mechanisms to ensure that children’s rightsare met.

Health and Social Services: Commits to ensuring that all children can access quality preventativeand curative health care services.

Home Affairs and Immigration: Commits to ensuring that birth certificates are issued to all children,and that children have access to death certificates of deceased guardians/caregivers.

Information and Broadcasting: Commits to raising awareness on the rights of children to protection,care and support, and lobbying for the fulfilment of children’s rights with various duty bearers.

Justice: Commits to upholding the rights of children and women as enshrined in international humanrights instruments, and ensuring that laws are enacted and interpreted in a just and proper manner.

Labour and Social Welfare: Commits to preventing child labour, children being used by adults tocommit crime, commercial sexual exploitation of children, child trafficking, slavery and very hazardouslabour.

Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development: Commits to strengtheninglocal responses to meet children’s need for care, support and protection.

Safety and Security: Commits to ensuring that all children and women are protected from violence,exploitation, neglect and abuse.

Office of the Prime Minister: Commits to multi-sectoral integrated service delivery for all childrento drive Namibia towards prosperity and sustainable development by 2030.

National Planning Commission: Commits to integrating issues affecting orphans and vulnerablechildren into national priorities to direct the course of national development.

Namibian Parliament: Commits to lobbying and assuring attention at the highest level for the fulfil-ment of children’s rights, and the national prioritisation of resources to respond effectively to the crisisaffecting orphans and vulnerable children.

vi NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

1. Executive Summary

The National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children defines an orphan as “a child who has lostone or both parents because of death and is under the age of 18 years” and a vulnerable child as

“a child who needs care and protection”. The policy was developed by the Ministry of Gender Equalityand Child Welfare and endorsed by Cabinet in 2004. It provides a solid foundation for strategic planningaround its main goals of strengthening the capacity of children, families, social networks, neighbourhoodsand communities to protect and care for OVC; ensuring that government protects and provides essentialservices to the most vulnerable children; and creating an enabling environment for affected children andfamilies.

This Plan of Action supplements the National Policy by identifying concrete activities in support of thesegoals. It was developed through a collaborative process involving various stakeholders under the leadershipof the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare. It also takes into account the views of Namibianchildren, especially orphans and vulnerable children.

The Plan of Action is organised around five strategic areas, which have key objectives and targets:

i) Rights and Protection aims to protect and promote the well-being of all OVC, ensuring that therights of all OVC and their caregivers are protected, respected and fulfilled.

Target: All children have access to protection services by 2010.

ii) Education aims for all OVC of school-going age to attend school, and provides appropriateeducational opportunities for out-of-school OVC.

Target: Equal proportions of OVC versus non-OVC aged 16-17 years have completed Grade 10by 2010.

NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN 1

iii) Care and Support aims for the basic needs of all OVC to be met,including adult care and supervision, access to social services andpsychosocial support.

Target: 50 percent of all registered OVC receive any external support(economic, home-based care, psychosocial and educational) by2010.

iv) Health and Nutrition aims for OVC to have adequate nutritionand access to preventative and curative health services, includinganti-retroviral treatment, both in the community and at healthfacilities.

Target: 20 percent reduction in under-five mortality of all childrenby 2010 / Equal proportions of OVC to non-OVC aged 15-17 yearsare not infected with HIV by 2010.

v) Management and Networking aims for a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary institutional framework to coordinate and monitor theprovision of services and programmes to OVC and their caregivers,and promote action research and networks to share learning.

Target: Multi-sectoral coordination and monitoring of quality servicesto OVC are significantly improved by 2010.

The Plan of Action is divided into two volumes: Volume 1 specifies theactivities within the strategic areas to achieve the objectives, and Volume 2is the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, which outlines a detailed systemfor monitoring and evaluating progress in making this National Plan ofAction a reality.

Although the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is tasked withensuring that orphans and vulnerable children are protected and nurtured,the plan calls for integrated and multi-sectoral action by those responsiblefor health, education, social welfare, trade and livelihoods and civil registra-tion. Many non-governmental partners have already devoted substantialattention and energy to assisting families, communities and orphans andvulnerable children in many parts of the country, but there still remains agreat deal to be done.

The Orphans and Vulnerable Children Permanent Task Force will spear-head the implementation and monitoring of the National Plan of Action,under the direction of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.This Permanent Task Force includes representatives of a range of govern-ment and civil society stakeholders, and is responsible for advising andcoordinating the activities as well as providing a platform for informationsharing.

Transforming the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in Namibia isachievable. This Plan of Action details in a practical and concrete wayhow we can collectively accomplish that transformation.

2 NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN

2. Introduction

In 2007, the number of orphans in Namibia was estimated at 117 000.1 An additional 11 000 childrenwill become orphans in the next year and are potentially caring for their parents as they become sick

and die. The estimated number of orphans and vulnerable children in 2007 is 128 000.2 The rightsof these children to health, education, a caring family environment and full participation in society areunder threat in light of increasing poverty, over-stretched extended families and insufficient mechanismsto ensure policy implementation. The National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children isdesigned to address these problems and challenges.

2.1 Who are Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)?

According to the National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, an orphan is “a child who haslost one or both parents because of death and is under the age of 18 years” and a vulnerable childis “a child who needs care and protection”.3

1 Based on Spectrum Model estimates, MOHSS, September 2007. For methodology see UNICEF, UNAIDS and USPresident’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Africa’s Orphaned and Vulnerable Generations, Children Affected by AIDS, UNICEF, New York, 2006, page 36. Previous estimated and projected numbers of orphans havebeen superseded by these more accurate figures.

2 This figure is based on a conservative estimate that there are 11 000 adult caregiver deaths per annum on the presentART uptake.

3 National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Welfare, December 2004.


This definition of ‘vulnerable’ could describe all children in Namibia since all children need care andprotection. The definition of a ‘vulnerable child’ is purposefully kept broad so the appropriate children canbe reached with the appropriate interventions. Every programme or project will target their interventionsat a unique set of children. For example a school feeding programme might target children who comefrom exceptionally poor households and require additional food; or a sports club might target childrenwho are orphans and might need psychosocial support. Both target groups are vulnerable but bothgroups have different needs and thus require different interventions. The criteria for classifying a child asan OVC will thus change depending on the purpose and goals of the intervention. It is the responsibilityof each programme to develop a programme definition, which will identify beneficiaries for a particularintervention. So the education sector may define children not attending school as ‘vulnerable’ andexempt their school fees to increase attendance and retention.

To measure the circumstances of a consistent group of children over a period of time, a monitoringdefinition of OVC was developed, based on circumstances which are not expected to change in mostcases. The impact definition for a “vulnerable child”4 is:

a child living with a chronically ill caregiver, defined as a caregiver who was too ill to carry out dailychores during 3 of the last 12 monthsa child living with a caregiver with a disability who is not able to complete household choresa child of school-going age who is unable to attend a regular school due to disabilitya child living in a household headed by an elderly caregiver (60 years or older, with no caregiverin the household between 18 and 59 years of age)a child living in a poor household, defined as a household that spends over 60% of total householdincome on fooda child living in a child-headed household (meaning a household headed by a child under the ageof 18)a child who has experienced a death of an adult caregiver (18-59 years) in the household duringthe last 12 months.

Refer to the accompanying Volume 2,the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for the National Plan of Action for OVC, foradditional details on the programme andimpact definitions for OVC.

It should be noted that while it is accept-able to use the term “OVC” for planning,implementation and monitoring purposes,care must be taken not to apply any labelsto children directly as this could result instigma or discrimination.

4 This definition was developed by 46 government, civil society and United Nations partners at an OVC Monitoring andEvaluation Workshop (14-16 May 2007). The group agreed that the definition must meet the requirements of being(1) measurable and (2) based on a characteristic which can be used to identify target groups before the governmentintervention takes place.



2.2 National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children

The starting point for government intervention on OVC is the National Policy on Orphans and VulnerableChildren, endorsed by Cabinet in 2004. This National Plan of Action should be read in conjunction withthe National Policy.

The National Policy on OVC developed by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare providesa solid foundation for strategic planning. It is organised around five main goals:

(1) strengthening and supporting the capacity of families, social networks, neighbourhoods andcommunities to protect and care for OVC

(2) stimulating and strengthening community-based responses

(3) ensuring that government protects and provides essential services to the most vulnerable children

(4) strengthening the capacity of children and young people to meet their own needs and

(5) creating an enabling environment for affected children and families.

This policy document identifies concrete action in support of these goals.

2.3 The broader policy environment

Namibia has a very positive policy environment for the fulfilment of the rights of orphans and vulnerablechildren. This includes several complementary policies with specific relevance to OVC.

Vision 2030 sets broad overall objectives for the envisioned future of areas including poverty reduction,health and education. It also contains a specific section on fostering and orphans which emphasises theneed to provide adequate social safety-nets in the form of grants as well as other types of support. It citesas one of its objectives “to provide opportunities to disadvantaged children, including orphans, which willprepare them for, and make them live, a meaningful and happy life”, and recommends incorporating


the needs of vulnerable groups into development planning at all levels.5 These objectives are based onpolicies developed much earlier in Namibia’s history.

In 1992 (shortly after independence), for example, Namibia adopted a National Programme of Action for Children. Although this general Programme of Action has now been largely superseded by morespecific policies, it was an early signal of the political will to protect children.

The Namibian HIV/AIDS Charter of Rights, adopted as a national policy in 2002, covers childrenand adolescents as well as adults. It specifically indicates that quality, accessible and user-friendly healthcare, information and education should be made available to all children and adolescents, includingthose living with HIV and AIDS. It prohibits all discrimination against children orphaned by AIDS, andstates that such children are entitled to love and care and a nurturing environment.

The National Policy on HIV/AIDS for the Education Sector adopted in 2003 contains a specificsection on the needs of OVC which emphasises the necessity of disseminating information on exemptionsfrom the payment of school and hostel fees. It also promises that no learner shall be excluded froma government school, or from examinations, because of inability to pay school or examination fees, orto afford a school uniform. This policy also stresses the need for effective inter-school referral systems tominimise disruption and to provide support to learners when they have to be transferred after a parentor caregiver dies.

An Education Sector Policy for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children in Namibia has beendrafted by the Ministry of Education and is expected to be finalised in 2007. The draft policy has beenconsulted in the preparation of this Plan of Action.

The National Policy on HIV/AIDS (2007) contains a section devoted to orphans and vulnerablechildren. It puts forwards a range of policy measures to protect young people from sexual abuse andexploitation and commits to involving children in the design and implementation of relevant HIV andAIDS policies and programmes.

The Third National Strategic Medium Term Plan for HIV and AIDS 2004-2009 (MTP III)includes a specific section on OVC with the objectives of increasing access to:

community-led quality programme interventionssocial assistance for OVC and their caregivers in all 13 regionseducation for all school-age OVC.

Namibia has also embarked on an Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP), which is a 15-year strategic plan (2005-2020) for improving Namibia’s education system.6

Within this plan, specific attention is given to the educational needs of OVC with regard to specialisedtraining, equitable access, psychosocial support, feeding programmes and steps to prevent stigmatisa-tion, to name but a few.7

5 Office of the President, Government of the Republic of Namibia, Namibia Vision 2030: Policy Framework for Long-term National Development (Main Document), Windhoek, 2004, at page 121.

6 Republic of Namibia, “Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP): Planning for a Learning Nation,Programme Document – Phase I (2006 -2011)”, Government of the Republic of Namibia, Windhoek, February 2007, atpage 4.

7 Id at pages 13-15, 25, 78-80.

NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN 7NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN 7

The National Gender Policy (1997) and its accompanyingPlan of Action (1992-2003) cover a range of issues relevantto OVC, and particularly the girl child. As of 2007, the Plan ofAction is being revised and the updated plan will give particularattention to violence against women and children. The Ministryis also committed to ensuring that the new Plan of Action coversissues affecting OVC.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare is also in the process offormulating aNational Action Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, which is expected to address issues such aschildren being used by adults to commit crimes, commercial sexualexploitation of children, child trafficking and slavery and veryhazardous labour.

Another relevant process underway in 2007 is the updating ofNamibia’s Second National Development Plan (NDP2). TheThird National Development Plan (NDP3) is expected tointegrate the National Policy on and Plan of Action for OVC.

The National Policy on OVC and this National Plan of Action for OVC take cognisance of all these related plans and policies.

2.4 The development of the Plan of Action

The National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Childrenharmonises with other national and international efforts to assistOVC in that it has involved recommendations from the GlobalOVC Partners Forum held in Geneva in October 2003. In thewake of this forum, UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID and the WFPagreed to embark upon a joint process of Rapid Assessment,Analysis and Action Planning (RAAAP) in 17 countries, includingNamibia. This Action Plan draws heavily on the RAAAP conductedin Namibia in 2004, as well as other recent research relevant toOVC in Namibia.

Following international models, the National Plan of Action forOrphans and Vulnerable Children is organised into five thematicareas:

(1) Rights and Protection(2) Education(3) Care and Support(4) Health and Nutrition(5) Management and Networking.


The proposed activities in the Plan of Action have been costed, and a plan for monitoring and evaluationhas been developed (see Volume 2, the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for the National Plan of Action for OVC).

The tables at the end of this document include indicators which can show that the activity has beenimplemented, as well as other indicators which can measure the broader success of the planned activity.For example, for an activity such as “Ensuring that OVC receive birth certificates”, an immediate processindicator would be “public awareness campaign implemented”, while a broader indicator of successwould be an increase in the “percent of children whose births are reported registered”.

2.5 Listening to children’s voices

In order to ensure that children’s opinions were incorporatedinto the National Plan of Action for Orphans and VulnerableChildren, research from the RAAAP study and other researchincorporating the opinions of Namibian children8 were used.As a reminder of the need to listen to the voices of affectedchildren, this policy document takes the unusual step ofincluding some direct quotes from Namibian children, such asthe following:

“I feel so bad when somebody does not treat me the same as the ones who are having their own mother. Sometimes they can say, ‘There is no food for you here; maybe you can look for your father and mother to get food.’ It only happens sometimes. My aunt says it. Sometimes (at school) they just shout, ‘You are thin like somebody who doesn’t eat.’ I think they bully us because we don’t have parents. When somebody is bullying me, I say, ‘I am going to report you to my mother and father.’ But sometimes the other says, ‘I know you don’t have a mother and father.”9

Many children have reported on their experiences of stigma and rejection at school and sometimes evenin their own extended families, and many have told how they have been forced to give up friends andrecreation in order to care for those at home. Key problems cited by children in households affectedby HIV and AIDS are inability to afford school-related expenses and inability to perform in schooldue to hunger. Trauma, neglect and stigmatisation leading to withdrawal and additional householdresponsibilities – including children heading households – are also major concerns.10

8 See Social Impact Assessment and Policy Analysis Corporation (SIAPAC), A Situational Analysis of Orphan Children in Namibia, Ministry of Health and Social Services/UNICEF, Windhoek, April 2002 (information from a large number ofchildren and their caregivers); D Yates, Documentation Study on the Responses by Religious Organizations to Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Namibia, World Conference on Religion and Peace, Windhoek, 2003 (interviews with 38 children);M Ruiz-Casares, Strengthening the Capacity of Child-Headed Households to Meet their Own Needs: Preliminary Findings,University of Namibia, Windhoek, May 2004 (a study involving more than 200 children and including in-depth interviewswith 33 children heading households in three regions of Namibia); and information from a Circles of Support Project innorthern Namibia supported by the Danish development organisation Ibis, which facilitated an intensive dialogue with 14children in 2003/2004.

9 UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID and WFP, Rapid Assessment, Analysis and Action Planning on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Namibia, July 2004, at page 59.

10 Id at page 56. See also the studies cited in footnote 11.

CHILDREN’S PARLIAMENT

In May 2007 the National Assembly, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, convened the Children’s Parliament of Namibia. Two learners and one guardian teacher from each of Namibia’s 13 regions participated. The Children’s Parliament was established through the recommendation of the African Children’s Parliamentary Union Initiative, which seeks to enable children to take action to demand their rights. One of the aims of the initiative is to empower young leaders to champion for the rights of under-privileged children.

The Children’s Parliament of Namibia discussed the five thematic areas covered by the Plan of Action. They made the following comments and suggestions:

Rights and Protection: This area is not progressing well. In rural areas children are especially vulnerable to violence and abuse. There is a need for more social workers who can help enforce the rights of children and address the needs of street children which are largely ignored. There is also a need for stiffer sentences for offenders. More sensitisation campaigns need to be introduced to help communities understand children’s rights.

Education: Children are on the whole attending primary school, especially in cities, but orphans and vulnerable children are often

not in school because they are instead forced to look after cattle and goats. Education campaigns are needed to educate children on their right to free education, especially in rural areas. Secondaryeducation is also important, and government should devote money to supporting it if children are really the nation’s future.

Care and Support: The period of approving applications for child welfare grants is too long, especially for people in villages who are unable to make repeated trips to government offices. Residents of rural areas are not receiving psychological support, and caregivers need more training and support.

Health and Nutrition: It is good that all children are supposed to have access to health services, including anti-retrovirals for HIV. There is insufficient provision of food to orphans and vulnerable children, especially street children, as well as insufficient support for related nutritional initiatives such as vegetable gardens. Health services need to be closer to the communities, and there should be greater preventative health measures. OVC should be targeted for education about good nutrition, and information on how to care for people who are sick with HIV. There is a need for nurses and doctors in rural areas.

Management and Networking: Multi-sectoral and disciplined institutions should coordinate and monitor the provision of services. It is good to solicit children’s opinions, and there should be more child-initiated services.

Participants in a previous “Youth Parliament” launched in 2004 have pointed out the importance of

effective follow-up to make such initiatives for children’s participation meaningful.11

11 See letters from two participants of the Youth Parliament, published in The Namibian on 18 May 2007 and 24 May2007. See also Parliament Journal (Publication of the Parliament of Namibia), Vol 3 No 1, January-April 2005, pages 11-12 on planned follow-up to a “Second Youth Parliament” convened in 2005 in the form of visits to schools and tertiary institutions by Members of Parliament.


The concerns and suggestions put forward by Namibian children have been incorporated intothis National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children.


