Orphans and Vulnerable Children - CRIN

Introduction and Objectives for Topic 8

In this topic, participants will work on activities that will help caregivers to build up the resilience

they need to help them cope with the care and support of orphans and vulnerable children.

It is important that caregivers and counsellors are self-aware and constantly assess themselves in

relation to their responsibilities towards these children. It is also important that caregivers take

adequate care of their own needs, physically, mentally and emotionally; and are in turn given

support in this.

It is not uncommon for communities who have experienced the effects of the AIDS epidemic to

suffer severe states of depression over a long period of time, causing the further dissolution of

family structures within a community. The stigma, fear and discrimination associated with AIDS

has also had the effect of isolating affected families, causing them to lose important social networks.

Without the safeguards of community support, people who are severely depressed may get to a

point where they no longer have coping mecahnisms and they lose hope and hold no interest in life.

They may neglect their own needs and those of the children in their care. Participants in the home

visitor training course should be aware of the debilitating effects of trauma and depression and

monitor for signs of this in the communities they work in. CCCs should devise strategies for

helping people in their community who have been identified as severely depressed.

Depression may also take less severe forms. The guardians of OVC, as well as home visitors, will

need support for the demanding role they play in caring for others. At times they too will feel

depressed and overburdened by their responsibilities. It is thus important that home visitors create

local support groups which meet regularly in order to share their problems, their experiences,

lessons they have learnt and to offer advice and support to those whose work involves the caring

and support of others.

The activities covered in this topic are also useful as general exercises in self awareness and

self reflection for all participants who are training to become home visitors; and to support

vulnerable children and other caregivers.

(Adapted from REPSSI training manual for PSS)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this topic, participants will be able to:

 Help caregivers understand themselves.

 Discuss methods to use to conduct self-awareness exercises.

 Help caregivers deal with their own issues and challenges.

 Encourage caregivers to share their experiences and lessons learnt.

(^208) Unit 2, Module 2 Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children