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Orphans and Vulnerable Children Education Programme
Programme Overview Objectives: To ensure that orphans and vulnerable children are able to attend school, to decrease drop out rates and increase pass rates. This is to be achieved through funding school fees, uniforms, shoes and a suitable studying environment in the home. In addition to this, basic hygiene and health issues are addressed, as these are also obstacles for these children's well-being and ability to concentrate at school. Implementation: The objectives of this project are implemented through identifying children in need, arranging for their uniforms, shoes, textbooks and stationary to be purchased, arranging for the payment directly to the school of fees and equipping the students with a suitable home study environment. Medical consultations at the Teze Integrated Health Center also take place to ensure the children's basic health issues are addressed. Identification of Beneficiary Children: The children who benefit from our activities are identified through sensitization campaigns, through the use of questionnaires in collaboration with traditional, religious and head teachers of schools where the children attend. After an analysis of the questionnaires and consultation, one child is selected per vulnerable family. This gives us the chance of touching a cross section of the community. Execution: The execution of the project is through monitored fostering. Once selected to the list of children supported by the project the guardians are immediately contacted and an agreement reached between the foster parent and GLOWA. Foster parents are expected to cooperate and collaborate with GLOWA for the success of the project. They agree to allow project staff to visit them when necessary without prior notice. As soon as these conditions are mutually agreed upon the child is then placed on GLOWA's Care / support register. GLOWA does the purchase of any item to be donated to the children and mobilize further resources needed by the project. Joint ceremonies are organized in the presence major government departments during major activities of the project. In accordance with working agreement between GLOWA and the Teze Integrated Health center, joint consultation sessions are organized for the children in the project. The project is expected to pay the cost of any drugs the children might need. At least one home visit is made to the home of each child every two months. During these visits, which are not announced, an appraisal is made on the child's living conditions with the hope of ameliorating any problems. An exchange between the project staff and the foster family helps to build a positive environment and improve home-based psychosocial support. The exercise also gives us the opportunity to make an appraisal on how the foster parents appreciate our work. We use it to build confidence and good relation with the parents. The children shall occasionally come together (during joint consultation or gift donation ceremony of other activities). During these occasions they are sensitized and educated on various suitable themes. Their teachers shall also be partners in the project to give information on the impact of our activities in the life of the child. Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitoring and evaluation shall be continuous with bimonthly reports made available to partners and donors. All expenditures shall be receipted. Critical observations and photographs shall also serves and indicator. Health records and school records shall also serve as indicators. For long term project funds from donors shall be release as the project progresses. At the end of the school year a joint evaluation meeting shall be held. Participants to the meeting shall be foster parents, children and the staff of GLOWA. Donors shall also be intendance. Risk and Constraints: The main risk of this project is tendency of families to loose their ability to fend for themselves and depend on the project. Sometimes children move from one family member to another within the same school year thereby making follow-up difficult. All these risk are checked through education of the parents, and the signing an agreement of collaboration with GLOWA. Support Resources: GLOWA has obtained free consultation status for the children from the Teze Integrated Health Center. We are presently seeking nutritional support from World Food Programme Cameroon Country office. If successful, about 2500Kg of grains and other nutritional foodstuffs shall be offered to the children, with a ration of 5 KG/child every month. Needs of The Programme:
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