3. Overviewof the situationof OVC

Most of Namibia’s orphans acquire their status as a result of HIV and AIDS, which is without questionthe most important health and development issue facing Namibia today. In 2007, Namibia’s HIV

prevalence rates were ranked amongst the highest in the world (19.9% at antenatal sites nationally in200612). It has been estimated that as of 2005, there were an estimated 230 000 Namibians living withHIV, 17 000 of whom were children.13 The estimated number of orphans and vulnerable children in2007 is 128 000.14 HIV and AIDS are impacting on the economy at every level, but especially at thehousehold level, where economic resources are undermined by the costs associated with sickness anddeath and exacerbated by the loss of wage earners.

Most extended families are doing the best they can. After the death of the parents, it is usual for relativesto take in most of the orphans, but households are becoming larger; dependency rates are growing;grandparents (especially grandmothers) have to care for an increasing number of children with dwindlingresources; household food security seems threatened and destitution is on the increase. It is no longeruncommon for the family’s children to stay on in the parental home without adult care. Such ‘child-headed households’ have no physical or legal protection. While dividing the siblings may make thesituation more manageable for the caregivers involved, this separation compounds the sense of personaland family loss that is experienced by the affected children.15 Child-headed households are particularlyvulnerable to loss of assets, as it often happens that relatives refuse to recognise the children’s inheritancerights and take their house and land from them.16

12 Ministry of Health and Social Services, “Press Release: Results of the 2006 National Sentinel Survey among PregnantWomen”, 17 April 2007. The 2006 sentinel sites comprised 79 health facilities in 29 sites spread over all 13 regions,with urban and rural characteristics representing the country’s regional and population diversity.

13 UNAIDS, 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, United Nations, New York, Annex 2 at pages 505-07.14 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, 2007.15 L Steinitz, “‘Needing More than Love’: A Harmonisation of Existing Data on Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children

in Namibia”, UNESCO, Windhoek, 2003.16 UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID and WFP, Rapid Assessment, Analysis and Action Planning on Orphans and Vulnerable

Children, Namibia, July 2004, at page 16.


The burden faced by OVC is often exacerbated by high levels of stigma and discrimination associ-ated with HIV and AIDS which remain a significant problem. For example, a 2005 study of selectedcommunities found that many families would keep the HIV-positive status of a family member secret.17

A 2006 study of different age groups found a significant level of stigma amongst 10- to 14-year-olds.Children in this age group would like to see HIV-positive children kept out of school, do not want to befriends with HIV-positive children, would not buy food from an HIV-positive seller, would like to keepthe infection of a family member secret and feel that someone with AIDS should not be allowed to workwhere food is sold. Children in this age group perhaps do not understand HIV fully, which may contrib-ute to their fears. Nevertheless, this indicates that interventions in this age group are necessary to curbstigma.18 Such attitudes present a serious stumbling block to effective care and support of OVC.

The impact of the HIV pandemic must be viewed against the backdrop of the Namibian economicsituation. Namibia has been ranked as the most unequal country in the world in terms of divisionof wealth,19 with 35% of the Namibian population surviving on $1 per day and 56% on $2 per day.20

Despite this, Namibia has been classified as a middle-income country, which has a negative effect onits ability to attract international development aid.

Although wages and salaries are the main source of income for almost half of Namibian households,unemployment was calculated at 37% in 2004.21 Women are disproportionately represented amongstthe unemployed, with 43% of women being unemployed overall compared to 30% of men.22 Some23% of households rely on subsistence farming as their mainstay, while almost 12% of the nation’shouseholds rely on a pension as the main source of income.23 At the same time, HIV and AIDS arehaving a negative impact on the economy at every level.

Violence and abuse of women and children, especially girls, is another major obstacle to which OVCare particularly susceptible. More than 1 100 rapes and attempted rapes are reported to the NamibianPolice each year, and more than one-third of these rape victims are children under age 18.24 Despitethese high figures, research suggests that child rape is often unreported, with many children fearing thatthey will be blamed for the situation if they speak out.25 For example, a UNICEF study published in 2006produced disturbing findings about children’s experiences of forced sex; 25% of respondents aged 10-14

17 RN Rimal & RA Smith, “Namibia HIV/AIDS Strategic Information Report: A baseline household analysis of residentsfrom Gobabis, Grootfontein, Omaruru, and Otjiwarongo and a midterm household analysis of residents from Oshikuku,Oniipa, and Rehoboth”, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health / Center for Communication Programs,Baltimore, Maryland, at page 16.

18 UNICEF, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice and Behaviour (KAPB) Study in Namibia: Key Findings, UNICEF, Windhoek,2006, at page 10.

19 Distribution of wealth is measured internationally by means of a number called a “Gini coefficient”. A Gini score of 1would mean that a single person gets all of the country’s income, while a score of 0 would mean the country dividesits income equally among everyone. Namibia’s Gini coefficient is the world’s highest as of 2007, standing at .7 in themost recent rankings.

20 UNDP, Human Development Report 2006, at page 293.21 Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, “Namibian Labour Force Survey 2004: Report of Analysis”, Windhoek, 2006,

at pages 38-39. This is based on a “broad” measure of unemployment which counts all those aged 15 and aboveavailable for work, whether or not they are actively seeking a job, as opposed to a stricter measure of unemploymentconfined to the unemployed who are actively job-seeking.

22 Id at page 3 and page 44 (Table 4.4).23 Id at page 2.24 NAMPOL statistics for 2003-2005, as reported in Legal Assistance Centre, Rape in Namibia (Full Report), Legal Assistance

Centre, Windhoek, at page 8.25 Rachel Jewkes et al, “Child Sexual Abuse and HIV: Study of Links in South Africa & Namibia”, Pretoria: Medical Research

Council, June 2003, at page 11.

and 15% of respondents aged 10-15 had experienced one ormore forms of sexual abuse. Half of the 10- to 14-year-oldswho had already had sex said that they had been forced into it,or had been paid or given a gift in exchange for sex. The sexualpartners were often much older. In the 15-24 age group, 24% ofthose who had already had sexual intercourse said that this wasbecause they were forced, paid or offered a gift. Most shockingof all, there was a significant incidence of rape or inappropriatesexual touching of both male and female children by their own parents or caregivers.26

Namibia is in a vicious cycle where the impact of HIV and AIDS,unequal power relations between men and women, exacerbatingfood insecurity and poverty, and the lack of economic empower-ment for women and girls increase children’s vulnerability to sexualexploitation and HIV infection.

The “sugar daddy” phenomenon, where older men have relationswith young girls, including schoolgirls, in return for material favoursis well-established in Namibia.27 This behaviour sometimes shadesinto commercial sex work. In one Namibian study, most of thesex workers interviewed had entered into this trade before theywere 16 years old and many said they began having transactionalsexual relationships in their early teens (sexual relationships inwhich on one person “pays” the other with food, clothes and otherhousehold support), which later led to participation in commercialsex work. Others began sex work when they were orphaned.28

There are also reports of instances in several regions where com-mercial truck drivers entice young girls into commercial sex work,sometimes with the support of the girls’ mothers, as an avenueout of extreme poverty.29 A recent study of child labour similarlyreported accounts of parents forcing their children into sex work,or at least condoning this line of work, in an effort to secure house-hold income.30 An extensive study of sex workers conductedby the Legal Assistance Centre in 2001 found that many of the

26 UNICEF, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice and Behaviour (KAPB) Study in Namibia: Key Findings, UNICEF, Windhoek,2006, at pages 6-7, 19. This study was based on responses from 1 000 persons in three regions (Kavango, Omahekeand Ohangwena).

27 E Iipinge and D LeBeau, Beyond Inequalities: Women in Namibia, University of Namibia and South African Researchand Documentation Centre, Windhoek and Harare, 2005, at page 36; D LeBeau, “The Economics of Sex Work:Implications for Sex Workers’ HIV Risk-taking and Legal Alternatives for Namibia,” in S LaFont and D Hubbard, eds,Unravelling Taboos, Legal Assistance Centre, Windhoek, 2007, at pages 264-65.

28 D LeBeau, “The Economics of Sex Work: Implications for Sex Workers’ HIV Risk-taking and Legal Alternatives forNamibia,” in S LaFont and D Hubbard, eds, Unravelling Taboos, Legal Assistance Centre, Windhoek, 2007, at pages263-64.

29 E Iipinge and D LeBeau, Beyond Inequalities: Women in Namibia, University of Namibia and South African Researchand Documentation Centre, Windhoek and Harare, 2005, at page 36; D LeBeau, From Corridors of Mobility to Corridors of Hope: Mapping the Link between Mobility and HIV Vulnerability in Namibia, Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR)and International Organization for Migration (IOM), Johannesburg, 2006.

30 Dr ME Terry et al, “Discussion Document on Child Labour in Namibia”, Ministry of Labour and Child Welfare, Windhoek,March 2007, at page 40.


adults interviewed had entered into sex work while they were stillchildren, often as a result of financial hardship or following on theirown experiences of sexual abuse.31 A study which is still underwayas of mid-2007 is exploring preliminary information that Namibianchildren are possibly being trafficked out of the country for com-mercial sex work overseas.32

Other forms of exploitative child labour are also problematic.Only small numbers of children have been identified in illegalemployment, but it is sometimes difficult to draw the line betweenacceptable and unacceptable child labour in the family home. Theburden of household tasks appears to be having a negative impacton school attendance, especially in households affected by extremepoverty or where children must take on the chores of sick familymembers.33 There is also evidence that small numbers of childrenare being trafficked within Namibia, and into Namibia from Angolaand Zambia, for domestic work, child-minding, agricultural work,charcoal production, road construction and (in rare cases) commer-cial sex work.34

The nexus of poverty, violence and abuse contributes to the existenceof children on the street. There is no national data on this phenom-enon, although it was estimated in 2007 that there are about 400street children in Windhoek alone. Some beg, while others performsmall services for money, and it is suspected that some are involvedin commercial sex work or theft.35

More generally, crime committed by juveniles is a growing prob-lem. For example, a study of rape published in 2006 found that 13%of the perpetrators in a sample of about 400 police dockets were boysunder age 18.36 A recent survey of 124 children being held in prisonsand police cells found that the top most common crimes perpetratedby these children were rape, housebreaking, various forms of theftand murder. It has been estimated that 10-30% of young offendersare coerced into crime by adults or older children.37

31 Legal Assistance Centre, Whose Body Is It? Commercial Sex Work and the Law, Legal Assistance Centre, Windhoek, 2002, at pages 96-100, 102-07.

32 John Grobler, preliminary information from research for forthcoming studyon trafficking of women and children in Namibia, Institute for SecurityStudies, Cape Town, South Africa.

33 Dr ME Terry et al, “Discussion Document on Child Labour in Namibia”,Ministry of Labour and Child Welfare, Windhoek, March 2007, at pagesix-x.

34 Id at pages xi-xii, 39-40.35 Id at page 26.36 Legal Assistance Centre, Rape in Namibia (Full Report), Legal Assistance

Centre, Windhoek, 2006, at page 179.37 Dr ME Terry et al, “Discussion Document on Child Labour in Namibia”,

Ministry of Labour and Child Welfare, Windhoek, March 2007, at pages35-36.



4. Multi-sectoral reponses to the OVC crisis

4.1 The OVC Permanent Task Force

The multi-sectoral OVC Permanent Task Force was established by Cabinet Directive in the wake of thefirst OVC National Conference held in May 2001. This Task Force is chaired by the Ministry of GenderEquality and Child Welfare and includes broad government and non-government representation. Itsresponsibilities are:

to advise on the development of a National Plan of Action for OVCto co-ordinate and monitor the implementation of the National Plan of Action for OVCto assist the MGECW on the development of guidelines for the implementation of the NationalOVC Policyto provide advice on the best practices and regulations for interventions on OVCto provide a platform for information sharing between all relevant stakeholders at a national levelto meet quarterly to discuss current and emerging issues on OVC and advise the MGECW onappropriate strategiesto submit annual reports to the Permanent Secretary of the MGECW.

There are also Regional OVC Forums in all 13 regions. These groups work together with the RegionalAIDS Coordinating Committees (RACOCs) which have been established in all 13 regions of thecountry and have full-time Regional AIDS Coordinators.

4.2 Government initiatives

The government’s response to OVC is primarily through four key government ministries: the Ministry ofGender Equality and Child Welfare as the lead ministry; the Ministry of Health and Social Services,the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Safety and Security.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare provides child welfare grants to OVC themselvesand to families caring for OVC. Coverage of these grants has increased enormously in recent years,with the increase in applications handled by the Ministry going from some 28 000 children in 2004 to76 000 children in September 2007. It is also appointing Community Childcare Workers at constituencylevel to provide psychosocial support, activate communities, refer cases to social workers and registerchildren for social grants. It is responsible for attending to children in need of care or protection, andfor removing them from the home environment and placing them in alternative care where necessary.This Ministry also provides monthly subsidies to children’s homes and places of safety. It has establishedCommunity Liaison Officers in support of Early Childhood Development, OVC and income generationin all regions. The Ministry has also has set up various centres, including eight multi-purpose centres andseveral recreation and after-school centres, which serve as bases for addressing the needs of women andvulnerable children in seven different regions. For example, the multi-purpose centres accommodatecommunity members who are engaged in income-generation projects as well as serving as venues forrecreational and educational activities for OVC. The recreational and after-school centres offer supportfor children in the form of help with homework, soup kitchens, sports activities and training in computerskills. Some of the centres also offer income-generation projects for youth and their parents.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services is responsible for the provision of general health servicesincluding immunisation, treatment and care. The provision of medication for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and the treatment HIV and AIDS, falls under this Ministry. This Ministryalso coordinates home-based care programmes, although most of the services at community level areprovided by non-governmental and faith-based organisations.

In addition to its general responsibility for education, the Ministry of Education runs a school feedingprogramme. In 2006, almost 110 000 OVC were receiving nutritional support through the educationsystem.38

An international NGO in partnership with the Ministry trains school boards to institute networks withinthe community (known as Circles of Support) to provide different services for OVC, resulting in Kid’sClubs, the sewing of affordable school uniforms, and community feeding schemes.



The Ministry of Safety and Security is responsible for theWoman and Child Protection Units in all regions which dealwith criminal abuse against women and children. There arepresently 15 units in 13 regions, whose purpose is to provideprotection and support to women and children who have beenabused.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice, working in conjunction withthe Ministry of Safety and Security and the Ministry of GenderEquality and Child Welfare, deals with young offenders, fostercare placements and adoptions, and the Ministry of Labour andSocial Welfare is in the process of investigating and addressingchild labour.

There are also many efforts being undertaken by a range ofnon-governmental organisations, faith-based organisationsand community-based groups which are making sustainedand substantial attempts to address the needs of OVC. Thesenon-governmental initiatives include feeding programmes, edu-cational support, home-based care and psychosocial support.

However, the current interventions are not yet sufficient toensure that OVC grow up with the love, protection and carethey need. Despite the excellent progress that has been madein scaling up the response to OVC by government and by non-governmental organisations, the demands for services are stilloutstripping the supply. The National Plan of Action is designedto intensify and expand support and assistance to OVC.

4.3 Time frame

The goal is to complete all of the activities in the Plan of Actionproject by the end of 2010. Specific time frames have notbeen identified for individual activities, as many of them areoverlapping and inter-related. If any of the activities in the Plan ofAction cannot be completed by the target date, the governmentwill assess the obstacles identified through the monitoring andevaluation process to determine a way forward.

4.4 Costing

Budget implications were considered for the Plan of Action;the rounded budget totals were N$2 092 million (or US$299million) for activities from 2006-2010. Details of the budgetcan be found in Volume 2, but each strategic area coveredbelow has a summary budget total.


5. TheNationalPlanofAction



(1) RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONNamibia has a strong Constitutional backdropfor the fulfilment of children’s rights. Article 10 ofthe Constitution ensures equality and freedomfrom discrimination, whilst Article 14 highlightsthe family as the natural and fundamental groupunit of society, entitled to protection by societyand the State. Article 15 guarantees children theright to a name and nationality and the right toknow and be cared for by their parents, subjectto legislation enacted in the best interests ofthe child, and also provides protection againstexploitative child labour practices. Article 20provides for the right to free, compulsory,primary education. In terms of Article 95(j), the State is obliged to promote and maintain the welfare of thepeople by adopting policies aimed at raising and maintaining an acceptable level of nutrition and standardof living of the Namibian people, and at improving public health.

Namibia is party to the following international conventions with relevance for children, and particularlyin some cases the girl child:

Convention on the Rights of the Child (plus the Optional Protocols on the Involvement of Childrenin Armed Conflict and the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography)African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the ChildILO Convention 138 concerning Minimum AgeILO Convention 182 on the Prohibition and Immediate Elimination of the Worst Forms of ChildLabourProtocol to the Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime to Prevent, Suppress andPunish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and ChildrenConvention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against WomenProtocol to the African Charter for Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

However, Namibia is not yet party to several important international conventions pertaining to children,in particular the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of IntercountryAdoption and the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

The main legislation governing child protection is the Children’s Act 33 of 1960, inherited from theRepublic of South Africa at independence.

Since independence, Namibia has enacted several laws which improve protection for OVC in variousways. The Combating of Rape Act 2000 provides a stronger framework for addressing sexual abuse,and gives increased protection to young children, both girls and boys. The Combating of DomesticViolence Act 2003 provides remedies in cases of broadly-defined acts and threats of domestic violence,and specifically covers violence against, or in the presence of, children. The Maintenance Act 2003assists children by improving the system whereby caregivers (including extended family members oreven unrelated caregivers) can obtain maintenance for children from absent parents.


In 2006 Parliament passed a Children’s Status Act which removes discrimination against childrenborn outside marriage (particularly in the area of inheritance), and provides new rules for parentalcustody and access in respect of such children. This new Act also assists orphans by providing asimple, cost-free procedure for appointing guardians when a child’s parent or guardian has died, aswell as a simple procedure for making complaints in cases where a child’s guardian is not acting inthe best interests of the child. This is aimed at the situations where adults appear to take responsibilityfor children but are in fact motivated by a desire to get access to the child’s assets or grants intendedto assist the child. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is in the process of developingRegulations to put this Act in force.

In 2007, a new Labour Act was passed by Parliament with strengthened provisions aimed at preventingharmful forms of child labour.

Some pieces of legislation that are currently in draft form are:

The Child Care and Protection Bill, which is under preparation and is expected to replace the oldChildren's Act. This law is expected to emphasise preventative measures, and to provide morerecognition of the role of the extended family structures present in many Namibian communities.The Child Justice Bill, which would institutionalise screening and diversion programmes for youngoffenders, to provide alternatives to criminal conviction for first-time offenders accused of relativelyminor crimes.

