Empilweni, is implementing the Isibindi Impilo program in Khayelitsha in partnership with NACOSA and NACCW and is funded by USAID. Qualified and regulated Child and Youth Care Workers provide services to orphans, vulnerable children and youth (OVCY).
The overall objective is to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children and youth (OVCY ages birth -24 years, with emphasis on girls 10-17 years) in Cape Town (Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain sub-districts) are reached with a tailored set of components of a basket of services that suits the particular need in each case.
The activities in the Isibindi Impilo program are grouped along four strategic aims, related to ensuring that children are:
- SAFE, by improving child protection and prevention of gender-based violence;
- STABLE, by improving household economic security and linkage to social protection;
- HEALTHY, by improving access to health and HIV services and
- SCHOOLED, by improving early childhood development access, school retention and progression.
To achieve these four aims, Empilweni will implement a basket of evidence-based and age-targeted individual and group interventions, including:
- Parenting support programs, including Let’s Talk and Mentor Mothers
- Prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) through the Stepping Stones program
- Supervised group and individual sessions through Safe Spaces and Home Visits
- Therapeutic support and short-term residential treatment for children experiencing abuse.
- Family engagement through Home Visits, including linkage to Social Services and Grants
- Economic strengthening through the ASPIRES program, including Impumelelo savings clubs and assistance to families with budgeting.
- Sexual & reproductive health (SRH) education & life skills through Vhutshilo structured group intervention for boys and girls ages 10 – 17 years old.
- HIV case management, including case conferencing, HIV testing services (HTS), disclosure, adherence and wellness support through the KidzAlive program and Buddy Beat adherence clubs
- Educational tracking, mentoring and support, through study groups and CYCW school visits
In Isibindi Impilo, standard interventions such as home visits, linkage to other services, individual needs assessment and development of individual care plans, educational support and the like will be supplemented by a variety of structured programs.
Identification of orphans and vulnerable children and youth (OVCY) will be done through diverse routes, including referrals from teachers, clinic and hospital staff, other service providers, sports clubs and organisations, churches and mosques, and community structures and organisations and members and through self-referrals as children become aware of the program.
A multi-sectoral approach is required to service children, youth and families. This project will rely heavily on community structures to facilitate access to the different sectors and services. The following Memorandums of Agreement will be required to facilitate the bi-directional referrals required for the successful program implementation.