vulnerable-people
- 2. Introduction Vulnerability refers to people who are at a higher risk and have reduced ability to cope with negative impacts. This could be based on socio-economic conditions, gender, age, disability or ethnicity. Classifying vulnerable people is always contextual, and must be assessed in the context of a specific situation and time1. Under the "vulnerable people" sector, SASIX covers the following groups of people: orphaned children; children affected by disease, poverty and abused people with disabilities. “Vulnerable people” often refers to orphaned or vulnerable children. These are children who have lost their prime caregivers whether it is parents, family or guardians. They have been deprived of essential guidance and care that impacts on their overall well being and development. They become vulnerable to violence, exploitation, discrimination and abuse. They face malnutrition, illness, lack of education and even death. Internationally, orphaned and vulnerable children are seen as a prime focus area for development policies and action. An estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labour in communities, schools and institutions; during armed conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Children are at increased risk of losing opportunities for school, healthcare, nutrition, shelter and ultimately, the right to their childhood. Disability cuts across all sectors of society. It can be a barrier to development and a cause of poverty. Disabled people have been largely marginalised from mainstream development and are typically among the very poor in developing countries. With little support, they have fewer opportunities to escape poverty. Facts • There are an estimated 133 million children who are orphan worldwide (children aged 0 –17 who have lost one or both parents). • Of the 133 million children, 15 million were orphaned by AIDS, more than 12 million of whom are in sub-Saharan Africa. • There are approximately 46 million orphans in Sub Saharan Africa. • One in six children (5–14 years old) in the world, or 158 million children, is involved in child labour. • 10% of the world population is disabled. • 82% of disabled people live below the poverty line. • 98% of children with disabilities do not attend school. Source: UNICEF Facts on Children and World Bank 20082 International In 1990 global leaders came together for the World Summit for children to undertake a committed effort to give every child a better future. The premise was to reinforce the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child agreed the previous year. Specific references were made to diminishing the suffering of children, promoting their full development and making them aware of their rights and opportunities. The convention explicitly gives children the right to education, health and protection from abuse and economic exploitation3. The Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in May 2002 was an opportunity to discuss and agree action on children’s issues exclusively. In the resulting outcome document, heads of state and government’s committed themselves to building ‘A World Fit for Children’ and set targets in vital areas of children’s well-being and development, to be achieved during the decade ending in 2010. While this incorporates issues regarding orphaned and vulnerable children, no specific international agency, convention or body exists solely for this group. With global estimates of 15.2 million children having lost one or both parents to AIDS, growing to 20 million by 2010, the international community’s focus has been largely on AIDS orphans4. Other areas of international concern are children affected by war, child labour, child prostitution and other forms of exploitation. UNICEF’s “State of the World’s Children” 2006 report focused on those children specifically suffering from poverty, exploitation and abuse. It estimated that tens of millions of children spend a large portion of their lives on the streets, 171 million are working in hazardous conditions and 8.4 million are working in the worst form of child labour, including prostitution. The United Nations estimates that some 600 million people worldwide have a disability and that the vast majority of them, live in low and middle income countries. Disability is increasingly recognised as a human rights issue. This recognition is based on discrimination towards people with disabilities, which creates barriers to inclusion and equal rights. These rights are recognized in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which specifies measures to ensure that disabled people can equally access all of the fundamental rights already acknowledged in previous international conventions. Persons with disabilities experience higher rates of poverty than do persons without disabilities. In addition, an estimated 98% of children with disabilities worldwide do not attend school. Educational facilities are often inaccessible, and teachers may lack adequate training to provide appropriate instruction. This often results in exclusion from any form of education5. 1 World Bank http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/162495/howknow/definitions.htm 2 http://www.unicef.org/media/media_45451.html; http://go.worldbank.org/IVW69BGNC0 3 Convention on the rights of the Child http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm 4 http://www.childinfo.org/files/worldfit_progress_for_children.pdf 5 Implementation of the World Program of Action concerning Disabled Persons: the Millennium Development Goals and synergies with other United Nations disability instruments. Report of the Secretary-General. July 2007 http://www.acfid.asn.au/news- media/docs_news- items/UN%20World%20Prog%20of%20Action%20for%20 Disabled%20Persons.pdf VULNERABLE PEOPLE