In order to fully protect OVC, it is also necessary to move forward with law reform on surrounding familyissues, particularly those which affect the distribution of family resources – including the removal of allexisting discrimination in respect of the rights of women and children to inherit property.

Yet another rights issue involves birth certificates, which are often a pre-requisite for accessing variousforms of support. Namibia’s Demographic and Health Survey 2000 concluded that 71% of births inNamibia are registered (based on responses from mothers who could either produce birth certificatesor said that their children’s births were registered). Among the reasons given for failure to registerbirths were that it required travelling too far, the mother did not know that births must be registered,or the mother did not know where to go to register the birth.39 The Legal Assistance Centre has hadseveral recent complaints from mothers who report that they were told by government officials thatthey could not register their children’s births without the father’sidentity document – although the Births, Marriages and DeathsRegistration Act 81 of 1963 actually allows mothers to registera child’s birth without giving any information about the child’sfather, in which case no one will be named as the child’s father onthe birth certificate.40 This is an example of an area where thereis a need for public information as well as clear guidance to theofficials who implement the law.

The enactment of new legislation is only the first stage in improvingchild rights and protection, as effective implementation is probablythe key challenge. Service providers must be trained and monitored,and there is a need to ensure that adequate structures and humanresources are available to put improved laws into action.

39 Ministry of Health and Social Services, Namibia Demographic and Health Survey 2000, Ministry of Health and SocialServices, Windhoek, at page 128.

40 Information from the Legal Assistance Centre, 2007.


RIGHTS AND PROTECTION:Plan of Action – N$27.9 million

Objective: A framework for protecting and promoting the well-being of all OVC is in place, ensuringthat the rights of all OVC and their caregivers are protected, respected and fulfilled.

Target: All children have access to protection services by 2010.

ACTIVITY 1.1Popularise the National Policy on OVC and the Plan of Action for OVC, by various means including(a) posters and pamphlets in various languages (b) radio broadcasts on the various language services(c) video productions on OVC which can be shown on NBC or at community meetings (d) discussionsof OVC issues on NBC television programmes such as Talk of the Nation and Good Morning Namibia and (e) awareness-raising amongst church leaders.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)OVC Permanent Task ForceOVC ForumsNamibian Broadcasting CorporationMinistry of EducationCouncil of Churches in Namibia

ACTIVITY 1.2Assess the need to adopt international and regional conventions aimed at the protection of children towhich Namibia is not already a party, and adopt additional conventions as necessary.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of JusticeMinistry of Foreign AffairsOVC Permanent Task ForceLegal Assistance CentreNational Assembly Parliamentary Committee on Human Resources, Social and Community Development


ACTIVITY 1.3 Finalise and enact all relevant draft legislation on children, including the Children’s Status Act, the ChildCare and Protection Act and the Child Justice Act, and incorporate the criteria for all social welfare grantsaimed at OVC into appropriate legislation.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Justice / Office of the Prosecutor GeneralMinistry of Safety and Security / Woman and Child Protection UnitsMinistry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural DevelopmentOVC Permanent Task ForceLegal Assistance CentreTraditional Authorities

ACTIVITY 1.4Review and reform as necessary existing laws which affect the distribution of family resources, includingthe laws on inheritance, registration of customary marriage, customary and civil divorce proceedings,marital property rights and cohabitation.

Leading agenciesLaw Reform and Development Commission (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareMinistry of JusticeOVC Permanent Task ForceLegal Assistance Centre

ACTIVITY 1.5 Provide detailed and intensified training on all existing and new child- and family-related laws forimplementing officials including judges and magistrates, court clerks and interpreters, prosecutors,police, officials in the Master’s Office, social workers and other key service providers.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Justice / Master of the High CourtMinistry of Safety and SecurityTraditional AuthoritiesLegal Assistance Centre

ACTIVITY 1.6Compile and disseminate in popular form information for caregivers, OVC and the public on all newchild- and family-related laws – including information on inheritance, marital property issues, how torequest maintenance from a deceased estate and how to access social welfare grants – by various meansincluding (a) simple educational material in various languages (b) radio broadcasts on the variouslanguage services (c) video productions on OVC which can be shown on NBC or at communitymeetings and (d) workshops for non-governmental organisations and church and community leaders.


Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Justice / Master of the High CourtMinistry of Information and BroadcastingOVC Permanent Task ForceLegal Assistance Centre

ACTIVITY 1.7 Develop and implement media campaigns (including pamphlets, videos, radio programmes, televisionprogrammes and posters) addressing (a) the elimination of discrimination against OVC, including theissue of stigma and discrimination in respect of HIV and AIDS (b) the need to eliminate all forms ofviolence against children and (c) encouraging parents to provide for their children after their death bymeans of written wills.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Information and BroadcastingMinistry of Justice / Master of the High CourtOVC Permanent Task ForceLegal Assistance Centre

ACTIVITY 1.8Increase the effectiveness of Woman and Child Protection Units in protecting children by amongst otherthings (a) ensuring that they have proper human and material resources (including increased staff, addi-tional computers and vehicles and suitable office accommodation) and intensified training for all staff(b) strengthening linkages between the Units and communities through the establishment of CommunityProtection Groups and (c) giving priority in police investigation, prosecution and court rolls to casesinvolving children.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Safety and Security (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareMinistry of Health and Social ServicesMinistry of Justice / Office of the Prosecutor-GeneralJudge-President of the High Court


ACTIVITY 1.9 Mobilise traditional leaders to play a more proactive role in protecting women and children against property-grabbing, by providing training workshops for traditional leaders on children’s rights and inheritance issues.

Leading agencies Ministry of Lands and Resettlement (lead)Council of Traditional LeadersMinistry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareMinistry of JusticeLegal Assistance Centre

ACTIVITY 1.10 Create child rights information corners in all schools, hospitals and clinics, with accessible informationabout relevant policies, laws and support services in appropriate languages for the geographical area.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)OVC Permanent Task ForceMinistry of EducationMinistry of Health and Social Services

ACTIVITY 1.11Ensure that OVC and their caregivers can obtain birth certificates, identity documents, death certificates,guardianship certificates and any other documentation necessary to facilitate access to state assistancein a timely manner, by various means including (a) establishing birth registration facilities in hospitals(b) conducting a public campaign to reach children for late birth registration and (c) identifying andacting on bottlenecks in respect of other documentation.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Home Affairs and Immigration (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareMinistry of justice / Master of the High CourtOVC Permanent Task ForceTraditional Authorities

ACTIVITY 1.12Encourage children’s participation in OVC issues by various means including (a) supporting and expandingon initiatives such as the Children’s Parliament to ensure that children have an effective voice in issuesaffecting them, by arranging regular regional and national forums where children can give input on OVCissues and (b) ensuring that children’s authentic and ethically-obtained opinions and contributions aretaken into account in the planning and implementation of each activity in the Plan of Action.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of EducationMinistry of Youth, National Service, Sport and CultureNational AssemblyRegional CouncilsOVC Permanent Task Force

(2) EDUCATIONAs primary education is compulsory inNamibia,41 primary school enrolment isgenerally very high and well-balancedbetween boys and girls. However enrol-ment in secondary grades is more prob-lematic.

In 2005, net primary school enrolmentwas at 93.6% (95.4% for females and91.7% for males), but net secondaryschool enrolment dropped to 49.5%(54.1% for females and 44.8% formales).42 Female learners have higherpromotion rates and lower repetition rates up to Grade 6, while the opposite is true for the highergrades. Yet early school leaving is overall a greater problem amongst boys than girls.43

The most recent statistics indicate that Namibia is making great strides in ensuring that OVC attendschool. The 2000 Demographic and Health Survey indicated that 83% of double orphans of primaryschool age were attending school, as compared to 90% of non-orphans.

Primary education is, in theory, free to those who cannot afford it.44 The current regulations require thatlearners who are orphans must be fully exempt from paying contributions to the school developmentfund if there is proof that there is no provision for the learner’s education.45 School boards are alsoauthorised to accept contributions in kind, such as livestock or services to the school, where parentsare unable to make a financial contribution – although this often proves to be impractical.46

Some OVC are excluded from schooling because they cannot pay hostel boarding fees. The nationaleducation regulations specifically mention orphans who are not receiving proper guardianship at theirhomes and several other categories of vulnerable children, as categories of children eligible for hostelaccommodation.47 The Education Act and the regulations also provide a procedure for applying forexemption from hostel fees,48 but this does not always serve the purpose in practice.

41 Article 20 of the Constitution is supported by section 53(1) of the Education Act 16 of 2001, which provides that schoolattendance is compulsory for every child from the beginning of the year in which the child attains the age of 7 years, untilthe day the child completes primary education before reaching the age of 16 years or the last school day of the year inwhich the child reaches the age of 16 years.

42 Education Management Information System, Education Statistics 2005, Ministry of Education, Windhoek, Table 27.43 Id, Tables 30 and 32.44 Article 38(1) of the Education Act 16 of 2001 provides that “All tuition provided for primary and special education in

state schools, including all school books, educational materials and other related requisites, must be provided free ofcharge to learners until the seventh grade, or until the age of 16 years, whichever occurs first.”

45 Government Notice 187 of 2002 (Government Gazette 2841), Regulation 11(4).46 Id, Regulation 11(6).47 Id, Regulation 42(3). Other categories of children mentioned include children with disabilities which warrant hostel accom-

modation, children who are being neglected or abused at their homes and children who live in unsafe conditions.48 Education Act 16 of 2001, section 39; Government Notice 187 of 2002 (Government Gazette 2841), Regulation 42(6),

One problem for some orphans my be that the regulation requires that the “parent” apply for the exemption fromboarding fees.


Despite the evident intentions to ensure that OVC are not deprived of schooling because of theirfinancial position, in practice there are still some OVC who do not attend school either because theycannot afford the school development fund contribution, the boarding fees or the school uniform orbecause they are required to stay at home to care for sick parents or siblings. In practice, the exemptionprocedure for orphans and poor children is rarely used due to lack of awareness.49

Schooling may be one of the most important interventions for OVC. Many studies have shown thatschooling provides a degree of protection from the risk of HIV infection. In addition, schools providechildren with the knowledge and skills to support themselves in the future without resorting to high-riskactivities such as transactional sex.

Schools help to integrate OVC into society and can serve as a watchdog and protection service forvulnerable children. Schools also provide a base for improving nutrition amongst OVC. Feeling hungryand being unable to concentrate at school seem to be common experiences for orphans and vulnerablechildren:

“…I often make oshikundu (millet drink) before I go to sleep. But when I wake up, somebody drunk it and then I go to school without breakfast. Sometimes you just sit like this (shelays her head on her arms), it looks like you are sleeping, and then you don’t listen at all. Sometimes you are looking at the teacher but you don’t hear anything, because your mind is not in the class, you are just thinking about food. Sometimes the teacher asks, “Do you understand?” Then I say, “Yes,” but I didn’t hear anything.50

Although the school feeding programme is already reaching almost 110 000 children,51 a majordrawback is the fact that it is operational only on weekdays during school terms. The supply anddelivery of food is contracted out, and parents or school community members prepare the food andreceive some meals in return.52

49 T Godana and N Kalili, “Study to Cost School Development Fund Exemptions”, Namibia Economic Policy ResearchUnit (NEPRU), Windhoek, 2003, at pages 38 and 45. Only 2% of the parents in this survey had obtained exemptionsfrom school development fund contributions.





All primary and secondary schools implement HIV and AIDS life-skills programmes which provideyoung people with facts about sexual health and reproduction, pregnancy and sexually-transmittedinfections including HIV and AIDS, as well as attempting to improve their communication skills. Theseare supported by extracurricular programmes, namely Windows of Hope (primary school studentsaged 8-13), My Future My Choice (secondary school students aged 14-18), and Let’s Talk (out-of-school youth and parents).53 There are also many civil society organisations that target schools withprogrammes (such as the Stepping Stones and True Love Waits programmes; Lifeline/Childline’sFeeling Yes, Feeling No programme for pre-primary and junior primary classes; the Early ChildhoodDevelopment Project; Development Aid from People to People – Namibia’s Hope Youth Programme;and Ombetja Yehinga Organisation’s school programmes and clubs in selected regions with innovativecultural programmes that incorporate dance, music and fashion).

Another issue of relevance to OVC is the current educational policy on teen pregnancy. The currentofficial policy is in the form of “temporary guidelines” issued in 2001, but not yet replaced by a morepermanent policy. These guidelines state that a pregnant schoolgirl should be allowed to attend regularclasses at least until her pregnancy is visibly clear, and then allowed to return to normal schooling afterspending at least a year with the baby. The same conditions are supposed to apply to any schoolboywho is held responsible for a schoolgirl’s pregnancy, but this aspect of the policy is obviously harderto enforce.54 This is an area where policy re-examination and clarification would be useful, if girls areto be successfully encouraged to achieve the highest possible levels of education.

53 Ministry of Health and Social Services, “Follow-up to the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS”, Namibia Country Report 2005, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Windhoek, December 2005.

54 Ministry of Education, “Circular Formal Education 5/2001”.



EDUCATION:Plan of Action – N$347.9 million

Objective: All OVC of school-going age attend school and are not deterred from full participation bylack of financial means, material or psychosocial need, stigma, discrimination or any other constraints,and provide appropriate educational opportunities for out-of-school OVC.

Target: Equal proportions of OVC versus non-OVC aged 16-17 years have completed Grade 10 by2010.

ACTIVITY 2.1 Assist and support the Ministry of Education in finalising, implementing, disseminating and monitoringthe National Education Sector Policy for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children in Namibia, particularlywhere it overlaps with the activities in this Plan of Action.

Leading agencies Ministry of Education (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareOVC Permanent Task ForceOVF Forums

ACTIVITY 2.2 Complete initial registration of OVC of school-going age and OVC in schools, ensure that a workablesystem is in place for regular updating of this information, compare the lists annually and target any OVCof school-going age who is not in school for the necessary support and assistance to enable enrolment,or for appropriate alternative assistance.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Education (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareOVC Permanent Task ForceOVC Forums

ACTIVITY 2.3Ensure adequate provision of meals to OVC attending schools and Early Childhood Development Centresby revising guidelines for school feeding programme and increasing numbers of OVC benefiting from theschool feeding programme.

Leading agencies Ministry of Education (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareCommunity-based partners

ACTIVITY 2.4Develop and implement a strategy for feeding of OVC who are most in need of food during weekendsand holidays.

Leading agenciesOVC Permanent Task Force (lead)OVC ForumsVarious non-governmental partnersTraditional Authorities

ACTIVITY 2.5 Ensure that OVC who cannot afford the costs of schooling are exempted from all such costs, by (a) dis-seminating accessible information nationwide on exemptions from school fees, hostel fees, examinationfees, contributions to school development funds and other school-related expenses to children and theircaregivers (b) monitoring and enforcing implementation of the regulations on exemptions by schoolsnationwide (c) activating the Education Development Fund to reimburse schools which provide exemp-tions from contributions to school development funds and (d) putting in place a plan for exempting OVCfrom uniforms, or for providing uniforms to OVC free or at reduced cost.

Leading agencies Ministry of Education (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 2.6 Strengthen counselling, care and support services for OVC in all educational institutions, by (a) continu-ing and expanding pre-service and in-service training on OVC care for education personnel includingprincipals, hostel superintendents, teachers and school board members and (b) establishing HIV andAIDS committees and functional counselling support groups at each school.

Leading agencies Ministry of Education (lead)OVC Permanent Task Force


ACTIVITY 2.7Expand Early Childhood Development services for OVC, by (a) identifying children who are in most needof Early Childhood Development services and removing obstacles to their participation (b) expandingEarly Childhood Development facilities as necessary to accommodate such children as necessary and(c) providing training to Early Childhood Development teachers and caregivers to enable them tounderstand and address the needs of all children.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Health and Social ServicesMinistry of EducationOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 2.8 Ensure OVC have priority access to OVC-friendly hostels regardless of their ability to pay hostel fees,by (a) disseminating information to the public on procedures for obtaining exemptions from hostel fees andensuring that schools implement the exemption process correctly (b) equipping hostel facilities with thenecessary human and material resources to provide an acceptable standard of security, safety and hygieneand (c) providing information and training to hostel staff and their supervisors on how to understand andaddress the needs of all children.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Education (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareFaith-based organisations / Community-run hostelsOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 2.9 Support multi-purpose centres to cater for needs of out-of-school OVC, by (a) identifying OVC whomight benefit from the services offered at the multi-purpose centres (b) targeting these OVC forinformation about the available services and (c) providing training to the persons offering the servicesto enable them to understand and address the needs of all children.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and CultureOVC Permanent Task Force


ACTIVITY 2.10 Target all children attending school, including OVC, with appro-priate life-skills training programmes (such as the Windows of Hopeand My Future My Choice programmes and the Health-PromotingSchool Initiative) and increase the effectiveness of such programmes,by amongst other things (a) incorporating them into the school rou-tine at all schools (b) providing all peer education initiatives withsupport from an appropriately-trained teacher (c) introducing moreexperiential learning to achieve greater impact on the students and(d) ensuring that such programmes address alcohol use and abuse.

Leading agencies Ministry of Education (lead)Ministry of Health and Social ServicesOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 2.11 Target OVC not attending school for appropriate basic educationand skills training programmes.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture (lead)Ministry of EducationMinistry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareNamibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL)Vocational Training CentresCommunity Skills Development CentresVarious non-governmental partners



(3) CARE AND SUPPORT

Basic family units and extended familiesremain the primary caregivers to the vastmajority of OVC, but their human and finan-cial resources are often stretched beyondcapacity. Interventions must seek to give eco-nomic possibilities to poor families caring forchildren and to improve their access to serv-ices. The child welfare grants, school feed-ing schemes and various other interventionstargeting food security are the main channelsfor this. Income-generating programmes andskills training are a complementary strategy.

OVC and their caregivers have access to assistance in the form of maintenance and foster grants, andin some cases to disability grants. The current criteria and practices were inherited by the Ministry ofGender Equality and Child Welfare from the Ministry of Health and Social Services in 2004. The grantcriteria are based on regulations issued in terms of the Children’s Act 33 of 1960, which is reviewedby the Ministry from time to time.

In 2007, the criteria for a maintenance grant require that the application be made by a parent in asituation where the other parent is:

deceased (as proved by a death certificate)in prison for longer than six months (as proved by a notice of imprisonment) orin receipt of an old-age pension or disability grant.

