Burundi's vulnerable children vote for home helps
24 November 2008
Nkuru's story
Thirteen-year-old Nkuru lives in Ngozi
village in the north of Burundi.
Some time ago Nkuru started to have serious pains in her leg. Though she asked her mother to take her to hospital, her mother refused, believing the pain must be caused by witchcraft. In fact it was caused by an abscess.
As the pain increased Nkuru felt more and more helpless. It was only when her grandfather found her crying and decided to speak to a local "home visitor" employed by a DFID-funded programme that things took a turn for the better.
Arriving at the family home, the visitor pointed out to Nkuru’s mother that, if she didn't allow the girl to seek proper treatment, she could be breaking the law.
After some reluctance Nkuru's mother finally relented, but in the end it was her grandfather who took her to hospital and followed up her treatment. Though still recuperating, Nkuru is now back in school.
Voting for visitors
Burundi's home visitors are respected community members who volunteer their time to help orphans and vulnerable children. The selection process begins with a community meeting for people who would like to become home visitors themselves. The children and their families (or carers) are also invited.
The
programme's
approach is unique because it is the children who vote for the person who will
visit their home. Invited to line up behind the individual they feel most
comfortable with, it is this person who then becomes the child's personal visitor.
This selection process, like the entire programme, is paid for and organised by the Nzokira programme. 'Nzokira', which means "I will overcome" in Kirundi, Burundi's national language, organises numerous other projects to help Burundi's many orphans and vulnerable children.
Training that works
Once the election is completed the successful candidates are trained by Nzokira local partner staff. Training helps them to assess the needs of the children in their catchment area and learn about ways to support whole families to become more self-sufficient and better able to care for their children.
To
further develop visitors' skills Nzokira has recruited partners who specialise
in psychosocial assistance and legal protection. Special training in
home-based care and HIV prevention is also provided. As an extra boon for the
children they care for, each visitor is equipped with a kit containing
umbrellas, a register, pens and t-shirts.
Visitors are also encouraged to participate in the Nawe Nuze Savings and Loan Program run by Nzokira staff. This programme organises 20 to 25 people into groups which make weekly contributions. Participants are eventually able to take out loans that help them start small businesses or cover some of the basic needs in their own homes.
For many home visitors, though, the greatest perk of the job is watching the children in their care grow and learn.
Facts and stats
- The Nzokira programme began in July 2006 and works in eight of Burundi’s 17 provinces.
- DFID is providing £5,150,000 of funding to Nzokira over three years.
- The programme aims to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the national response to the problem of parentless children.
- Nzokira's home visitors' key tasks include helping to place orphans in new homes, enabling children to get medical support (including HIV-positive children), increasing awareness of HIV-prevention (and encourage voluntary HIV testing and counselling) and ensuring at-need children have access to educational materials.
- Nzokira is run by a consortium formed by Catholic Relief Services with CARE International and over ten local partner organizations.
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