Providing Shelter for Aids Orphans in the Rural Areas in the Southwest of Zimbabwe - Report Example

PROVIDING SHELTER FOR AIDS ORPHANS IN THE RURAL AREAS IN THE SOUTH WEST OF ZIMBABWE Develop a LOG FRAME planning tool based on the humanitarian/development project Background Information to the Project Africa as a continent has the world’s worse ratio of AIDS infection with Zimbabwe as one of the worse affected countries. “The total number of HIV positive cases in the entire continent of Africa rises up to more than 5 million…Prevalence of AIDS in Africa is 17.6%” (HIV Symptoms, 2010). Causes, prevention and control have all gained high public attention to the detriment of what happens to the innocent children who loss their parents through AIDS. An important factor about AIDS orphans is that one AIDS death can cause more than one and in some cases, up to five AIDS orphans depending on the number of children an AIDS parent have. An orphan is defined by the United Nations as a child who has lost one or both parents. Around 14.8 million of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa (AVERT, 2011). Out of this number, UNICEF reports that “almost a million children in Zimbabwe have lost one or both parents to AIDS” (Unite for Children, 2005). These children go through thorny conditions to survive. This is so because Zimbabwe as a country has a serious economic problem. According to the World Bank, The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult economic problems as it struggles with an unsustainable fiscal deficit, an overvalued official exchange rate, hyperinflation, and bare store shelves (NationMaster, 2011). In such a poor country where able-working adults even find it difficult to make earns meet, one can image what happens with innocent AIDS orphans, who are orphans by no fault of theirs. As regional bodies like UNICEF and World Food Program try to go to the aid of AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe with food relief, one area that still remains distressed is the program of accommodation for AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe. In Kenya and Tanzania, the African Development Foundation has funded farm projects, secondary education and housing for AIDS-affected families (GBGM, 2009). Perhaps, it is time for AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe to have such a relief with the provision of shelter. This project seeks to lay emphasis on AIDS orphans in the rural areas in the South West of Zimbabwe. About two-thousand (2000) AIDS orphans will be provided with decent shelter across twenty (20) communities in South West Zimbabwe. The Logical Framework Document Narrative Summary Objectively Verifiable Indicators - OVIs Means of Verification  -MOVs External Factors (Assumptions) Development Objective To provide shelter for 5000 AIDS orphans in South West Zimbabwe When the over 3000 AIDS orphans are reunited with their families and 2000 AIDS orphans admitted into orphanages to be built Information on progress of work shall be resourced from project managers who will keep project progress log Immediate Objective AIDS orphans in South West Zimbabwe will be protected from open air whether with the provision of shelter directly constructed by the organization and by reunion of orphans with their extended When the living conditions of over 5000 AIDS orphans become improved with the provision of decent shelter through family reunion or admission into orphanages to be established. Information on progress of work shall be resourced from project managers who will keep project progress log AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe are prone to health problems and are de-motivated to go to school because they do not have access to good shelter. Outputs (Results) 1. Provide 20 communities in South West Zimbabwe with decent accommodation 2. Re-unite over 3000 AIDS orphans in South West Zimbabwe with their extended families 3. Provide shelter for 2000 AIDS orphans in rural communities in Zimbabwe 1. Establish through new construction and rehabilitation of existing structures, 40 orphanages across 20 communities in South West Zimbabwe 2. Identify extended families of over 3000 AIDS orphans who are homeless and talk over the families to reunite with the children. 3. Admit 2000 AIDS orphans into newly established and existing orphanages. 1. Formal and in-formal observation, interview with community members, Information on progress of work shall be resourced from project managers who will keep project progress log 2. Interview with extended family members, follow-up on orphans 3. Information on progress of work shall be resourced from project managers who will keep project progress log 1. Proper accommodation through the establishment of orphanages will left the status of beneficiary communities. This will be so because children will be housed instead of hawking and getting prone to social vices 2. Families reject children after their parents die of AIDS. This is due to orthodox misconceptions about the disease and high levels of poverty. There is however the risk that some families will not be willing to partake in this project. 