The household income prior to the grant must be less than N$1 000 per month. The applicant mustalso provide each child’s birth certificate (or confirmation of birth or baptism card) and school reportsif the child is attending school. The grant is N$200 for the first child and N$100 for subsequent children,up to a maximum of six children per household.

The current criteria exclude some of the more vulnerable groups of OVC:

children in situations where both parents are alive are unable to contribute sufficient maintenancebecause they are unemployed and without assetsdouble orphans (although those who have lost both parents may qualify for a foster grant if theyare in foster care)child-headed householdschildren with one or two parents who are untraceablechildren in households with an income of more than N$1 000/month, which may have to beshared amongst large numbers of dependantschildren who have six other siblings already receiving a maintenance grant.

Therefore, the criteria need to be reassessed, revised and embodied in law or regulations.


Double orphans and other children in need of care can be placed with a foster parent in terms of theChildren’s Act. However, such placements take a considerable amount of time to finalise as they requirea detailed assessment by a social worker followed by a court hearing with a magistrate. Foster grantsare N$200 for the first child and N$100 for subsequent children. The regulatory framework for fosterparents is also in need of re-examination and revision.

Disabled children are eligible for special maintenance grants of N$200/month after a medical certificateand a background report from a social worker has been completed.

There is also provision for the payment of N$10 per child per day as a “place of safety” allowance toan individual or an institution which has taken in children on a short-term, temporary basis.

In recent years, the coverage of these grants has increased dramatically as a result of a two-fold strategy– an intensive information campaign so that many more people realised that they were eligible forthese grants, accompanied by the recruitment of Community Childcare Workers in each constituencyto augment the Ministry’s ability to provide psychosocial support and to process application forms.55

However, access to these grants, though drastically improved, is still cumbersome and difficult especiallyfor poor, isolated families, sometimes because of a lack of information about what assistance is availableor how to access such assistance. A particular problem for some families is acquiring certified copies ofall the required documents for grant applications. Another problem is that the verification of documentsis difficult and time-consuming.56

Financial support is not the only kind of support needed. Thetrauma of losing a parent, perhaps of serial loss of caregivers,and of emotional and material insecurity, takes its toll on chil-dren. A number of children interviewed for the RAAAP studyreported bouts of crying and feelings of estrangement with littleopportunity for fun, recreation, a sympathetic adult listener orpeer support:

“When I didn’t have anybody, I cried and cried. Then I felt better.” (Girl, aged 15.)

“I beat my fist against a wall until it hurt really badly and then I stop. It feels good to feel the pain in my hand because it is not bad as the pain in my heart.”(Boy, aged 17.)

“I once got so angry, I broke a window. But then my hand got all cut and I felt even worse.” (Boy, aged14.)57

55 A Ashby, D Yates, D Hubbard & E Mkusa, “A Review and Plan to ensure the systematic transition of OVC from FoodAssistance to Government Grant”, Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare / World Food Programme OVC FoodSupport Programme, September 2006.

56 Ibid.57 UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID and WFP, Rapid Assessment, Analysis and Action Planning on Orphans and Vulnerable



Children also expressed their desire for more time to spend havingfun with friends as an antidote to hardship and stress. Caring forsick relatives and for other siblings reportedly took children awayfrom sports and other recreational activities and friends.

“I didn’t have time to visit my friends because I had to take care of my father… It was hard because I wanted to be with my friends but I knew that I had to do this because my father was sick and he needed me.” (Boy, aged 18.)

“Last year I had to stay away from my friends in order to care for my Mom. I had to clean the house and wash her.” (Girl, aged 14, in Katutura.)

Although assisting in the household, caring for sick relatives,and doing things for oneself are all important aspects of buildingresilience, there needs to be a balance so that children can alsoexperience fun, nurturing and support.58

Current interventions are addressing such emotional needs byproviding adult champions for OVC in the form of youth mentors,home-visitors, lay counsellors, camp leaders, school counsellorsand other supportive persons. Associated material support (such as food, blankets and clothes) alsohelps keep families intact and provides comfort to vulnerable children. The provision of recreational,sporting, cultural and religious activities is another means of integrating isolated children and providinga platform to address a variety of needs. It has been estimated that about 15 000 OVC were receivingsome form of psychosocial support in 2006.59

Children can be placed at risk of exploitation, abuse or neglect by caretakers who are unavailable orunable to cope because of the strains of the situation. Both adult caregivers and OVC need supportfrom social networks, including educational institutions, churches and other civil society organisationsto cope with the challenges of their circumstances.

Churches, faith-based organisations, home-based caregivers, and school-related projects are primaryproviders of support to OVC and their caregivers. Faith-based organisations are playing an ever-increasingrole in supporting families with counselling as well as a few basic material needs.

58 Id at page 59.59 Republic of Namibia, “Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP): Planning for a Learning

Nation, Programme Document – Phase I (2006 -2011)”, Government of the Republic of Namibia, Windhoek, February2007, at page 152.

Care and Support:Plan of Action – N$1 248 million

Objective: The basic needs of all OVC are met, including adult care and supervision, access to socialservices and psychosocial support.

Target: 50% of all registered OVC receive any external support (economic, home-based care, psycho-social and education) by 2010.

ACTIVITY 3.1 Review and revise social welfare grant criteria and procedures to ensure that extended family or personscaring for OVC can access appropriate social assistance quickly and that the neediest OVC are notexcluded, and enact legislation or regulations embodying the revised grant criteria and procedures toprovide a high degree of transparency, certainty and clarity.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of JusticeLegal Assistance Centre

ACTIVITY 3.2 Compile and disseminate in popular form information for caregivers, OVC and the public on how toaccess child welfare grants, by various means including (a) posters and pamphlets in various languages(b) radio broadcasts on the various language services and (c) video productions which can be shownon NBC or at community meetings.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Information and BroadcastingOVC Permanent Task ForceLegal Assistance Centre

ACTIVITY 3.3Strengthen and expand training for home-based caregivers in methods of psychosocial support, parentalskills, home-caring practices and children’s rights, to enable them to address the needs of OVC moreeffectively both before and after the death of a parent or caregiver.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Health and Social Services (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareOVC Permanent Task Force


ACTIVITY 3.4Register all homes and shelters caring for OVC; streamline the registration process, developing differentcategories if necessary to serve the best interests of OVC; and make regular supervisory visits to registeredplaces of care to assess the standard of care and what forms of support or intervention are needed.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 3.5Train caregivers in homes and places of safety to ensure appropriate levels of care, and assess needsfor greater outreach to vulnerable families.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Health and Social ServicesOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 3.6Develop and adopt mechanisms to ensure that children’s opinions and wishes are expressed and takeninto consideration when looking at care options.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)OVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 3.7Provide community groups (including Circles of Support, school boards, and church groups) with training,technical assistance and financing to increase their capacity to assist OVC and affected families.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Regional AIDS Coordinating Committees (RACOCs)Constituency AIDS Coordinating Committees (CACOCs)OVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 3.8Encourage families caring for OVC to keep siblings together or at least to maintain regular contact betweensiblings.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)OVC Permanent Task ForceTraditional Authorities



ACTIVITY 3.9 Expand programmes in small and micro enterprise and skills training enabling families headed bychildren or young adults, and families with large numbers of OVC, to generate income.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of EducationKatutura Youth Enterprise Centre (KAYEC)Vocational Training CentresCommunity Skills Development CentresVarious non-governmental partners

ACTIVITY 3.10 Hold workshops for organisations providing psychosocial support through camps, Kids Clubs andother after-school programmes to share expertise, learning, materials and best practices.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of EducationMinistry of Youth, National Service, Sport and CultureOVC Permanent Task Force

Activity 3.11 Realign national drought relief programme, emergency food assistance, food for work, agriculturalextension work and other programmes so that families caring for OVC are prioritised.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareEmergency Management Unit, Office of the Prime MinisterOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 3.12Strengthen community capacities to provide care and support to OVC, by various means including(a) piloting the concept of central “Village Care Points” where OVC can access a range of services (b)equipping people at these Village Care Points with the knowledge to provide a full range of assistanceto OVC (c) building on good practices from these pilot initiatives and (d) sensitising leaders at theregional level to prepare and implement regional work plans for OVC.



(4) HEALTH AND NUTRITION

As of mid-2007, there is little health and nutritiondata available which is specific to OVC, but wecan look at the overall picture for children. In2005, Namibia’s infant mortality rate was 46 per1 000 live births, while the under-five mortalityrate per 1000 live births stood at 62. On both ofthese indictors, Namibia’s rates were amongstthe best in all the African countries monitored bythe World Health Organisation.60

The majority of Namibian babies are breastfed frombirth, but supplemental feeding tends to begin veryearly, which can lead to children being underweightfor their age. Looking at nutritional indicators, in2000 one-quarter of Namibian children under fivewere short or underweight for their age, or stunted(suffering from chronic malnutrition). About 9%of children under age 5 were wasted (acutely mal-nourished), and 2% were severely wasted, whichcan lead to an elevated risk of death. These indi-cators of malnutrition were higher for children notliving in the same households with their mothers,illustrating the increased vulnerability of OVC.61

On the surface, immunisation rates in Namibia aregood, with many regions having 80% coverage,but this does not reflect the vast regional disparitiesand those regions that have very low coverage.

Long distances between health care centres in ruralareas and lack of access to transport often meanthat OVC and their caregivers find it difficult toaccess primary health care.62

Important interventions include the Preventionof Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT)programme of the Ministry of Health and SocialServices (piloted in 2002). By March 2006, 165health facilities were providing PMTCT services,including all 34 district hospitals plus 131 health

60 World Health Organisation Statistical Information System, http://www.who.int/whosis/.61 Ministry of Health and Social Services, Namibia Demographic and Health Survey 2000, Ministry of Health and Social

Services, Windhoek, at pages 143-146, 150-154.62 UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID and WFP, Rapid Assessment, Analysis and Action Planning on Orphans and Vulnerable



centres and clinics, with the result that PMTCT services were available to 68% of pregnant women seekingantenatal care nationwide. However, one problem is that in 2006, 35% of pregnant women on average stilldid not know their HIV status. If a woman does not seek antenatal care before delivery or does not deliverin a hospital, she will not have access to PMTCT – which will increase her chances of passing HIV to herbaby, in turn increasing that baby’s vulnerability.

Anti-retroviral treatment (ART) is available free of charge through the state health care system. As of31 March 2007, ART was available at 43 sites, including all 34 district hospitals. Namibia has alreadyexceeded its original national target of having 30 000 people on ART by 2008, achieving this goalby December 2006.63 This treatment is important to the topic of OVC because it is the best hope forkeeping HIV-positive parents alive and minimising the number of orphans in Namibia.

Home-based care is an important component of Namibia’s response to HIV and other chronic diseases,and one way of reducing the care burden experienced by OVC. Almost 40 000 people were receivinghome-based care as of March 2006, with the highest number being in the Oshana region. An estimated64% of the beneficiaries of home-based care were female. The Ministry of Health and Social Servicesis responsible for coordinating this response, in close coordination with the Namibia Network of AIDSOrganisations (NANASO). However, care and support services at community and household level forpeople infected and/or affected by HIV and AIDS are largely provided through civil society organisations.As of 2006, the faith-based group Almighty Father Protect our Nation against the Disease AIDS(Tkmoams) was the largest provider of home-based care services in Namibia with 17 820 clients, mainlyin the four northern regions.64 Another key provider was Catholic AIDS Action, with some 1 500 trainedvolunteers assisting more than 4 000 clients and 18 500 orphans. Despite these admirable efforts, thereis still insufficient coverage of home-based care services across the country.

The government acknowledges the strong leadership role civil society and private sector organisationsplay in providing home-based family care and psychosocial support to OVC and other vulnerable popu-lations in the country. The Regional and Constituency AIDS Coordinating Committees (RACOCs andCACOCs) play an important role in facilitating referrals to home-based care, providing volunteers withrelevant information and providing financial support and training. A Home-Based Care Forum has alsobeen established in the northern regions of the country to serve as a coordinating mechanism amongstvarious community-based service providers. Volunteers work within the framework of the CommunityBased Health Care Policy and National HIV/AIDS Policy on Community Volunteers and Home BasedCare Programmes.65 The work of volunteers in this regard is vital and yet many volunteers are forced tostop their work when they themselves become too ill to help or must devote their full attention to othersin their family who are ill, or when they find full-time employment.

63 Response Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Directorate of Special Programmes, Ministry of Health and Social Services,“Draft MTP Progress Report”, 2007, Chapter 4.

64 Ibid.65 Ibid.


Food security is a particular problem for OVC. In communal areas, theCommunal Land Reform Act 5 of 2002 was a large step forward in protectingwomen’s rights to communal land tenure. In terms of this law, if a husbanddies, his widow has a right to remain on the land if she wishes and is entitledto keep the land even if she re-marries. If there is no surviving spouse whenthe holder of the land right dies, then the land will be re-allocated to a childof the deceased identified by the Chief or Traditional Authority as beingthe rightful heir. There is as yet no data on the effectiveness of this law inprotecting widows and children.66 However, there is evidence that “property-grabbing” continues to take place, and the current law gives no protectionfor movable assets such as livestock and farming equipment.

A study based on a 2002 survey of 514 households in Ohangwena, 50% of which were headed bywomen, found that the deceased husband’s family had taken away cattle from 44% of widows andorphans surveyed, while 28% had lost small livestock and 41% had been deprived of farming equipment.In addition to being a direct loss of food security, the loss of livestock also takes away draught powerand a source of organic fertiliser, meaning that grain production in the affected households also falls.The study found that households affected by HIV tended to lose more property than other households.It also found that 20% of the households surveyed were fostering orphans, confirming the direct effect ofproperty-grabbing on OVC food security.67

A related health issue concerns access to clean water and acceptable sanitation. In 1990, only 57% ofthe Namibian population had access to an improved water source, whereas by 2004 that figure hadrisen to 87%. Access to improved sanitation over the same period was not so impressive, increasing from24% of the population to only 25% in 2004.68 Lack of access to such services can fall disproportionatelyon OVC, who may find themselves in a situation where the household can no longer pay municipalaccounts or who may be pressed into greater chores, such as fetching water for a household which hassuddenly increased in size.

66 The Legal Assistance Centre was in the process of conducting a study of the impact of the new law in mid-2007.67 Africa Institutional Management Services, “The impacts of HIV/AIDS on the agricultural sector and rural livelihoods

in Northern Namibia”, Integrated Support to Sustainable Development and Food Security Programme of the Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO), October 2003.

68 UNDP, Human Development Report 2006, at page 307. An improved water source includes household connections,public standpipes, boreholes, protected dug wells, protected springs and rainwater collection. At least 20 litres per personper day of this water must be available within one kilometre of a user’s dwelling to qualify for this definition. An “improvedwater source” is used as a measure internationally because access to a safe water supply cannot be adequately measuredon a global scale. “Improved sanitation” includes connection to a public sewer, a septic tank, a pour-flush latrine, a simplepit latrine or a ventilated improved pit latrine.

Alcohol abuse is recognised as a wide-spread socialproblem in Namibia, and it has been linked to violenceand abuse, as well as willingness to engage in riskybehaviour of various sorts. A 2006 study found thatabout one out of ten 10- to 14-year-olds in the surveyhad already started using alcohol, as well as about threeout of ten 15- to 24-year-olds who had on averagestarted drinking at age 15. Peer pressure was cited inboth groups as the most common reason for beginningto drink, with parental example also being a significantfactor. In both age groups, 6% of those who had triedalcohol were already drinking daily. Some 60-70% of the children and youth in these age groups had beenexposed to alcohol abuse and drunken behaviour in their own homes, and close to half had witnesseddrunken behaviour by their own parents or caregivers.69 In addition to affecting children’s health, alcoholabuse also has ramifications for their vulnerability to violence and to earlier and riskier sexual activity.

Government efforts to address alcohol abuse are being com-plemented by non-governmental organisations such as the DrugAwareness Group and the Coalition on Responsible Drinking.

Another issue of concern which is reportedly affecting the abilityof OVC to access needed medical services is the application ofthe law on fees payable at hospitals and clinics. The Hospitalsand Health Facilities Act 36 of 1994 authorises the Minister togrant exemptions for the prescribed fees for health services.70

The regulations issued in terms of this law prescribe fees forstate patients which, despite being set quite low, are still beyondthe reach of many. Although the regulations provide severalpossible categories of exemptions, none of these apply to OVCas a group or provide for fee exemptions on the straightforwardground of poverty.71 In practice, it is reported that exemptionsfrom the prescribed health service fees are granted to personswho cannot pay, but these exemptions are treated as “debts” tothe state which can prevent the persons in question from beingable to access follow-up treatment.

69 UNICEF, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice and Behaviour (KAPB) Study in Namibia: Key Findings, UNICEF, Windhoek,2006, at pages 20-21.

70 Section 19 of the Hospitals and Health Facilities Act 36 of 1994 states that “the Minister may at any time in his or herdiscretion determine that a patient, or category of patients, be exempted from the payment of fees for treatment or forother services rendered at a state hospital or state health facility or be liable for payment only of such reduced fees asthe Minister may determine”. In addition, section 21 provides for the provision of emergency treatment and transportto any patient at state expense, with later reimbursement from those who are able to pay.

71 See Government Notice 43/1993 (Government Gazette 621), as amended by Government Notice 199/1995 (Govern-ment Gazette 1183) and Government Notice 12/2001 (Government Gazette 2468). Regulations concerning the classi-fication of hospitals and health facilities are contained in Government Notice 184/2001 (Government Gazette 2609).State patients are entitled in terms of the regulations to receive “essential health care which is reasonably affordable”.Fee exemptions are provided for (a) persons suffering from a “notifiable disease” (b) students who are injured duringschool activities (c) treatment associated with donations of milk, blood or organs (d) persons treated in the interests ofmedical research and training (e) treatment aimed at the prevention of the spreading of a contagious disease and (f)well baby, antenatal, post-natal, family planning and immunisation services which are part of state campaigns aimedat disease prevention or health promotion.


HEALTH AND NUTRITION:Plan of Action – N$247.6 millionObjective: OVC have adequate nutrition and access to preventive and curative health services, includinganti-retroviral treatment, both in the community and at health facilities.

Target: 20% reduction in under-five mortality of all children by 2010 / Equal proportions of OVC tonon-OVC aged 15-17 years are not infected with HIV by 2010.

