Tridimentional Approach to OVC Care and Support

ZINGO has been from as far back as 2004 involved in care and support for orphans and vulnerable children. OVC have been compassionately attended to, under what used to be known as “Mitigating the impact of HIV and AIDS”. To do this ZINGO collaborated with Partners such as Hope for the African Child Initiative (HACI), Regional psychosocial Initiative (REPSSI), United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ)/Global fund, Save the Children Sweden (SCS) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).

Impact mitigation under ZINGO covered educational support, medical support and family economical empowerment.

Educational support happens at three different levels; community level where community schools are being renovated and provided with materials such as teaching aids and desks; family level where special projects to economically empower parents and guardians to raise money for their children’s education and individual child support where educational material such as exercise books, school fees, uniforms and medical schemes are being provided to individual children depending on each individual child’s need. More than 4000 children have been reached and assisted under this component.

Medical support has been provided as a referral, this is where the children are being screened for various diseases and if found with ailments referred for treatment to established medical centers run by either nongovernmental organization or government. More than 1000 children have been helped in this way.

Families have been provided with treated mosquito nets for the protection of children from mosquitoes.

ZINGO has revisited its intervention strategy of late and has adopted the Child Rights Programming (CRP) concept taking in consideration the Provision, Protection and Promotion children rights for their survival and development. This has brought a paradigm shift in the way ZINGO perceives OVC care and support which includes addressing socio-cultural issues of parenting with special attention given to fatherhood.

The issue of child rights has taken root; ZINGO is out to ensure that the needs of children are provided for as was in the past but is now than ever looking at the issue of advocating for the rights of children to provoke a positive response from the duty bearers from all works of life finally but not least is the issue of building the capacity of communities and duty bearers alike for a sustainable response to issues of Children and their needs. Using this approach ZINGO envisions reaching to not less than 7,200 children in the year 2008 alone.