Mandela focuses on Aids orphans
Philippa Garson
22 August 2003
The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund is now directing its resources where the country needs them most – to Aids orphans.
What began as an initiative in 1995 to address the needs of poor young people facing homelessness, joblessness and poverty, remains just that. But the scourge of Aids has given new meaning to the phenomenon of children in need, and the Fund is now focusing its energy on Aids orphans and the many "child-headed households" cropping up around the country.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela started the Children's Fund in 1995 after encountering street children in Cape Town one cold evening. He recalls: "We were driving back to the Presidency in Cape Town one cold winter's evening, when I saw a group of street children and stopped to talk to them.
"The children asked me why I love them. This astounded me, and I
asked them why they asked this, and they said that because every time I get money from overseas, I share it with them."
His brief encounter with the street children inspired him to take action. He formed the Fund, pledged one third of his Presidential salary to it, and proceeded to raise millions of rands for the betterment of the country’s vulnerable and disadvantaged children – from birth to 22 years of age.
Now a major fundraiser
Now the organisation, which has grown from a staff of two in 1995 to 24 in 2003, has become a major player in raising and disbursing funds to organisations working with children and youth. The Fund, which works closely with other development organisations, the government and the private sector, has over the past seven years distributed R98-million to "worthy causes", says CEO Sibongile Mkhabela.
In 2002 the Fund raised R34-million through donations, programme funding and fundraising initiatives locally and
internationally. The continual growth of the Fund has led to the establishment of offices in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada and now Spain.
In the past couple of years the Fund has increased its efforts to help those children and families affected by HIV/Aids. In this regard, the R43-million pilot programme called Geolama (a Tswana word meaning "to safeguard and nurture") was launched.
The programme, supported by community-based organisations and government, provides a care model for children affected by Aids deaths and now reaches over 150 000 of these children. Currently there are 10 pilot sites in KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Province, Gauteng and Mpumulanga.
Giving Aids orphans a sense of family
In the Fund’s 2002 annual report, Mandela wrote: "The effects of HIV/Aids demand a more sustained approach involving the community and the primary unit of care and nurturing, namely the family. A
solid family environment is essential in paving the way for the realisation of future dreams and aspirations of children.
"It is for this reason that the Fund has paid particular attention to housing Aids orphans and vulnerable children within wholesome families and communities. The Fund believes that his positive long-term approach, with the focus on stability and sustainability of the family unit, will impact positively on the devastating effects of the pandemic."
A Human Sciences Research Council study commissioned by the Fund into the needs of children in child-headed households found, in December 2002, that these children lacked not only the basics like food, clothing and shelter, but also the guidance, support and love generally offered by parents. They often bore the brunt of discrimination and ostracisation from others in the community because of the stigma attached to Aids, and were
vulnerable to harassment, violence and sexual abuse.
Global approach needed to fight Aids
Beyond basic needs like food and education, these children need emotional support, protection and a sense of belonging. The Fund focuses on empowering local community-based organisations to provide these elements to orphans and vulnerable children.
For its part, the government allocated R1.2-billion in 2003 for sustainable food security to poor households and communities, especially those headed by children.
Mandela also stresses the need for a "global approach" in fighting the pandemic, and emphasises the importance of strengthening relationships with UNICEF, Save the Children Fund and other governments.
Other programmes run by the Fund cover the following areas:
- Early child care and development in the context of HIV/Aids.
- The well-being of children and youth.
- Children and youth with disabilities.
- Education and development.
- Leadership and excellence
Visit the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund website for contact details and for more information on the various programmes. For donor-related queries, e-mail donor relations manager Maeline Engelbrecht.
| 