ACTIVITY 4.1 Improve OVC access to free health services, by (a) disseminating information to communities, OVC care-givers and health workers on how to access health care services and on the procedures for being exemptedfrom the fees for such services and (b) amending health regulations to provide for exemptions for OVCand other state patients who cannot afford the prescribed health fees, and issuing an official circular to allhealth care providers and administrative staff on the proper interpretation and implementation of suchregulations.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Health and Social Services (lead)Ministry of Information and BroadcastingMinistry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareOVC Permanent Task ForceOVC Forums

ACTIVITY 4.2Develop an appropriate system for referrals of OVC who are in need of assistance from multiple agencies,and improve referral systems between health care services and home-based care providers and others.

Leading agencies Ministry of Health and Social Services (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareMinistry of EducationOVC Permanent Task ForceOVC Forums

ACTIVITY 4.3 Ensure that all pregnant women access PMTCT services and that HIV-positive mothers access after-carefor themselves and their babies, by various means including (a) implementing a campaign to encouragepregnant women to have HIV tests and to use PMTCT (b) strengthening outreach and follow-up servicesfor pregnant women and new mothers and (c) providing pregnant women and mothers with informationand counselling on infant-feeding practices and growth monitoring.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Health and Social Services (lead)OVC Permanent Task Force


ACTIVITY 4.4 Improve provision of HIV and AIDS care for children, by (a) ensuring that such children receive qualitytreatment and (b) improving outreach and follow-up service, including nutrition counselling and growthmonitoring.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Health and Social Services (lead)OVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 4.5 Promote adolescent-friendly health services, by various means including (a) mobilising young peopleto visit health facilities (b) sensitising them on their reproductive health rights and (c) training healthstaff to understand the needs of adolescents and to provide appropriate counselling.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Health and Social Services (lead)Ministry of Youth, National Services, Sport and CultureHealth Faculty, University of NamibiaOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 4.6Train communities and home-based care volunteers in nutrition monitoring and basic health carepractices, and ensure that they use these skills to monitor and care for children.

Leading agencies Ministry of Health and Social Services (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 4.7 Improve access to proper nutrition for families caring for OVC, by means of training in labour-saving,cost-effective production and processing of food.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (lead)Emergency Management Unit, Office of the Prime MinisterMinistry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural DevelopmentOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 4.8 Provide temporary food supplies to needy families caring for OVC and to children on the street.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Regional AIDS Coordinating Committees (RACOCs)Emergency Management Unit, Office of the Prime MinisterOVC Permanent Task Force



ACTIVITY 4.9 Target preventative health care services for young children (0-3) in the care of the elderly or at EarlyChildhood Development Centres and strengthen growth monitoring to identify children in thesecircumstances who are not thriving.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Health and Social Services (lead)Ministry of EducationMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare

ACTIVITY 4.10 Revise and enforce inheritance laws and the provisions for widows in the Communal Land Reform Act,and take strong action against property-grabbing, to ensure that OVC and child-headed householdsdo not lose access to the land and resources they need for food security.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Lands and Resettlement (lead)Ministry of Justice / Master of the High CourtLaw Reform and Development CommissionLegal Assistance CentreTraditional Authorities

ACTIVITY 4.11 Record health and nutrition information on OVC to provide data for measuring progress on this issue.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Health and Social Services (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareOVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 4.12 Improve OVC access to clean water and sanitation by various means, including (a) rainwater harvestingat schools and Early Childhood Development Centres (b) providing boreholes and pay pumps in areaswhere they are most needed and (c) installing environmentally-appropriate toilet facilities at schools andEarly Childhood Development Centres.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (lead)Ministry of Gender Equality and Child WelfareMinistry of Health and Social ServicesMinistry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development


(5) MANAGEMENT AND NETWORKINGThe sheer volume of demand for OVC services seems to be an inhibiting factor in some interventions,especially for community responses. Some organisations have closed their registration lists, as they canno longer address the needs of so many OVC. Church leaders also express how overwhelming the needsappear, given their very limited resources.

The dearth of technical skills among staff and the lack of funds are key constraints faced by organisationswhich want to address HIV and AIDS and the needs of orphans and vulnerable children.

Lack of funds may be such a problem because the evident material needs of OVC demand a responseover and above that required by other HIV interventions. Skills and information on how to access fundsare needed at the local level, and strategies are needed to channel resources to local communities.A few mechanisms do exist that allow for communities and smaller non-governmental organisationsto access funds, but these need to be replicated and scaled up. Various government initiatives, suchas the school feeding programme described above, also need funds in order to expand their serviceshorizontally to more schools and more children, and vertically, down to early childhood centres.

The shortage of human resources and the lack of technical skills is another major concern. Ministriesindicate that a shortage of trained personnel is hindering their work. The government has for severalyears now struggled to fill vacant posts for social workers, as it does not receive sufficient applicationsfrom suitably qualified applicants. Non-governmental organisations and faith-based organisations haveinsufficient qualified staff to write funding proposals, manage large budgets and monitor programmes.Furthermore, the very organisations which are being called upon to play a larger role in mitigating theimpact of HIV and AIDS on an increasing number of vulnerable children are themselves negativelyimpacted through death and illness of key staff, burnout and overwork of existing staff, and pressureto deliver.72

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is responsible for convening the OVC PermanentTask Force, which, with its cross-sectoral representation, is responsible for implementing the NationalPlan of Action for OVC. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is a relatively new ministry,having acquired ministerial status only in 2000. A Human Resource and Capacity Gap Analysis

72 UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID and WFP, Rapid Assessment, Analysis and Action Planning on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Namibia, July 2004, at pages 6-7, 14 and 43, referring to:

• D Yates, Documentation Study on the Responses by Religious Organizations to Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Namibia, World Conference on Religion and Peace, Windhoek, 2003.

• D Yates, “Report on the Situational Analysis of the Church Response to HIV/AIDS in Namibia”, Pan African ChristianAIDS Network, Windhoek, July 2003.


undertaken in 2007 found that the Ministry will need significantly increased human and materialresources to carry out its role in implementing the National Plan of Action for OVC.73 Similar challengesmust be tackled if Regional OVC Forums are to be fully functional in all regions.

Regional OVC Forums are supposed to report to Regional AIDS Coordinating Committees (RACOCs),or in their absence to Regional Development Committees. At constituency level, OVC Forums aresupposed to report to Constituency AIDS Coordinating Committees (CACOCs) or to ConstituencyDevelopment Committees. Representatives from the constituency-level OVC Forums are expected toattend the Regional OVC Forum and provide reports. However, as of May 2007, OVC Forums hadbeen established in only 35 out of 107 constituencies. Furthermore, capacity needs to be enhanced atboth regional and constituency level so that OVC Forum members are equipped to convene, facilitateand run effective meetings that produce results, and to make plans and monitor outcomes.74

Government efforts to provide support for OVC are also hampered by the current shortage of socialworkers in the country. There are approximately 400 registered social workers in Namibia, but manyprefer to work outside the government because of work pressure and comparatively low salaries. Onlysix students graduated with degrees in social work from the University of Namibia in 2006.75 Both theMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the Ministry of Health and Social Services are currentlyunable to fill all of their vacant social work posts.

Another challenge is ensuring the proper applica-tion of funds. One of the most serious obstacles toproper use of funds comes in the form of “bottle-necks” – bureaucratic procedures or regulations thatstop or slow down the flow of financial resources fromthe original source (such as national government ora donor) to the final destination (such as a serviceprovider or OVC. There are typically several inter-mediaries between source and destination; it is there-fore important to map all of these elements (sources,intermediaries and destinations) and track the flow ofmoney so problems can be identified. The greater thenumber of intermediaries, the more likely fund trans-fers will be delayed and some of the original amountslost or stopped along the way. Resource tracking canshow whether funds are actually being spent for theirintended purposes.76

Improved coordination at national, regional andlocal levels will help to ensure that Namibia is makingthe best use of its limited resources.

73 Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, “A Human Resources and Capacity Gap Analysis: Improving ChildWelfare Services” (draft report), July 2007.

74 Id at pages 17-18.75 Id at page 22.76 UNAIDS, 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, United Nations, New York, at Chapter 10, pages 251-52.


MANAGEMENT AND NETWORKING:Plan of Action – N$221.1 millionObjective: A multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary institutional framework coordinates and monitors theprovision of services and programmes to OVC and their caregivers and promotes action research andnetworks to share learning.

Target: Multi-sectoral coordination and monitoring of quality services to OVC are significantly improvedby 2010.

ACTIVITY 5.1 Develop, update, maintain and share a national database on OVC services which includes informationon all OVC interventions, and make every effort to ensure that it is accurate and comprehensive.

Leading agencies Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)OVC Permanent Task Force

ACTIVITY 5.2 Hold a national conference on OVC every two years to examine and highlight the current situation,progress, best practices and future plans.


ACTIVITY 5.3 Maintain and report on basic Monitoring and Evaluation information on the situation of OVC, reviewthe Monitoring and Evaluation Plan which accompanies this Plan of Action and train on its use, andperiodically revise the Monitoring and Evaluation system as necessary.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)OVC Permanent Task ForceOVC Forums

ACTIVITY 5.4 Ensure commitment and consistency in attendance and participation in the OVC Permanent Task Forceto increase its effectiveness, and strengthen OVC Permanent Task Force secretariat capacities.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)OVC Permanent Task ForceParticipating ministriesParticipating non-governmental partners


ACTIVITY 5.5 Further develop the capacity of the OVC Permanent Task Force to share good practices, plan andmonitor the national programme, create awareness, and involve all sectors, by providing (a) additionaltraining as necessary (b) organising in-country study tours (c) sharing case studies and documentationand (d) encouraging them to make use of appropriate e-forums and websites.


ACTIVITY 5.6 Strengthen information-sharing and networking throughout the country, by highlighting good practices,organising in-country study tours, sharing case studies and documentation and establishing e-forumsand websites.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Information and BroadcastingOVC Permanent Task Force

Activity 5.7 Develop regional and constituency-level OVC Forums and committees, to increase the level of regionaland local networking and service delivery, and to improve reporting.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural DevelopmentOVC Permanent Task ForceRegional AIDS Coordinating Committees (RACOCs)Constituency AIDS Coordinating Committees (CACOCs)

ACTIVITY 5.8 Increase the capacity of mayors, municipal leaders and local authorities to initiate, expand and managelocal support to OVC, by (a) providing local officials with training and sensitisation on the needs ofOVC (b) encouraging them to establish and participate in local OVC committees (c) encouraging themto make local authority resources (such as space in buildings owned by the local authority) availableto support OVC services and (d) encouraging them to provide at least temporary relief to householdscaring for OVC who cannot pay for local authority services such as water and electricity.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)OVC Permanent Task ForceAlliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders on HIV/AIDS in Africa (AMICAALL) (lead)Namibia Association of Local Authority Offices (NALAO)Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN)


ACTIVITY 5.9 Map services for OVC to facilitate referrals and to prevent duplicationof services.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)

ACTIVITY 5.10 Commission a study on resource mapping to see if funds allocatedfor OVC services are being applied efficiently for their intendedpurposes.


ACTIVITY 5.11 Ensure that the recommendations in the Ministry of Gender Equalityand Child Welfare Human Resource and Capacity Gap Analysis areimplemented.

Leading agenciesMinistry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (lead)Ministry of FinancePublic Service Commission


6. Summary of activities and indicators of progress

The following tables are intended to give a summary of the planned activities, their target beneficiaries,the participating agencies and the anticipated results. This provides a resource for quick reference,

and it ties the Plan of Action to its accompanying Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. Each of the anticipatedresults is designed to be a measurable item, so that progress in making the Plan of Action a reality canbe tracked in a systematic fashion. In addition, the last column of each table lists the indicators which willbe collected through the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan in order to measure the broader impact of eachactivity.


RIGH

TSAN

D PR

OTEC

TION

Targ

et:A

ll ch

ildre

n ha

ve a

cces

s to

pro

tect

ion

serv

ices

by

2010

.

ACTI

VITI

ESLE

ADIN

GAG

ENCI

ESRE

LATE

DIN

DICA

TORS

IN M

&E P

LAN

1.1

Popu

laris

e Na

tiona

l Pol

icy

on O

VC a

nd N

atio

nal P

lan

of A

ctio

n fo

r OVC

, by

vario

us

mea

ns, i

nclu

ding

(a) p

oste

rs a

nd p

amph

lets

in v

ario

us la

ngua

ges (

b) ra

dio

broa

dcas

ts o

n th

e va

rious

lang

uage

serv

ices

(c) v

ideo

pro

duct

ions

on

OVC

whi

ch

can

be sh

own

on N

BC o

r at c

omm

unity

mee

tings

(d) d

iscus

sions

of O

VC is

sues

on

NBC

tele

visio

n pr

ogra

mm

es su

ch a

s Tal

k of

the

Natio

n an

d Go

od M

orni

ng N

amib

ia

and

(e)a

war

enes

s-ra

ising

am

ongs

t chu

rch

lead

ers.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eOV

C Fo

rum

sNa

mib

ian

Broa

dcas

ting

Corp

orat

ion

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

Coun

cil o

f Chu

rche

s in

Nam

ibia

P.18

Num

ber o

f pam

phle

ts in

eac

h la

ngua

ge d

istrib

uted

P.

19 N

umbe

r of r

adio

bro

adca

sts

in e

ach

lang

uage

P.

20 N

umbe

r of N

BC te

levi

sion

prog

ram

mes

with

OVC

them

e P.

5Or

phan

ed a

nd v

ulne

rabl

e ch

ildre

n po

licy

and

plan

ning

eff

ort i

ndex

1.2

Asse

ss th

e ne

ed to

ado

pt in

tern

atio

nal a

nd re

gion

al c

onve

ntio

ns a

imed

at

the

prot

ectio

n of

chi

ldre

n to

whi

ch N

amib

ia is

not

alre

ady

a pa

rty,

and

ado

pt

addi

tiona

l con

vent

ions

as

nece

ssar

y.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Jus

tice

Min

istry

of F

orei

gn A

ffai

rsOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eLe

gal A

ssist

ance

Cen

tre

Natio

nal A

ssem

bly

Parli

amen

tary

Com

mitt

eeon

Hum

anRe

sour

ces,

Soci

al a

nd C

omm

unity

Deve

lopm

ent

P.13

Num

ber o

f law

s en

acte

d or

am

ende

d an

d br

ough

t int

o pl

ace

P.8

Num

ber o

f rec

omm

ende

d co

nven

tions

ratif

ied

by P

arlia

men

t

1.3

Fina

lise

and

enac

t all

rele

vant

dra

ft le

gisla

tion

on c

hild

ren,

incl

udin

g th

e Ch

ildre

n’s

Stat

us A

ct, t

he C

hild

Care

and

Pro

tect

ion

Act a

nd th

e Ch

ild Ju

stic

e Ac

t, an

d in

corp

orat

e th

e cr

iteria

for a

ll so

cial

wel

fare

gra

nts

aim

ed a

t OVC

into

ap

prop

riate

legi

slatio

n.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Jus

tice

/ Of

fice

of th

e Pr

osec

utor

Ge

nera

lM

inist

ry o

f Saf

ety

and

Secu

rity

/ W

oman

and

Ch

ild P

rote

ctio

n Un

itsM

inist

ry o

f Reg

iona

l and

Loca

l Gov

ernm

ent,

Hous

ing

and

Rura

l Dev

elop

men

tOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eLe

gal A

ssist

ance

Cen

tre

Trad

ition

al A

utho

ritie

s

P.13

Num

ber o

f law

s en

acte

d or

am

ende

d an

d br

ough

t int

o pl

ace

1.4

Revi

ew a

nd re

form

as

nece

ssar

y ex

istin

g la

ws

whi

ch a

ffec

t the

dist

ribut

ion

of

fam

ily re

sour

ces,

incl

udin

g th

e la

ws

on in

herit

ance

, reg

istra

tion

of c

usto

mar

y m

arria

ge, c

usto

mar

y an

d ci

vil d

ivor

ce p

roce

edin

gs, m

arita

l pro

pert

y rig

hts

and

coha

bita

tion.

Law

Refo

rm a

nd D

evel

opm

entC

omm

issio

n(le

ad)

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

Min

istry

of J

ustic

e OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eLe

gal A

ssist

ance

Cen

tre

P.13

Num

ber o

f law

s en

acte

d or

am

ende

d an

d br

ough

t int

o pl

ace

1.5

Prov

ide

deta

iled

and

inte

nsifi

ed tr

aini

ng o

n al

l exi

stin

g an

d ne

w c

hild

- and

fa

mily

-rel

ated

law

s fo

r im

plem

entin

g of

ficia

ls in

clud

ing

judg

es a

nd m

agist

rate

s,

cour

t cle

rks

and

inte

rpre

ters

, pro

secu

tors

, pol

ice,

off

icia

ls in

the

Mas

ter’s

Offic

e, s

ocia

l wor

kers

and

oth

er k

ey s

ervi

ce p

rovi

ders

.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Jus

tice

/ M

aste

r of t

he H

igh

Cour

tM

inist

ry o

f Saf

ety

and

Secu

rity

Trad

ition

al A

utho

ritie

sLe

gal A

ssist

ance

Cen

tre

P.14

Trai

ning

man

ual f

or se

rvic

e pr

ovid

ers o

n rig

hts a

nd p

rote

ctio

n de

velo

ped

P.15

Num

ber o

f tra

ditio

nal l

eade

rs re

ceiv

ing

trai

ning

on

inhe

ritan

ce a

nd

prop

erty

righ

ts is

sues

P.16

Num

ber o

f ser

vice

pro

vide

rs tr

aine

d on

oth

er s

ervi

ces

avai

labl

e an

d pr

oced

ures

to a

cces

s th

ose

refe

rral

ser

vice

s.P.