- 3. Vulnerability, the susceptibility to harm, results from an interaction between the resources available to individuals and communities and the life challenges they face. - David Mechanic and Jennifer Tanner, Vulnerable People, Groups, And Populations: Societal View “ “ Addressing the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children as well as people with disabilities is a cross-cutting issue incorporated in Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2 Achieve universal primary education; 3 Promote gender equality and empower women 4 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The World Bank believes that unless the rights of disabled people are mainstreamed in development sectors, the MDG’s will never be achieved. Disabled people have been largely left out of the development arena. Disability is not, for example, explicitly mentioned in any of the eight MDGs or related documentation. It has been left to disabled people's organisations to campaign to get disability onto the agenda. In 2002, however, the World Bank set up a Disability and Development Team to support research into disability and poverty and to push for disability issues to be recognised as essential for achieving the MDGs. South Africa The 2005 South African General Household Survey (GHS) indicates that there were approximately 3.4 million orphans, defined as children who had lost a biological mother, father or both parents. This is equal to 18.6% of all children in South Africa6. In a country with the world’s highest HIV prevalence rates, the multiple effects this has on the individual, the family and the community is enormous. This is most obvious in terms of children. The risks of mother–to-child transmission as well as the possibility of children being orphaned by one or both parents are a reality of hundreds of thousands of South African children. Not only is there a real risk in terms of death from AIDS related illnesses, but also the effects of a parent too ill to look after their child. In South Africa, as in other African countries, it is common for extended family members to step in and care for orphans. This has further consequences for family members and the broader community, stretching already limited resources. In addition, many children themselves end up looking after their younger siblings. As the HIV/AIDS infections rise, the number of orphans who become heads of households will also increase7. Orphans in child-headed households face particular challenges and exclusion, including lack of education, difficulty in obtaining food and shelter, and threats of child abuse, prostitution and child labour. Beyond the threats to their physical well-being is the psychological trauma of having lost one or both parents. This trauma could involve having to deal with a parent’s illness, absence of guidance and lack of love and security. The 2006 GHS indicates that there were approximately 122,000 children living in an estimated 60,000 child-headed households across South Africa at the time of the survey. This is equal to 0.7% of all children, and equal to 0.5% of all households in the country. Almost all (89%) of these were located in only three provinces: Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape8. Grandparents Many orphans or vulnerable children end up living with their grandparents. According to UNICEF, 38.2 % of young children are living in households where a grandparent or a great-grandparent is the head of the household. In KwaZulu-Natal, this number reaches 45.7 %9. This burden of care on the elderly, who are likely to be on a small pension or stipend support, has huge financial, physical and emotional costs. Physically and mentally weaker, many elderly people are putting their own health needs aside whilst caring for their grandchildren. They experience a loss of freedom, anxiety about caring for the children or their own trauma from having lost a family member. Extended families and even the community will often step in where a direct family member, such as a grandparent, is not available. The community will care for the needs of the children and this is a common occurrence in South Africa. This can also drain resources and be a over burden for impoverished communities. 6 Data from Children Count http://www.childrencount.ci.org.za/pdf/orphan_all_age_table.pdf 7 http://www.childrencount.ci.org.za/content.asp?TopLinkID=6&PageID=19 8 Data from Children Count http://www.ci.org.za/depts/ci/pubs/pdf/general/gauge2007/part_three/demography.pdf 9 Young Lives. Statistical Data on the Status of Children Aged 0–4 In South Africa. UNICEF, June 2007. VULNERABLE PEOPLE
