Cape Town, South Africa
“We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Need
UNICEF reports that South Africa is the country hardest hit by HIV/AIDS worldwide. This HIV/AIDS crisis has both compounded the risks faced by children and tragically increased the number of those at risk. Together with unemployment and poverty, the number of orphaned and vulnerable children in the country has swelled. In 2005, the number of orphans was estimated at 2.5 million and it is expected to double by 2015.
Currently the majority of alternative care placements in South Africa are in large institutions, an environment that is not adequately equipped to provide individualized care for the children and carries additional risks.
The Opportunity
In 2005, Home From Home began providing supported and supervised community-based foster care for children in need. Orphaned, abused, neglected, and vulnerable children are taken into their network of small, family homes in disadvantaged communities in South Africa. They currently provide 27 homes for 170 children across twelve communities. Over half of the children are HIV+.
Home From Home was built upon a philosophy that a small family unit with a dedicated foster mother or parents, and no more than six children, is the next best place for children who cannot be cared for by their own biological families. Children in this program grow up in their home communities and culture, and where their home language is spoken. The ultimate hope is that one day each child will be reunited with their biological families. If sadly that is not the case, Home From Home aims to have provided them with the necessary grounding to lead healthy and successful lives.
This program prioritizes the individual needs of each child and creates opportunities for them to become valuable members of society through a holistic approach that includes individual treatment plans, therapeutic assistance, assistance with educational needs, and excellent health care.
The Challenge
In 2006, Wellspring International provided funding to construct our first house with Home From Home. Funding for two additional homes followed in 2007 and 2008. In 2010 and 2011, Wellspring provided funding for the salary of a full-time social worker, and a vehicle to allow for regular home visits, as well as support for additional homes.
This year, Wellspring International aims to provide a grant of $35,000 USD to continue support for a full-time social worker and running costs of specific homes.
Please contact us for more information concerning this significant project.