17 N

umbe

r of s

ervi

ce p

rovi

ders

trai

ned

on c

hild

ren’

s rig

hts


1.6

Com

pile

and

diss

emin

ate

in p

opul

ar fo

rm in

form

atio

n fo

r car

egiv

ers,

OVC

and

the

publ

ic on

all

new

chi

ld- a

nd fa

mily

-rel

ated

law

s – in

cludi

ng in

form

atio

n on

in

herit

ance

, mar

ital p

rope

rty

issue

s, ho

w to

requ

est m

aint

enan

ce fr

om a

dec

ease

d es

tate

and

how

to a

cces

s soc

ial w

elfa

re g

rant

s – b

y va

rious

mea

ns, i

nclu

ding

(a

) sim

ple

educ

atio

nal m

ater

ial i

n va

rious

lang

uage

s (b)

radi

o br

oadc

asts

on

the

vario

us la

ngua

ge se

rvice

s (c)

vid

eo p

rodu

ctio

ns o

n OV

C w

hich

can

be

show

n on

NBC

or a

t com

mun

ity m

eetin

gs a

nd (d

) wor

ksho

ps fo

r non

-gov

ernm

enta

l or

gani

satio

ns, c

hurc

h an

d co

mm

unity

lead

ers.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re (l

ead)

M

inist

ry o

f Jus

tice

/ M

aste

r of t

he H

igh

Cour

tM

inist

ry o

f Inf

orm

atio

n an

d Br

oadc

astin

g OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eLe

gal A

ssist

ance

Cen

tre

P.7

Perc

enta

ge o

f wom

en a

nd c

hild

ren

who

exp

erie

nce

prop

erty

di

spos

sess

ion.

P.17

Num

ber o

f ser

vice

pro

vide

rs tr

aine

d on

chi

ldre

n’s

right

sP.

18 N

umbe

r of p

amph

lets

in e

ach

lang

uage

dist

ribut

ed

P.19

Num

ber o

f rad

io b

road

cast

s in

eac

h la

ngua

ge

P.20

Num

ber o

f NBC

tele

visio

n pr

ogra

mm

es w

ith O

VC th

eme

1.7

Deve

lop

and

impl

emen

t med

ia c

ampa

igns

(inc

ludi

ng p

amph

lets

, vid

eos,

ra

dio

prog

ram

mes

, tel

evisi

on p

rogr

amm

es a

nd p

oste

rs) a

ddre

ssin

g (a

) the

el

imin

atio

n of

disc

rimin

atio

n ag

ains

t OVC

, inc

ludi

ng th

e iss

ue o

f stig

ma

and

disc

rimin

atio

n in

resp

ect o

f HIV

and

AID

S (b

) the

nee

d to

elim

inat

e al

l for

ms

of v

iole

nce

agai

nst c

hild

ren

and

(c) e

ncou

ragi

ng p

aren

ts to

pro

vide

for t

heir

child

ren

afte

r the

ir de

ath

by m

eans

of w

ritte

n w

ills.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re (l

ead)

M

inist

ry o

f Inf

orm

atio

n an

d Br

oadc

astin

g M

inist

ry o

f Jus

tice

/ M

aste

r of t

he H

igh

Cour

tOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eLe

gal A

ssist

ance

Cen

tre

P.2

Perc

enta

ge o

f adu

lts a

ged

15-4

9 ex

pres

sing

acce

ptin

g at

titud

es to

war

d pe

ople

livi

ng w

ith H

IVP.

1 Nu

mbe

r of c

ases

of c

hild

ren

(sex

ually

or p

hysic

ally

) abu

sed

repo

rted

P.17

Num

ber o

f ser

vice

pro

vide

rs tr

aine

d on

chi

ldre

n’s

right

sP.

18 N

umbe

r of p

amph

lets

in e

ach

lang

uage

dist

ribut

ed

P.19

Num

ber o

f rad

io b

road

cast

s in

eac

h la

ngua

ge

1.8

Incr

ease

the

effe

ctiv

enes

s of

Wom

an a

nd C

hild

Pro

tect

ion

Units

in p

rote

ctin

g ch

ildre

n by

am

ongs

t oth

er th

ings

(a) e

nsur

ing

that

they

hav

e pr

oper

hum

an

and

mat

eria

l res

ourc

es (i

nclu

ding

incr

ease

d st

aff,

addi

tiona

l com

pute

rs a

nd

vehi

cles

and

sui

tabl

e of

fice

acco

mm

odat

ion)

and

inte

nsifi

ed tr

aini

ng fo

r all

staf

f (b)

str

engt

heni

ng li

nkag

es b

etw

een

the

Units

and

com

mun

ities

thro

ugh

the

esta

blish

men

t of C

omm

unity

Pro

tect

ion

Grou

ps a

nd (c

) giv

ing

prio

rity

in

polic

e in

vest

igat

ion,

pro

secu

tion

and

cour

t rol

ls to

cas

es in

volv

ing

child

ren.

Min

istry

of S

afet

y an

d Se

curit

y (le

ad)

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

Min

istry

of J

ustic

e /

Offic

e of

the

Pros

ecut

or -G

ener

al

Judg

e-Pr

esid

ent o

f the

Hig

hCo

urt

P.1

Num

ber o

f cas

es o

f chi

ldre

n (s

exua

lly o

r phy

sical

ly) a

buse

d re

port

edP.

4M

edia

n tim

e be

twee

n ra

pe a

nd c

ourt

out

com

eP.

6 Nu

mbe

r of p

eopl

e re

ceiv

ing

coun

selli

ng (f

rom

WAC

PU)

P.9

Num

ber o

f fun

ctio

ning

Com

mun

ity P

rote

ctio

n Gr

oups

P.21

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g pr

otec

tion

serv

ices

1.9

Mob

ilise

trad

ition

al le

ader

s to

pla

y a

mor

e pr

oact

ive

role

in p

rote

ctin

g w

omen

an

d ch

ildre

n ag

ains

t pro

pert

y-gr

abbi

ng, b

y pr

ovid

ing

trai

ning

wor

ksho

ps fo

r tr

aditi

onal

lead

ers

on c

hild

ren’

s rig

hts

and

inhe

ritan

ce is

sues

.

Min

istry

of L

ands

and

Res

ettle

men

t (le

ad)

Coun

cil o

f Tra

ditio

nal L

eade

rsM

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

M

inist

ry o

f Jus

tice

Lega

l Ass

istan

ce C

entr

e

P.15

Num

ber o

f tra

ditio

nal l

eade

rs re

ceiv

ing

trai

ning

on

inhe

ritan

ce a

nd

prop

erty

righ

ts a

nd is

sues

1.10

Crea

te c

hild

righ

ts in

form

atio

n co

rner

s in

all

scho

ols,

hos

pita

ls an

d cl

inic

s, w

ith

acce

ssib

le in

form

atio

n ab

out r

elev

ant p

olic

ies,

law

s an

d su

ppor

t ser

vice

s in

ap

prop

riate

lang

uage

s fo

r the

geo

grap

hica

l are

a.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re (l

ead)

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

P.10

Num

ber o

f inf

orm

atio

n co

rner

s in

sch

ools

1.11

Ensu

re th

at O

VC a

nd th

eir c

areg

iver

s ca

n ob

tain

birt

h ce

rtifi

cate

s, id

entit

y do

cum

ents

, dea

th c

ertif

icat

es, g

uard

ians

hip

cert

ifica

tes

and

any

othe

r do

cum

enta

tion

nece

ssar

y to

faci

litat

e ac

cess

to s

tate

ass

istan

ce in

a ti

mel

y m

anne

r, by

var

ious

mea

ns, i

nclu

ding

(a) e

stab

lishi

ng b

irth

regi

stra

tion

faci

litie

s in

hos

pita

ls (b

) con

duct

ing

a pu

blic

cam

paig

n to

reac

h ch

ildre

n fo

r lat

e bi

rth

regi

stra

tion

and

(c) i

dent

ifyin

g an

d ac

ting

on b

ottle

neck

s in

resp

ect o

f oth

er

docu

men

tatio

n.

Min

istry

of H

ome

Affa

irs a

nd Im

mig

ratio

n (le

ad)

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

reM

inist

ry o

f Jus

tice

/ M

aste

r of t

he H

igh

Cour

tOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eTr

aditi

onal

Aut

horit

ies

P.3

Perc

enta

ge o

f chi

ldre

n ag

ed 0

-4 w

hose

birt

hs a

re re

port

ed re

gist

ered

P.11

Per

cent

age

of h

ospi

tals

with

birt

h an

d de

ath

regi

stra

tion

faci

litie

s P.

17 N

umbe

r of s

ervi

ce p

rovi

ders

trai

ned

on c

hild

ren’

s rig

hts

P.21

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g pr

otec

tion

serv

ices

1.12

Enco

urag

e ch

ildre

n’s

part

icip

atio

n in

OVC

issu

es b

y va

rious

mea

ns, i

nclu

ding

(a

) sup

port

ing

and

expa

ndin

g on

initi

ativ

es s

uch

as th

e Ch

ildre

n’s

Parli

amen

t to

ens

ure

that

chi

ldre

n ha

ve a

n ef

fect

ive

voic

e in

issu

es a

ffec

ting

them

, by

arra

ngin

g re

gula

r reg

iona

l and

nat

iona

l for

ums

whe

re c

hild

ren

can

give

inpu

t on

OVC

issue

s an

d (b

) ens

urin

g th

at c

hild

ren’

s au

then

tic a

nd e

thic

ally

-obt

aine

d op

inio

ns a

nd c

ontr

ibut

ions

are

take

n in

to a

ccou

nt in

the

plan

ning

and

im

plem

enta

tion

of e

ach

activ

ity in

the

Plan

of A

ctio

n.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re (l

ead)

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

Min

istry

of Y

outh

, Nat

iona

l Ser

vice

,Spo

rt a

nd

Cultu

reNa

tiona

l Ass

embl

y Re

gion

alCo

unci

lsOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

P.12

Resu

lts o

f Chi

ldre

n’s

Parli

amen

t are

refle

cted

in N

atio

nal P

lan

of A

ctio

n

EDUC

ATIO

NTa

rget

:Equ

al p

ropo

rtio

ns o

f OVC

ver

sus

non-

OVC

aged

16-

17 y

ears

hav

e co

mpl

eted

Gra

de 1

0 by

201

0.

ACTI

VITI

ESLE

ADIN

GAG

ENCI

ESRE

LATE

DIN

DICA

TORS

IN M

&E P

LAN

2.1

Assis

t and

sup

port

the

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

in fi

nalis

ing,

impl

emen

ting,

di

ssem

inat

ing

and

mon

itorin

g th

e Na

tiona

l Edu

catio

n Se

ctor

Pol

icy

for

Orph

ans

and

othe

r Vul

nera

ble

Child

ren

in N

amib

ia, p

artic

ular

ly w

here

it

over

laps

with

the

activ

ities

in th

is Pl

an o

f Act

ion.

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

OVF

Foru

ms

E.4

OVC

educ

atio

n po

licy

final

ised

E.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 15

-17

year

s co

mpl

etin

g Gr

ade

10

2.2

Com

plet

e in

itial

regi

stra

tion

of O

VC o

f sch

ool-g

oing

age

and

OVC

in s

choo

ls,

ensu

re th

at a

wor

kabl

e sy

stem

is in

pla

ce fo

r reg

ular

upd

atin

g of

this

info

rmat

ion,

com

pare

the

lists

ann

ually

and

targ

et a

ny s

choo

l-goi

ng a

ge

OVC

who

is n

ot in

sch

ool f

or th

e ne

cess

ary

supp

ort a

nd a

ssist

ance

to e

nabl

e en

rolm

ent,

or fo

r app

ropr

iate

alte

rnat

ive

assis

tanc

e.

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

OVC

Foru

ms

E.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 16

-17

com

plet

ing

Grad

e 10

E.2

Ratio

of d

oubl

e or

phan

s to

non

-orp

hans

age

d 10

-14

atte

ndin

g sc

hool

2.3

Ensu

re a

dequ

ate

prov

ision

of m

eals

to O

VC a

tten

ding

sch

ools

and

Early

Ch

ildho

odDe

velo

pmen

tCen

tres

by

revi

sing

guid

elin

es fo

r the

sch

ool f

eedi

ng

prog

ram

me

and

incr

easin

g nu

mbe

rs o

f OVC

ben

efiti

ng fr

om th

e sc

hool

fe

edin

g pr

ogra

mm

e.

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

Com

mun

ity-b

ased

par

tner

s

E.5

Num

ber o

f OVC

ben

efiti

ng fr

om s

choo

l fee

ding

pro

gram

me

H.1

Ratio

of p

ropo

rtio

n of

OVC

com

pare

d to

non

-OVC

who

are

mal

nour

ished

(u

nder

wei

ght)

H.16

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g fo

od a

nd n

utrit

iona

l ser

vice

s

2.4

Deve

lop

and

impl

emen

t a s

trat

egy

for f

eedi

ng O

VC w

ho a

re m

ost i

n ne

ed o

f fo

od d

urin

g w

eeke

nds

and

holid

ays.

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

(lead

)OV

C Fo

rum

sVa

rious

non

-gov

ernm

enta

l par

tner

s Tr

aditi

onal

Aut

horit

ies

H.1

Ratio

of p

ropo

rtio

n of

OVC

com

pare

d to

non

-OVC

who

are

mal

nour

ished

(u

nder

wei

ght)

2.5

Ensu

re th

at O

VC w

ho c

anno

t aff

ord

the

cost

s of

sch

oolin

g ar

e ex

empt

ed

from

all

such

cos

ts, b

y (a

) diss

emin

atin

g ac

cess

ible

info

rmat

ion

natio

nwid

e on

exe

mpt

ions

from

sch

ool f

ees,

hos

tel f

ees,

exa

min

atio

n fe

es, c

ontr

ibut

ions

to

sch

ool d

evel

opm

ent f

unds

and

oth

er s

choo

l-rel

ated

exp

ense

s to

chi

ldre

n an

d th

eir c

areg

iver

s (b

) mon

itorin

g an

d en

forc

ing

impl

emen

tatio

n of

the

regu

latio

ns o

n ex

empt

ions

by

scho

ols

natio

nwid

e (c

) act

ivat

ing

the

Educ

atio

n De

velo

pmen

t Fun

d to

reim

burs

e sc

hool

s w

hich

pro

vide

exe

mpt

ions

from

co

ntrib

utio

ns to

sch

ool d

evel

opm

ent f

unds

and

(d) p

uttin

g in

pla

ce a

pla

n fo

r ex

empt

ing

OVC

from

uni

form

s, o

r for

pro

vidi

ng u

nifo

rms

to O

VC fr

ee o

r at

redu

ced

cost

.

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

E.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 16

-17

com

plet

ing

Grad

e 10

E.2

Ratio

of d

oubl

e or

phan

s to

non

-orp

hans

age

d 10

-14

atte

ndin

g sc

hool

.E.

8 Nu

mbe

r of O

VC e

xem

pted

from

sch

ool a

nd e

xam

inat

ion

fees

E.7

Num

ber o

f OVC

exe

mpt

ed fr

om h

oste

l fee

s E.

13 N

umbe

r of O

VC a

cces

sing

educ

atio

n se

rvic

es

2.6

Stre

ngth

en c

ouns

ellin

g, c

are

and

supp

ort s

ervi

ces f

or O

VC in

all

educ

atio

nal

inst

itutio

ns, b

y (a

) con

tinui

ng a

nd e

xpan

ding

pre

-ser

vice

and

in-s

ervi

ce

trai

ning

on

OVC

care

for e

duca

tion

pers

onne

l inc

ludi

ng p

rinci

pals,

hos

tel

supe

rinte

nden

ts, t

each

ers a

nd sc

hool

boa

rd m

embe

rs a

nd (b

) est

ablis

hing

HIV

and

AIDS

com

mitt

ees a

nd fu

nctio

nal c

ouns

ellin

g su

ppor

t gro

ups a

t eac

h sc

hool

.

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eE.

9 Nu

mbe

r of i

nstit

utio

ns w

ith fu

nctio

ning

cou

nsel

ling

supp

ort g

roup

s

2.7

Expa

nd E

arly

Chi

ldho

od D

evel

opm

ent s

ervi

ces f

or O

VC, b

y (a

) ide

ntify

ing

child

ren

who

are

mos

t in

need

of E

arly

Chi

ldho

od D

evel

opm

ent s

ervi

ces

and

rem

ovin

g ob

stac

les t

o th

eir p

artic

ipat

ion

(b) e

xpan

ding

Ear

ly C

hild

hood

De

velo

pmen

t fac

ilitie

s as n

eces

sary

to a

ccom

mod

ate

such

chi

ldre

n as

nec

essa

ry

and

(c) p

rovi

ding

trai

ning

to E

arly

Chi

ldho

od D

evel

opm

ent t

each

ers a

nd

care

give

rs to

ena

ble

them

to u

nder

stan

d an

d ad

dres

s the

nee

ds o

f all

child

ren.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Hea

lth a

nd S

ocia

lSer

vice

sM

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

nOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

E.10

Num

ber o

f OVC

att

endi

ng E

CD p

rogr

amm

esE.

13 N

umbe

r of O

VC a

cces

sing

educ

atio

n se

rvic

es



2.8

Ensu

reOV

C ha

ve p

riorit

y ac

cess

to O

VC-f

riend

ly h

oste

ls re

gard

less

of t

heir

abili

ty to

pay

hos

tel f

ees,

by

(a) d

issem

inat

ing

info

rmat

ion

to th

e pu

blic

on

proc

edur

es fo

r obt

aini

ng e

xem

ptio

ns fr

om h

oste

l fee

s an

d en

surin

g th

at

scho

ols

impl

emen

t the

exe

mpt

ion

proc

ess

corr

ectly

(b) e

quip

ping

hos

tel

faci

litie

s w

ith th

e ne

cess

ary

hum

an a

nd m

ater

ial r

esou

rces

to p

rovi

de

an a

ccep

tabl

e st

anda

rd o

f sec

urity

, saf

ety

and

hygi

ene

and

(c) p

rovi

ding

in

form

atio

n an

d tr

aini

ng to

hos

tel s

taff

and

thei

r sup

ervi

sors

on

how

to

unde

rsta

nd a

nd a

ddre

ss th

e ne

eds

of a

ll ch

ildre

n.

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

Faith

-bas

ed o

rgan

isatio

ns /

Com

mun

ity-r

unho

stel

sOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

E.8

Num

ber o

f OVC

exe

mpt

ed fr

om s

choo

l and

exa

min

atio

n fe

esE.

