Child Aid, Doornkop, South Africa

........................

Projects

Child Aid

Teacher Training

Schools for Children

Vocational Schools

Farmers Training

HOPE Humana

Second Hand Clothes South

Frontline Institute

Child Aid, Doornkop, South Africa

Child Aid Doornkop is a community development project providing a wide spectrum of services to the local communities of Doornkop and Slovoville with a combined population of 91,000 inhabitants. The main aim of the project is to create a healthy and safe environment for children. The project reaches out to all members of the community but specifically to orphans and vulnerable children, HIV/AIDS infected and affected persons, youth and bedridden patients. The project relies on and involves volunteers to run and develop the activities and programmes.

The idea of the project
Child Aid is a community development project aiming at creating a healthy and safe environment for children. The project addresses all members of the community.

Questions that the project seeks to address
Many of the people of Doorknob still live in informal housing. According to Johannesburg News Media (2005), an estimated 58 000 residents of Doornkop live in informal housing. Poverty is a major problem, with a high unemployment rate of 58 % and low education level. The student-teacher ratio is very high, and up to 84 learners make up high school classes. This puts a strain on school staff and compromises the quality of the education.
Some youth end up in gangs or get in trouble with crime, drugs and/or alcohol. Early pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, poverty and violence against girls and women are just some of the common problems that the project seeks to address.

Main activities:
The main activities are highlighted under the 10 lines concept.

Line 1: Strengthening the economy of the families
Training in sewing, business, catering and vegetable production is conducted for families and those taking care of orphans.

Line 2: Health – hereunder HIV and AIDS
The Health Education program is running door-to-door and street campaigns aimed at educating people on the benefits of getting tested for HIV. These campaigns are mainly carried out by volunteers who are trained in basic health courses at the project. They go to the communities and mobilize the population on various HIV/AIDS and other health issues.
This program currently reaches out to learners in schools and community members through awareness campaigns about HIV/AIDS, first aid and life skills courses. Campaigns are carried out in the form of speeches, posters and distribution of condoms and pamphlets.

Line 3 : Preschools of the Future Program
The project runs a model preschool at the center and offers training and program support to some satellite preschools in Doornkop. In total 816 children are enrolled in the program. The goal of the Preschool of the Future program is to create a movement for quality preschool education.

Line 4: The Children and Youth Program
Different clubs provide constructive recreational and educational activities. More than 1.000 participants come weekly for reading, dance (both modern and traditional), drama, music, netball and soccer clubs. Furthermore weekend camps, school holiday programs, libraries and sport tournaments get young people together and give them education in life skills, HIV/AIDS prevention, information and career guidance.

Line 5: Children without parents
The program works together with community members in Child Care Committees that assist families caring for orphans and children in need.
There are currently more than 5,000 families involved in the program.
Activities include vegetable production, getting all children to schools, distribution of food parcels, health education, Girls Scholarship Program, club for abused victims and campaigns against abuse. Meals are provided and the children are engaged into various after school activities like reading, dancing and sports. The project counselors, staff and volunteers also use this time to counsel troubled kids and to assist them with their homework.

Line 6: Education
The project works with 10 schools in the community with lessons and running debates on some of the issues that are important to youth such as crime, alcohol and drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and life skills.
The project trains volunteers in basic life skills who then in turn train other the community members.
There are basic and advanced computer-training courses that aim to increase computer literacy in the community. Today the computer training center offers public access to all those who want to type their documents and to surf the Internet.

Line 7: District Development
The community is at the forefront of all the activities the project runs. Councilors, churches, elders, schools and other stakeholders are always consulted to address common challenges in the community. The project is a member of the Doornkop Consultative Forum.

Line 8: Environment
Cleaning and environmental awareness campaigns, garden clubs and competitions are organized occasionally in order to enable the community to use its resources sustainable. The pilot vegetable garden aimed at generating some income for the project is also run as an activity under this program.

Line 9: Voluntary counseling and Testing
The objectives of the Voluntary Counseling and Testing program are as follows:
ü To encourage people to know their HIV status
ü To give education on how HIV spreads and how it can be prevented
ü To diminish the stigma around HIV/AIDS
ü To support people who are HIV positive

Line 10: Home Based Care
The aim of this program is to provide home based care services to bedridden and terminally ill patients in the community.
The care consists of assistance such as bathing, administration of medication, replacing plasters, cleaning wounds, seeking medical advice for the patients as well as providing social assistance such as counseling, cooking and buying groceries.
Many of the patients have HIV/AIDS related diseases. Others suffer from stroke, old age ailments, diabetes and cancer. The program currently has 13 Care Givers and has provided home based care services to 144 bedridden patients and more than 1000 other patients in 2007.

Print friendly

A velebration to mark traditonal women dressing in Doornkop

Photo Gallery

Contact info