- 4. maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation. Examples of this are the New Children’s Act (2008) and the Children’s Amendment Bill, the New Sexual Offences Act (2007) and the Child Justice Bill. The package of laws is progressive in introducing community-based services that support children and their families to prevent child abuse and neglect. These services should also serve to lessen the socio-economic drivers of crime committed both by children and by adults against children. In addition, Sexual Offences Courts are being rolled out across the country to assist children during court proceedings. However, these courts are under-resourced, which often results in delays and children not being adequately prepared for criminal proceedings13. The challenge now is to make sure necessary budgets are allocated, provincial departments’ capacity for delivery is improved, the human resources challenge is prioritised and sustainable funding is provided to non-profit organisations, which provide the bulk of social services to vulnerable children14. Alcohol As a country-specific example of children being the most vulnerable among high risk communities, research has found that prevalence rates of foetal alcohol syndrome in localised communities in South Africa are higher than reported anywhere else in the world. Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is the most severe effect of drinking during pregnancy. It is a lifelong condition that causes physical and mental disabilities. People with FASD might have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, hearing, or a combination of these. A study of Grade 1 children undertaken in (the wine producing region) of Wellington, Western Cape, found that 9% of children suffered from full-blown or partial FASD. Studies conducted in 2001 and 2002 in the cities of De Aar and Upington in the Northern Cape Province, found an overall prevalence of 67.2/1000 of FAS, and partial FAS of 20.8/100015. While there are many reasons for children to become orphaned or vulnerable, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is by far the largest. Other causes are abandonment, abuse, disability and chronic illness. It is imperative to care for these children now to nurture and promote self- empowerment as well as to encourage development, so that they can contribute to the broader South African society. The government’s Care Dependency, Child Support and Foster Care Grants have and will continue to positively influence the challenges faced by families and their children. It has been extended to cover children up to the age of 14. However, more support is needed in the form of integrated action in order to address the multi-dimensional aspects of children’s poverty, neglect, and vulnerability. Violence Children in South Africa are exposed to extremely high levels of violence in various forms. There are no accurate statistics on children exposed to violence. However, statistical comparisons in data between 1997-1999 and 2000-2002 reflected an average increase of 78% in reports of physical and sexual abuse of children as well as child neglect10. Children suffer from street violence, school insecurity in the form of gangsterism and also sexual abuse, at home and in the schools. According to Humans Rights Watch in 2001, “...teachers’ engaging in serious sexual misconduct with underage female students is widespread”11. Data has shown that children living in impoverished environments are more at risk. Some of the structural and personal features of poverty environments, which raise the risk of violence, are overcrowded households, lack of recreational activities for youths, unsafe neighbourhoods, intra-family stress due to poverty, as well as high levels of alcohol abuse. The growth in reports of sexual crimes against children indicates that this type of crime is either on the increase or is being more widely reported and spoken about12. Legislation has recently been reviewed in order to strengthen children’s rights and protect them from 10 UNICEF: Mapping & Review of Violence Prevention Problems in South Africa, 2006 http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/SAF_resources_violencecasestudies.pdf 11 Child Protection Sheet 2003: Fact Sheet Nr 4: Crimes Against children 12 Idem 11 13 Children’s Institute, UCT: South Africa Child Gauge 2007/2008 http://www.ci.org.za/depts/ci/pubs/pdf/general/gauge2007/ChildGauge2007.pdf 14 Idem 13 15 UNICEF South Africa: Foetal Alcohol syndrome situational and gap analysis, 2008 VULNERABLE PEOPLE
- 5. The dop (or “tot”) system, which involved the part payment of farm workers in poor quality wine, is thought to have contributed to the high prevalence of FAS described in agricultural communities in the Western Cape. Although formally banned in 1961, the practice persisted in various permutations into the 1990s. Government controlled beer halls and illegal “shebeens” were central to social networks and featured strongly as a means of both control and resistance in both pre-apartheid and apartheid South Africa. For women, the brewing of and trade in alcohol was an important source of income and conferred social status. According to UNICEF, a woman at risk of having a FASD child is also at risk of HIV infection due to similar risk-taking behaviours, and contextual factors. The National FASD Task Team led by the Department of Health was created to address the complex needs of adults and children living with FASD, especially in the education, health and social services sectors. However, more efforts are needed to improve capacity and service provision, as well as enhance the integration of the most vulnerable into society. Disabilities Stats SA recorded 2,657,714 disabled people in 1996 compared to 2,255,973 in 2001. However, the General Household Survey of 2007 indicates that in 2005, 1,512,000 individuals identified themselves as disabled. This represented 3.2% of the total population at the time. This gap shows the different data recording methods available. Over time, reported disability rates have fluctuated annually between 2.4% and 3.3%, with the 2006 and 2007 figures stable at approximately 3% of the population. While the country has some of the most comprehensive legislation and policy protecting and promoting the rights of disabled people in the world, there remains a lack of funding to implement policies. The inextricable link between disability and poverty remains a challenge. 