7 Nu

mbe

r of O

VC e

xem

pted

from

hos

tel f

ees

E.6

Num

ber o

f sch

ool b

oard

s, p

rinci

pals,

teac

hers

and

pee

r cou

nsel

lors

trai

ned

inOV

C su

ppor

t

2.9

Supp

ort m

ulti-

purp

ose

cent

res t

o ca

ter f

or n

eeds

of o

ut-o

f-sc

hool

OVC

, by

(a) i

dent

ifyin

g OV

C w

ho m

ight

ben

efit

from

the

serv

ices

off

ered

at t

he m

ulti-

purp

ose

cent

res (

b) ta

rget

ing

thes

e OV

C fo

r inf

orm

atio

n ab

out t

he a

vaila

ble

serv

ices

and

(c) p

rovi

ding

trai

ning

to th

e pe

rson

s off

erin

g th

e se

rvic

es to

ena

ble

them

to u

nder

stan

d an

d ad

dres

s the

nee

ds o

f all

child

ren.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f You

th, N

atio

nal S

ervi

ce,S

port

and

Cu

lture

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

E.11

Num

ber o

f OVC

get

ting

food

sup

port

at m

ulti-

purp

ose

cent

res

2.10

Targ

et a

ll ch

ildre

n at

tend

ing

scho

ol, i

nclu

ding

OVC

, with

app

ropr

iate

life

-ski

lls

trai

ning

pro

gram

mes

(suc

h as

the

Win

dow

s of H

ope

and

My

Futu

re M

y Ch

oice

prog

ram

mes

and

the

Heal

th-P

rom

otin

gSc

hool

Initi

ativ

e) a

nd in

crea

se th

e ef

fect

iven

ess

of s

uch

prog

ram

mes

, by

amon

gst o

ther

thin

gs (a

) inc

orpo

ratin

g th

em in

to th

e sc

hool

rout

ine

at a

ll sc

hool

s (b

) pro

vidi

ng a

ll pe

er e

duca

tion

initi

ativ

es w

ith s

uppo

rt fr

om a

n ap

prop

riate

ly-t

rain

ed te

ache

r (c)

intr

oduc

ing

mor

e ex

perie

ntia

l lea

rnin

g to

ach

ieve

gre

ater

impa

ct o

n th

e st

uden

ts a

nd

(d) e

nsur

ing

that

suc

h pr

ogra

mm

es a

ddre

ss a

lcoh

ol u

se a

nd a

buse

.

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Hea

lth a

nd S

ocia

lSer

vice

sOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

E.3

Perc

enta

ge o

f chi

ldre

n ag

ed 1

5-24

yea

rs w

ho h

ave

com

preh

ensiv

e kn

owle

dge

on th

e tr

ansm

issio

n of

HIV

and

AID

S

2.11

Targ

etOV

C no

t att

endi

ng s

choo

l for

app

ropr

iate

bas

ic e

duca

tion

and

skill

s tr

aini

ng p

rogr

amm

es.

Min

istry

of Y

outh

, Nat

iona

l Ser

vice

,Spo

rt a

nd

Cultu

re e

ad)

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

reNa

mib

ian

Colle

ge o

f Ope

nLe

arni

ng (N

AMCO

L)Vo

catio

nal T

rain

ing

Cent

res

Com

mun

itySk

ills

Deve

lopm

entC

entr

esva

rious

non

-gov

ernm

enta

l par

tner

s

E.12

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g ba

sic s

kills

trai

ning

at v

ocat

iona

l tra

inin

g ce

ntre

s (V

TCs)

CARE

AND

SUPP

ORT

Targ

et:5

0% o

f all

regi

ster

ed O

VC re

ceiv

e an

y ex

tern

al s

uppo

rt (e

cono

mic

, hom

e-ba

sed

care

, psy

chos

ocia

l and

edu

catio

n) b

y 20

10.

ACTI

VITI

ESLE

ADIN

GAG

ENCI

ESRE

LATE

DIN

DICA

TORS

IN M

&E P

LAN

3.1

Revi

ew a

nd re

vise

soc

ial w

elfa

re g

rant

crit

eria

and

pro

cedu

res

to e

nsur

e th

at e

xten

ded

fam

ily o

r per

sons

car

ing

for O

VC c

an a

cces

s ap

prop

riate

soc

ial

assis

tanc

e qu

ickl

y an

d th

at th

e ne

edie

st O

VC a

re n

ot e

xclu

ded,

and

ena

ct

legi

slatio

n or

regu

latio

ns e

mbo

dyin

g th

e re

vise

d gr

ant c

riter

ia a

nd p

roce

dure

s to

pro

vide

a h

igh

degr

ee o

f tra

nspa

renc

y, c

erta

inty

and

cla

rity.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Jus

tice

Lega

l Ass

istan

ce C

entr

e

C.1

Ratio

of O

VC v

ersu

s no

n-OV

C w

ho h

ave

3 ba

sic m

ater

ial n

eeds

C.

3 Nu

mbe

r of c

hild

ren

0-17

livi

ng in

resid

entia

l car

e fa

cilit

ies

C.6

Num

ber o

f chi

ldre

n re

ceiv

ing

soci

al w

elfa

re g

rant

s

3.2

Com

pile

and

diss

emin

ate

in p

opul

ar fo

rm in

form

atio

n fo

r car

egiv

ers,

OVC

and

th

e pu

blic

on

how

to a

cces

s ch

ild w

elfa

re g

rant

s, b

y va

rious

mea

ns in

clud

ing

(a) p

oste

rs a

nd p

amph

lets

in v

ario

us la

ngua

ges

(b) r

adio

bro

adca

sts

on th

e va

rious

lang

uage

ser

vice

s an

d (c

) vid

eo p

rodu

ctio

ns w

hich

can

be

show

n on

NB

C or

at c

omm

unity

mee

tings

.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Inf

orm

atio

n an

d Br

oadc

astin

gOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eLe

gal A

ssist

ance

Cen

tre

C.1

Ratio

of O

VC v

ersu

s no

n-OV

C w

ho h

ave

3 ba

sic m

ater

ial n

eeds

C.

3 Nu

mbe

r of c

hild

ren

0-17

livi

ng in

resid

entia

l car

e fa

cilit

ies

C.6

Num

ber o

f chi

ldre

n re

ceiv

ing

soci

al w

elfa

re g

rant

sP.

18 N

umbe

r of p

amph

lets

in e

ach

lang

uage

dist

ribut

ed

P.19

Num

ber o

f rad

io b

road

cast

s in

eac

h la

ngua

ge

P.20

Num

ber o

f NBC

tele

visio

n pr

ogra

mm

es w

ith O

VC th

eme

3.3

Stre

ngth

en a

nd e

xpan

d tr

aini

ng fo

r hom

e-ba

sed

care

give

rs in

met

hods

of

psyc

hoso

cial

sup

port

, par

enta

l ski

lls, h

ome-

carin

g pr

actic

es a

nd c

hild

ren’

s rig

hts,

to e

nabl

e th

em to

add

ress

the

need

s of

OVC

mor

e ef

fect

ivel

y bo

th

befo

re a

nd a

fter

the

deat

h of

a p

aren

t or c

areg

iver

.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

C.2

Perc

enta

ge o

f OVC

who

se h

ouse

hold

s ha

ve re

ceiv

ed fr

ee b

asic

ext

erna

l su

ppor

t in

carin

g fo

r the

chi

ldC.

3 Nu

mbe

r of c

hild

ren

0-17

livi

ng in

resid

entia

l car

e fa

cilit

ies

C.5

Num

ber o

f pro

vide

rs/c

areg

iver

s tr

aine

d in

car

ing

for O

VCC.

6 Nu

mbe

r of c

hild

ren

rece

ivin

g so

cial

wel

fare

gra

nts

C.8

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g ps

ycho

soci

al s

uppo

rt s

ervi

ces

3.4

Regi

ster

all

hom

es a

nd s

helte

rs c

arin

g fo

r OVC

; str

eam

line

the

regi

stra

tion

proc

ess,

dev

elop

ing

diff

eren

t cat

egor

ies

if ne

cess

ary

to s

erve

the

best

in

tere

sts

of O

VC; a

nd m

ake

regu

lar s

uper

viso

ry v

isits

to re

gist

ered

pla

ces

of

care

to a

sses

s th

e st

anda

rd o

f car

e an

d w

hat f

orm

s of

sup

port

or i

nter

vent

ion

are

need

ed.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

reOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eC.

7Re

gist

ratio

n pr

oces

s, g

uide

lines

and

pro

cedu

res

impl

emen

ted

for

inst

itutio

nal c

are

C.9

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g sh

elte

r and

car

e se

rvic

es

3.5

Trai

n ca

regi

vers

in h

omes

and

pla

ces

of s

afet

y to

ens

ure

appr

opria

te le

vels

of

care

, and

ass

ess

need

s fo

r gre

ater

out

reac

h to

vul

nera

ble

fam

ilies

. M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

(le

ad)

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

C.5

Num

ber o

f pro

vide

rs/c

areg

iver

s tr

aine

d in

car

ing

for O

VC

3.6

Deve

lop

and

adop

t mec

hani

sms

to e

nsur

e th

at c

hild

ren’

s op

inio

ns a

nd w

ishes

ar

e ex

pres

sed

and

take

n in

to c

onsid

erat

ion

whe

n lo

okin

g at

car

e op

tions

.M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

(le

ad)

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

C.3

Num

ber o

f chi

ldre

n 0-

17 li

ving

in re

siden

tial c

are

faci

litie

s

3.7

Prov

ide

com

mun

ity g

roup

s (in

clud

ing

Circ

les

of S

uppo

rt, s

choo

l boa

rds,

and

ch

urch

gro

ups)

with

trai

ning

, tec

hnic

al a

ssist

ance

and

fina

ncin

g to

incr

ease

th

eir c

apac

ity to

ass

ist O

VC a

nd a

ffec

ted

fam

ilies

.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)Re

gion

al A

IDS

Coor

dina

ting

Com

mitt

ees

(RAC

OCs)

Cons

titue

ncy

AIDS

Coor

dina

ting

Com

mitt

ees

(CAC

OCs)

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

C.2

Perc

enta

ge o

f OVC

who

se h

ouse

hold

s ha

ve re

ceiv

ed fr

ee b

asic

ext

erna

l su

ppor

t in

carin

g fo

r the

chi

ldC.

5 Nu

mbe

r of p

rovi

ders

/car

egiv

ers

trai

ned

in c

arin

g fo

r OVC



3.8

Enco

urag

e fa

mili

es c

arin

g fo

r OVC

to k

eep

siblin

gs to

geth

er o

r at l

east

to

mai

ntai

n re

gula

r con

tact

bet

wee

n sib

lings

. M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

(le

ad)

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

Trad

ition

al A

utho

ritie

s

C.3

Num

ber o

f chi

ldre

n 0-

17 li

ving

in re

siden

tial c

are

faci

litie

sC.

4 Pe

rcen

tage

of O

VC w

ho a

re n

ot li

ving

in th

e sa

me

hous

ehol

d w

ith a

ll th

eir

siblin

gs u

nder

the

age

of 1

8 ye

ars

3.9

Expa

nd p

rogr

amm

es in

sm

all a

nd m

icro

ent

erpr

ise a

nd s

kills

trai

ning

ena

blin

g fa

mili

es h

eade

d by

chi

ldre

n or

you

ng a

dults

, and

fam

ilies

with

larg

e nu

mbe

rs

ofOV

C, to

gen

erat

e in

com

e.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

nKa

tutu

ra Y

outh

Ent

erpr

ise C

entr

e (K

AYEC

)Vo

catio

nal T

rain

ing

Cent

res

Com

mun

itySk

ills

Deve

lopm

entC

entr

esVa

rious

non

-gov

ernm

enta

l par

tner

s

C.1

Ratio

of O

VC v

ersu

s no

n-OV

C w

ho h

ave

3 ba

sic m

ater

ial n

eeds

C.

2 Pe

rcen

tage

of O

VC w

hose

hou

seho

lds

have

rece

ived

free

bas

ic e

xter

nal

supp

ort i

n ca

ring

for t

he c

hild

C.3

Num

ber o

f chi

ldre

n 0-

17 li

ving

out

side

of fa

mily

car

eC.

5 Nu

mbe

r of p

rovi

ders

/car

egiv

ers

trai

ned

in c

arin

g fo

r OVC

C.10

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g ec

onom

ic s

tren

gthe

ning

ser

vice

s

3.10

Hol

d w

orks

hops

for o

rgan

isatio

ns p

rovi

ding

psy

chos

ocia

l sup

port

thro

ugh

cam

ps, K

ids

Club

s, a

nd o

ther

aft

er-s

choo

l pro

gram

mes

to s

hare

exp

ertis

e,

lear

ning

, mat

eria

ls an

d be

st p

ract

ices

.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

n M

inist

ry o

f You

th, N

atio

nal S

ervi

ce,S

port

and

Cu

lture

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

C.8

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g ps

ycho

soci

al s

uppo

rt s

ervi

ces

3.11

Rea

lign

natio

nal d

roug

ht re

lief p

rogr

amm

e, e

mer

genc

y fo

od a

ssist

ance

, foo

d fo

r wor

k, a

gric

ultu

ral e

xten

sion

wor

k an

d ot

her p

rogr

amm

es s

o th

at fa

mili

es

carin

g fo

r OVC

are

prio

ritise

d.

Min

istry

of A

gric

ultu

re, W

ater

and

For

estr

y (le

ad)

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

reEm

erge

ncy

Man

agem

entU

nit,

Offic

e of

the

Prim

eM

inist

erOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

C.1

Ratio

of O

VC v

ersu

s no

n-OV

C w

ho h

ave

3 ba

sic m

ater

ial n

eeds

C.

2 Pe

rcen

tage

of O

VC w

hose

hou

seho

lds

have

rece

ived

free

bas

ic e

xter

nal

supp

ort i

n ca

ring

for t

he c

hild

H.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 0-

4 w

ho a

re m

alno

urish

ed

3.12

Str

engt

hen

com

mun

ity c

apac

ities

to p

rovi

de c

are

and

supp

ort t

o OV

C, b

y va

rious

mea

ns in

clud

ing

(a) p

ilotin

g th

e co

ncep

t of c

entr

al “V

illag

eCa

rePo

ints

” whe

re O

VC c

an a

cces

s a

rang

e of

ser

vice

s (b

) equ

ippi

ng p

eopl

e at

th

ese

Villa

geCa

re P

oint

s w

ith th

e kn

owle

dge

to p

rovi

de a

full

rang

e of

as

sista

nce

to O

VC (c

) bui

ldin

g on

goo

d pr

actic

es fr

om th

ese

pilo

t ini

tiativ

es

and

(d) s

ensit

ising

lead

ers

at th

e re

gion

al le

vel t

o pr

epar

e an

d im

plem

ent

regi

onal

wor

k pl

ans

for O

VC.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

C.1

Ratio

of O

VC v

ersu

s no

n-OV

C w

ho h

ave

3 ba

sic m

ater

ial n

eeds

C.

2 Pe

rcen

tage

of O

VC w

hose

hou

seho

lds

have

rece

ived

free

bas

ic e

xter

nal

supp

ort i

n ca

ring

for t

he c

hild

C.3

Num

ber o

f chi

ldre

n 0-

17 li

ving

in re

siden

tial c

are

faci

litie

sC.

4 Nu

mbe

r of p

rovi

ders

/car

egiv

ers

trai

ned

in c

arin

g fo

r OVC

C.9

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g sh

elte

r and

car

e se

rvic

es

HEAL

THAN

DN

UTRI

TION

Targ

et:2

0% re

duct

ion

in u

nder

-five

mor

talit

y of

all

child

ren

by 2

010

/ Equ

al pr

opor

tions

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 15

-17

year

s are

not

HIV

infe

cted

by

2010

.

ACTI

VITI

ESLE

ADIN

GAG

ENCI

ESRE

LATE

DIN

DICA

TORS

IN M

&E P

LAN

4.1

Impr

ove

OVC

acce

ss to

free

hea

lth s

ervi

ces,

by

(a) d

issem

inat

ing

info

rmat

ion

to c

omm

uniti

es, O

VC c

areg

iver

s an

d he

alth

wor

kers

on

how

to a

cces

s he

alth

ca

re s

ervi

ces

and

on th

e pr

oced

ures

for b

eing

exe

mpt

ed fr

om th

e fe

es fo

r su

ch s

ervi

ces

and

(b) a

men

ding

hea

lth re

gula

tions

to p

rovi

de fo

r exe

mpt

ions

fo

rOVC

and

oth

er s

tate

pat

ient

s w

ho c

anno

t aff

ord

the

pres

crib

ed

heal

th fe

es, a

nd is

suin

g an

off

icia

l circ

ular

to a

ll he

alth

car

e pr

ovid

ers

and

adm

inist

rativ

e st

aff o

n th

e pr

oper

inte

rpre

tatio

n an

d im

plem

enta

tion

of s

uch

regu

latio

ns.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Inf

orm

atio

n an

d Br

oadc

astin

g M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

OVC

Foru

ms

H.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 0-

4 w

ho a

re m

alno

urish

edH.

2Ra

tio o

f OVC

to n

on-O

VC a

cces

sing

appr

opria

te h

ealth

car

e fo

r Acu

te

Resp

irato

ry In

fect

ions

H.8

Num

ber o

f OVC

exe

mpt

ed fr

om fe

es fo

r hea

lth s

ervi

ces

H.16

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g fo

od a

nd n

utrit

iona

l ser

vice

sH.

17 N

umbe

r of O

VC re

ceiv

ing

heal

th c

are

serv

ices

4.2

Deve

lop

an a

ppro

pria

te s

yste

m fo

r ref

erra

ls of

OVC

who

are

in n

eed

of

assis

tanc

e fr

om m

ultip

le a

genc

ies,

and

impr

ove

refe

rral

sys

tem

s be

twee

n he

alth

car

e se

rvic

es a

nd h

ome-

base

d ca

re p

rovi

ders

and

oth

ers.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

OVC

Foru

ms

H.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 0-

4 w

ho a

re m

alno

urish

edH.

2Ra

tio o

f OVC

to n

on-O

VC a

cces

sing

appr

opria

te h

ealth

car

e fo

r Acu

te

Resp

irato

ry In

fect

ions

H.7

Num

ber o

f hom

e-ba

sed

care

rs a

nd h

ealth

car

e w

orke

rs tr

aine

d in

refe

rral

se

rvic

es

4.3

Ensu

re th

at a

ll pr

egna

nt w

omen

acc

ess

PMTC

T se

rvic

es a

nd th

at H

IV-p

ositi

vem

othe

rs a

cces

s af

ter-

care

for t

hem

selv

es a

nd th

eir b

abie

s, b

y va

rious

mea

ns

incl

udin

g (a

) im

plem

entin

g a

cam

paig

n to

enc

oura

ge p

regn

ant w

omen

to

have

HIV

test

s an

d to

use

PM

TCT

(b) s

tren

gthe

ning

out

reac

h an

d fo

llow

-up

serv

ices

for p

regn

ant w

omen

and

new

mot

hers

and

(c) p

rovi

ding

pre

gnan

t w

omen

and

mot

hers

with

info

rmat

ion

and

coun

selli

ng o

n in

fant

-fee

ding

pr

actic

es a

nd g

row

th m

onito

ring.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eH.