3. Most AIDS orphans in South West Zimbabwe take to street life after they are rejected by their external families. Giving them shelter will improve their social status and rekindle their aspirations for life. Activities 1.1 Procure 2 lands and/or existing structures that are unused in 20 rural communities in South West Zimbabwe with the support of government. (2 orphanages in each of the 20 communities) 1.2 Engage consultants and contractors on how to get the building constructions under way. 1.3 Establish 40 orphanages across 20 rural communities in South West Zimbabwe by rehabilitating existing structures and building new structures. 2.1 Sample street children in major communities in the South West of Zimbabwe 2.2 Investigate into the background of sampled street children to find which of them are AIDS orphans 2.3 Take pragmatic steps in reuniting as many of these AIDS orphans with their extended family as possible. 3.1 Register first 2000 AIDS orphans according to the urgency of their situation 3.2 Admit the 2000 AIDS orphans in the orphanages established 3.3 Make arrangement to integrate remaining orphans in other orphanages with vacancy Inputs Surveyors Contractors Procurement officers Field workers Consultants Legal advisors Financial budget of $1,000,000 Families of AIDS orphans Operators of existing orphanages 1.1 Registered documents shall be source of information 1.2 Information on progress of work shall be resourced from project managers who will keep project progress log 1.3 Observation from project supervisor. 2.1 Observation on street children 2.2 Face-to-face interview with members of extended family 2.3 Follow-up into extended families to check on how children have been integrated and how they are felling 3.1 Personal observation of living condition of orphans, interview with responsible adults who know the background of orphans 3.2 Records from register of organization’s orphanage 3.3 Records from admission register of existing orphanages 1.1. With government intervention, it will be easier acquiring land and convincing owners of unused structures to hand them over as sites for establishment orphanages. There is the risk that some owners will not be willing to release their property for this purpose. 1.2. Service of professional will make the work easier and durable. 1.3. Orphanages can solve the accommodation problem of AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s economy is a great threat as inflation makes prices of goods expensive over short periods of time. 2.1 Most street children in Zimbabwe are AIDS orphans 2.2 Without proper investigation, some street children who are not AIDS orphans may be mistaken for such. 2.3 With constant advocacy, families will agree to integrate orphans of their late relatives into their mix. This is because Africans believe so much in extended family system. 3.4 The situation of some orphans are more critical than others 3.5 Admitting 2000 AIDS orphans into orphanages will reduce street life of orphans by about 20% 3.6 Collaborative work with existing orphanages will help absorb more orphans. This can even exceed targeted number. Commentary on Log Frame This is a humanitarian project and it is a collaborative project with government, existing humanitarian agencies, community, family and existing orphanages. This means that the aim to establish 40 orphanages across 20 communities does not necessarily mean that 40 new buildings will be constructed. However, there will be advocacy with communities to release unused and old structures to be rehabilitated to the status of orphanages. It is expected that, less than 20% of the forty orphanages will be started from the scratch. Another agency of collaboration will be families, who will be expected to integrate most of the orphans who will be picked from the streets of Zimbabwe. Finally, existing orphanages will be expected to admit some street orphans. Secondly, the project is a long term project that should span for seven (7) years. The project shall therefore be undertaken in phases. Each year, in the seven years, it is estimated that over 20% of the project should be completed so that if possible, the entire project can be ready before the 7 years as planned. Lastly, though 5000 has been slated as the number of AIDS orphans to be helped, it is very likely that the number of AIDS orphans to be helped will be more than 5000. This is because the 5000 refers only to those expected to be integrated into families and admitted into the orphanages to be established. There is every possibility that the number of families who would agree to reunite with their orphans will be much more than 3000. This is because a very intensive and forensic approach will be put in place to convince as many families as possible to be part of this. The 5000 also do not include the number of orphans who are likely to be admitted by existing orphanages. In all, this is a humanitarian exercise that will help provide shelter so many AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe and reduce the plight of these poor orphans. REFERENCE LIST AIDS.org 2010 What is AIDS? What causes AIDS?, accessed 23 February 2011 AVERT 2011 AIDS Orphans, accessed 28 February 2011 CDC USA 2004 What is AIDS? What is HIV? What causes AIDS? Medical Net, accessed 25 February 2011 GBGM 2009 Children Orphaned from AIDS, Accessed 26 February 2011 HIV Symptoms 2010 Global HIV Statistics, accessed NationMaster, 2011 ‘ZIMBABWEAN ECONOMY STATS’ Unite for Children, 2005 Zimbabwe AIDS orphans struggle to get back to school, UNICEF, accessed 27 February 2011 Read More