79.4% of the disabled population live in households where the average annual per capita income is below R10 000 and where the maximum educational level is below Grade 12. A disabled person with no education has a 60% likelihood of being in the lowest income category, versus 44% for non-disabled people16. Another obstacle faced by people with disabilities at community level is stigmatisation, especially in the case of people with mental illness, due to a lack of information and awareness17. Why support vulnerable people? Providing support to vulnerable people is essential for the growth of any country. In South Africa, where the HIV/AIDS epidemic has had a tremendous toll on all aspects of society, it is imperative to implement programmes that will provide orphans with a chance for education, good health and most importantly, survival. Protecting and promoting the rights of children and people with disabilities requires collaborative effort from government, non governmental organisations (NGOs), community based organisations as well as corporations. Successful sector practices Research on the impact of projects targeting vulnerable people, both in South Africa and internationally, points out to some key elements for achieving higher impact in the sector. Among others, SASIX highlights: • Mobilising and supporting community-based responses to provide support to households caring for HIV/AIDS orphans, has proved to be non-disruptive for the children and also cost effective, specially, since local and regional evidence indicates that the majority of children who have been orphaned do not find themselves without any adult care, and usually live with relatives. • Education has an important role not only in shaping the lives of people with disabilities, but also in shaping the perception of those around them. • Integrating child protection into the community by among others, creating a place of safety within the community for children, who cannot stay at home; enabling support from positive figures such as “aunties”; promoting community action by providing accessible, informal, child-friendly protection systems. 16 The role and effectiveness of disability legislation in South Africa http://www.disabilitykar.net/research/small_sa.html 17 South Africa Health Review 2008, pg. 110. http://www.ci.org.za/depts/ci/pubs/pdf/trauma/facts/chprotect4.pdf VULNERABLE PEOPLE
- 6. Links International State of the World's Children Annual Reports www.unicef.org Childs Rights Information Network www.crin.org Disability and Poverty. A Survey of World Bank Poverty Assessments and Implications, World Bank. February 2008. siteresources.worldbank.org/DISABILITY/Resources/280658- 1172608138489/WBPovertyAssessments.pdf Orphaned an Vulnerable Children Support Toolkit, www.ovcsupport.net Eldis – Insitute of Devlopment Studies, Sussex www.eldis.org/go/topics/resource-guides/children-and-young-people South Africa Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town ci.org.za Independent Living Institute www.independentliving.org Disability and Social Change, HSRC PRess www.hsrcpress.ac.za/product.php?productid=2151 The Policy Framework for Orphans and Other Children made Vulnerable by HIV and AIDS (South Africa) (Department of Social Development, 2005) www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0002008/index.php Strategy for the Care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). S.A.H.A.R.A. www.sahara.org.za/index.php/Activities/Strategy-for- the-Care-of-Orphans-and-Vulnerable-Children-OVC.html National Plans of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in sub-Saharan Africa. Bernard van Leer Foundation. www.bernardvanleer.org/publication_store/publication_store_pub lications/national_plans_of_action_for_orphans_and_vulnerable_c hildren_in_sub-saharan_africa_where_are_the_youngest_children_/file On the basis of these practices, SASIX supports projects that: • Provide services which strengthen the ability of families and communities to care for children. • Promote the capacity of families and communities to respond to the psychosocial needs of orphans, vulnerable children and their caregivers. • Link HIV/AIDS prevention activities, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS and efforts to support vulnerable children. • Focus on the most vulnerable children and address gender discrimination. • Encourage and facilitate broad collaboration among key stakeholders in all sectors. • Promote education on disability, in particular around anti- discrimination and addressing stigma. • Provide inclusive work opportunities for people with disabilities. • Address the needs of all vulnerable children in a community not just AIDS orphans. • Support caregivers’ needs, helping children remain in family care. • Strengthen the capacity of families to protect and care for vulnerable people by providing economic, psychosocial and other support. This includes mitigating threats to basic survival – food, housing, education, health care – as well as the threats to security, protection from exploitation and abuse. • Ensure vulnerable people’s access to essential services including education, health care, birth registration, social grants etc. • Have a rights-based approach to the care and protection of children and disabled people. • Provide for the psychosocial and development needs of caregivers, including counselling and training. • Encourage and facilitate the involvement and participation of vulnerable people in the planning and implementing of efforts to address issues related to them. • Help uplift the poorest, most vulnerable members of communities through long-term intervention. VULNERABLE PEOPLE