11 P

ropo

rtio

n of

HIV

-pos

itive

wom

en w

ho re

ceiv

e PM

TCT

care

4.4

Impr

ove

prov

ision

of H

IV a

nd A

IDS

care

for c

hild

ren,

by

(a) e

nsur

ing

that

suc

h ch

ildre

n re

ceiv

e qu

ality

trea

tmen

t and

(b) i

mpr

ovin

g ou

trea

ch a

nd fo

llow

-up

serv

ice,

incl

udin

g nu

triti

on c

ouns

ellin

g an

d gr

owth

mon

itorin

g.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e H.

1Ra

tio o

f OVC

to n

on-O

VC a

ged

0-4

who

are

mal

nour

ished

H.2

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

acc

essin

g ap

prop

riate

hea

lth c

are

for A

cute

Re

spira

tory

Infe

ctio

nsH.

5 Eq

ual p

ropo

rtio

ns o

f OVC

to n

on-O

VC a

ged

15-1

7 ye

ars

are

not H

IV in

fect

ed

by 2

010

H.8

Num

ber o

f OVC

exe

mpt

ed fr

om fe

es fo

r hea

lth s

ervi

ces

H.9

Num

ber o

f ser

vice

pro

vide

rs, c

omm

unity

lead

ers,

car

egiv

ers

and

educ

ator

s tr

aine

d in

Ado

lesc

ent F

riend

ly H

ealth

Serv

ices

H.14

Num

ber o

f chi

ldre

n re

ache

d w

ith H

IV a

nd A

IDS

care

H.17

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g he

alth

car

e se

rvic

es

4.5

Prom

ote

adol

esce

nt-f

riend

ly h

ealth

ser

vice

s, b

y va

rious

mea

ns in

clud

ing

(a)

mob

ilisin

g yo

ung

peop

le to

visi

t hea

lth fa

cilit

ies

(b) s

ensit

ising

them

on

thei

r re

prod

uctiv

e he

alth

righ

ts a

nd (c

) tra

inin

g he

alth

sta

ff to

und

erst

and

the

need

s of

ado

lesc

ents

and

to p

rovi

de a

ppro

pria

te c

ouns

ellin

g.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f You

th, N

atio

nal S

ervi

ces,

Spor

t and

Cu

lture

Heal

th F

acul

ty, U

nive

rsity

of N

amib

iaOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

H.9

Num

ber o

f ser

vice

pro

vide

rs, c

omm

unity

lead

ers,

car

egiv

ers

and

educ

ator

s tr

aine

d in

Ado

lesc

ent F

riend

ly H

ealth

Serv

ices

H.10

Num

ber o

f ado

lesc

ents

reac

hed

thro

ugh

Adol

esce

nt F

riend

ly H

ealth

Serv

ices

H.3

Ratio

of O

VC c

ompa

red

to n

on-O

VC a

ged

15-1

7 ye

ars

who

had

sex

bef

ore

age

15.

H.5

Equa

l pro

port

ions

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 15

-17

are

not H

IV in

fect

ed b

y 20

10.



4.6

Trai

n co

mm

uniti

es a

nd h

ome-

base

d ca

re v

olun

teer

s in

nut

ritio

n m

onito

ring

and

basic

hea

lth-c

are

prac

tices

, and

ens

ure

that

they

use

thes

e sk

ills

to

mon

itor a

nd c

are

for c

hild

ren.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

H.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 0-

4 w

ho a

re m

alno

urish

edC.

5 Nu

mbe

r of p

rovi

ders

/car

egiv

ers

trai

ned

in c

arin

g fo

r OVC

4.7

Impr

ove

acce

ss to

pro

per n

utrit

ion

for f

amili

es c

arin

g fo

r OVC

, by

mea

ns o

f tr

aini

ng in

labo

ur-s

avin

g, c

ost-

effe

ctiv

e pr

oduc

tion

and

proc

essin

g of

food

.M

inist

ry o

f Agr

icul

ture

, Wat

er a

nd F

ores

try

(lead

)Em

erge

ncy

Man

agem

entU

nit,

Offic

e of

the

Prim

eM

inist

erM

inist

ry o

f Reg

iona

l and

Loc

al G

over

nmen

t, Ho

usin

g an

d Ru

ralD

evel

opm

ent

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

H.13

Num

ber o

f hou

seho

lds

rece

ivin

g fo

od a

ssist

ance

H.12

Num

ber o

f hou

seho

lds

trai

ned

in fo

od s

ecur

ityH.

1Ra

tio o

f OVC

to n

on-O

VC a

ged

0-4

who

are

mal

nour

ished

C.2

Perc

enta

ge o

f OVC

who

se h

ouse

hold

s ha

ve re

ceiv

ed fr

ee b

asic

ext

erna

l su

ppor

t in

carin

g fo

r the

chi

ld

4.8

Prov

ide

tem

pora

ry fo

od s

uppl

ies

to n

eedy

fam

ilies

car

ing

for O

VC a

nd to

ch

ildre

n on

the

stre

et.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)Re

gion

al A

IDS

Coor

dina

ting

Com

mitt

ees

(RAC

OCs)

Emer

genc

yM

anag

emen

tUni

t,Of

fice

of th

e Pr

ime

Min

ister

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

H.13

Num

ber o

f hou

seho

lds

rece

ivin

g fo

od a

ssist

ance

H.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 0-

4 w

ho a

re m

alno

urish

edC.

2 Pe

rcen

tage

of O

VC w

hose

hou

seho

lds

have

rece

ived

free

bas

ic e

xter

nal

supp

ort i

n ca

ring

for t

he c

hild

H.16

Num

ber o

f OVC

rece

ivin

g fo

od a

nd n

utrit

iona

l ser

vice

s

4.9

Targ

et p

reve

ntat

ive

heal

th c

are

serv

ices

for y

oung

chi

ldre

n (0

-3) i

n th

e ca

re

of th

e el

derly

or a

t Ear

ly C

hild

hood

Deve

lopm

entC

entr

es a

nd s

tren

gthe

n gr

owth

mon

itorin

g to

iden

tify

child

ren

in th

ese

circ

umst

ance

s w

ho a

re n

ot

thriv

ing.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

nM

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

H.1

Ratio

of O

VC to

non

-OVC

age

d 0-

4 w

ho a

re m

alno

urish

edH.

17 N

umbe

r of O

VC re

ceiv

ing

heal

th c

are

serv

ices

4.10

Revi

se a

nd e

nfor

ce in

herit

ance

law

s an

d th

e pr

ovisi

ons

for w

idow

s in

the

Com

mun

alLa

ndRe

form

Act

, and

take

str

ong

actio

n ag

ains

t pro

pert

y-gr

abbi

ng, t

o en

sure

that

OVC

and

chi

ld-h

eade

d ho

useh

olds

do

not l

ose

acce

ss to

the

land

and

reso

urce

s th

ey n

eed

for f

ood

secu

rity.

Min

istry

of L

ands

and

Res

ettle

men

t (le

ad)

Min

istry

of J

ustic

e /

Mas

ter o

f the

Hig

hCo

urt

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

reLa

wRe

form

and

Dev

elop

men

tCom

miss

ion

Lega

l Ass

istan

ce C

entr

eTr

aditi

onal

Aut

horit

ies

H.4

The

perc

enta

ge o

f mot

hers

or p

rimar

y ca

regi

vers

who

repo

rt h

avin

g id

entif

ied

a st

andb

y gu

ardi

an w

ho w

ill ta

ke c

are

of th

e ch

ild in

the

even

t tha

t sh

e/he

is n

ot a

ble

to d

o so

4.11

Reco

rd h

ealth

and

nut

ritio

n in

form

atio

n on

OVC

to p

rovi

de d

ata

for

mea

surin

g pr

ogre

ss o

n th

is iss

ue.

Min

istry

of H

ealth

and

Soc

ialS

ervi

ces

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Gen

der E

qual

ity a

nd C

hild

Wel

fare

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

M.1

4De

mog

raph

ic a

nd H

ealth

Surv

ey c

ompl

eted

4.12

Impr

ove

OVC

acce

ss to

cle

an w

ater

and

san

itatio

n by

var

ious

mea

ns,

incl

udin

g (a

) rai

nwat

er h

arve

stin

gat

sch

ools

and

Early

Chi

ldho

odDe

velo

pmen

tCen

tres

(b) p

rovi

ding

bor

ehol

es a

nd p

ay p

umps

in a

reas

whe

re

they

are

mos

t nee

ded

and

(c) i

nsta

lling

env

ironm

enta

lly-a

ppro

pria

te to

ilet

faci

litie

s at

sch

ools

and

Early

Chi

ldho

odDe

velo

pmen

tCen

tres

.

Min

istry

of A

gric

ultu

re, W

ater

and

For

estr

y (le

ad)

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

reM

inist

ry o

f Hea

lth a

nd S

ocia

lSer

vice

sM

inist

ry o

f Reg

iona

l and

Loc

al G

over

nmen

t, Ho

usin

g an

d Ru

ralD

evel

opm

ent

H.6

Prop

ortio

n of

chi

ldre

n un

der f

ive

year

s of

age

who

die

d in

the

last

yea

rH.

16 N

umbe

r of O

VC re

ceiv

ing

food

and

nut

ritio

nal s

ervi

ces

MAN

AGEM

ENT

AND

NET

WOR

KIN

GTa

rget

:Mul

ti-se

ctor

al c

oord

inat

ion

and

mon

itorin

g of

qua

lity

serv

ices

to O

VC a

re s

igni

fican

tly im

prov

ed b

y 20

10.

ACTI

VITI

ESLE

ADIN

GAG

ENCI

ESRE

LATE

DIN

DICA

TORS

IN M

&E P

LAN

5.1

Deve

lop,

upd

ate,

mai

ntai

n an

d sh

are

a na

tiona

l dat

abas

e on

OVC

ser

vice

s w

hich

incl

udes

info

rmat

ion

on a

ll OV

C in

terv

entio

ns, a

nd m

ake

ever

y ef

fort

to

ensu

re th

at it

is a

ccur

ate

and

com

preh

ensiv

e.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

M.8

Num

ber o

f OVC

regi

ster

ed o

n w

eb-e

nabl

ed d

atab

ase

5.2

Hold

a n

atio

nal c

onfe

renc

e on

OVC

eve

ry tw

o ye

ars

to e

xam

ine

and

high

light

th

e cu

rren

t situ

atio

n, p

rogr

ess,

bes

t pra

ctic

es a

nd fu

ture

pla

ns.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

M.5

Num

ber o

f Nat

iona

l OVC

con

fere

nces

hel

d be

twee

n 20

06 a

nd 2

010

5.3

Mai

ntai

n an

d re

port

on

basic

Mon

itorin

g an

d Ev

alua

tion

info

rmat

ion

on

the

situa

tion

of O

VC, r

evie

w th

e M

onito

ring

and

Eval

uatio

n Pl

an w

hich

ac

com

pani

es th

is Pl

an o

f Act

ion

and

trai

n on

its

use,

and

per

iodi

cally

revi

se th

e M

onito

ring

and

Eval

uatio

n sy

stem

as

nece

ssar

y.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

eOV

C Fo

rum

s

M.1

Per

cent

age

of c

hild

ren

unde

r 18

who

se m

othe

r, fa

ther

or b

oth

pare

nts

have

die

dM

.2 P

erce

ntag

e of

chi

ldre

n un

der 1

8 w

ho a

re v

ulne

rabl

e ac

cord

ing

to n

atio

nal

mon

itorin

g de

finiti

onM

.6 P

erce

ntag

e of

org

anisa

tions

that

hav

e su

bmitt

ed th

e re

quire

d Sy

stem

for

Prog

ram

me

Mon

itorin

g fo

rms

on ti

me

in th

e pa

st 1

2 m

onth

s

5.4

Ensu

re c

omm

itmen

t and

con

siste

ncy

in a

tten

danc

e an

d pa

rtic

ipat

ion

in

the

OVC

Perm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

to in

crea

se it

s ef

fect

iven

ess,

and

bui

ld O

VCPe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e se

cret

aria

t cap

aciti

es.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e Pa

rtic

ipat

ing

min

istrie

sPa

rtic

ipat

ing

non-

gove

rnm

enta

l par

tner

s

M.1

2 Nu

mbe

r of O

VC s

ervi

ce p

rovi

ders

att

endi

ng P

erm

anen

t Tas

k Fo

rce

M.1

Per

cent

age

of c

hild

ren

unde

r 18

who

se m

othe

r, fa

ther

or b

oth

pare

nts

have

die

dM

.2 P

erce

ntag

e of

chi

ldre

n un

der 1

8 w

ho a

re v

ulne

rabl

e ac

cord

ing

to n

atio

nal

mon

itorin

g de

finiti

on

5.5

Furt

her d

evel

op th

e ca

paci

ty o

f the

OVC

Per

man

ent T

ask

Forc

e to

sha

re

good

pra

ctic

es, p

lan

and

mon

itor t

he n

atio

nal p

rogr

amm

e, c

reat

e aw

aren

ess,

an

d in

volv

e al

l sec

tors

, by

prov

idin

g (a

) add

ition

al tr

aini

ng a

s ne

cess

ary

(b)

orga

nisin

g in

-cou

ntry

stu

dy to

urs

(c) s

harin

g ca

se s

tudi

es a

nd d

ocum

enta

tion

and

(d) e

ncou

ragi

ng th

em to

mak

e us

e of

app

ropr

iate

e-f

orum

s an

d w

ebsit

es.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)OV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

M.7

Num

ber o

f OVC

For

um e

xcha

nge

visit

s co

nduc

ted

betw

een

regi

ons

M.1

Per

cent

age

of c

hild

ren

unde

r 18

who

se m

othe

r, fa

ther

or b

oth

pare

nts

have

die

dM

.2 P

erce

ntag

e of

chi

ldre

n un

der 1

8 w

ho a

re v

ulne

rabl

e ac

cord

ing

to n

atio

nal

mon

itorin

g de

finiti

onM

.3 W

ebsit

e de

velo

ped

on O

VC s

ervi

ces

5.6

Stre

ngth

en in

form

atio

n-sh

arin

g an

d ne

twor

king

thro

ugho

ut th

e co

untr

y, b

y hi

ghlig

htin

g go

od p

ract

ices

, org

anisi

ng in

-cou

ntry

stu

dy to

urs,

sha

ring

case

st

udie

s an

d do

cum

enta

tion

and

esta

blish

ing

e-fo

rum

s an

d w

ebsit

es.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

)M

inist

ry o

f Inf

orm

atio

n an

d Br

oadc

astin

gOV

C Pe

rman

ent T

ask

Forc

e

M.6

Per

cent

age

of o

rgan

isatio

ns th

at h

ave

subm

itted

the

requ

ired

Syst

em fo

r Pr

ogra

mm

eM

onito

ring

form

s on

tim

e in

the

past

12

mon

ths

M.7

Num

ber o

f OVC

For

um e

xcha

nge

visit

s co

nduc

ted

betw

een

regi

ons

M.9

Nat

iona

l chi

ldre

n’s

OVC

Foru

m e

stab

lishe

dM

.12

Num

ber o

f OVC

ser

vice

pro

vide

rs a

tten

ding

Per

man

ent T

ask

Forc

e

5.7

Deve

lop

regi

onal

and

con

stitu

ency

-leve

l OVC

For

ums

and

com

mitt

ees,

to

incr

ease

the

leve

l of r

egio

nal a

nd lo

cal n

etw

orki

ng a

nd s

ervi

ce d

eliv

ery,

and

to

impr

ove

repo

rtin

g.

Min

istry

of G

ende

r Equ

ality

and

Chi

ld W

elfa

re

(lead

) (le

ad)

Min

istry

of R

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ocal

Gov

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Hous

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AIDS

Coor

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mitt

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Per

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onito

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defin

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5.8

Incr

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the

capa

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of m

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lead

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and

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horit

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to

initi

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exp

and

and

man

age

loca

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port

to O

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vidi

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offic

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with

trai

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and

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on th

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of O

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th

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est

ablis

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com

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the

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mpo

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who

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as w

ater

and

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der 1

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M.2

Per

cent

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nat

iona

l m

onito

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defin

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M.1

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5.9

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ser

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r OVC

to fa

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s an

d to

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licat

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of

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f Gen

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port

sub

mitt

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miss

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a st

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on re

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appi

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see

if fu

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r OVC

serv

ices

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pplie

d ef

ficie

ntly

for t

heir

inte

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pur

pose

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inist

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f Gen

der E

qual

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nd C

hild

Wel

fare

(le

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anen

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k Fo

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udy

on re

sour

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appi

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r OVC

ser

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s co

mpl

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and

di

ssem

inat

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5.11

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re th

at th

e re

com

men

datio

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Min

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ende

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Min

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Agr

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and

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Min

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Edu

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Min

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Fin

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Min

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Gen

der

Equa

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and

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Min

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Min

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Info

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Min

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Jus

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Min

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Lab

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Reg

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Agency contact details


Notes

UNICEF technical and financial support in the preparationand finalisation of the National Plan of Action facilitated thecontributions of the following persons:

DeeDee Yates, who compiled the RAAAP report of 2004which formed the basis of the Plan of Action.Jane Begala of Futures Group, who assisted with costingthe Plan of Action.Dianne Hubbard and Anne Rimmer of the Legal AssistanceCentre, for editing to finalise the text of the Plan of Action.Clever Clogs Productions (associate photographer JacoStrauss) and UNICEF (photo library), for some of the photosin this document.Perri Caplan, for designing and laying out this documentand the accompanying Monitoring and Evaluation Plan(Volume 2).

National Plan of Actionfor Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Volume 1

Documents

PLAN OF ACTION - UNICEF...ii NAMIBIA NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN Acronyms ART Anti-Retroviral Treatment MGECW Ministry of Gender Equality and Child