In collaboration with several partner organizations, the project currently focuses on how children, families and communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to develop models of best practise so as to enhance and improve support structures for OVC in the southern African region as a whole.

In 2002, the Human Sciences Research Council was commissioned by the WK Kellogg Foundation to develop and implement a five-year intervention project focusing on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in southern Africa. In collaboration with several partner organizations, the project currently focuses on how children, families and communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to develop models of best practise so as to enhance and improve support structures for OVC in the southern African region as a whole. This report forms part of a series that examines the work undertaken as part of the Kellogg OVC Intervention Project from 2002 to 2005.

In 2002, the Human Sciences Research Council was commissioned by the WK Kellogg Foundation to develop and implement a five-year intervention project focusing on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in southern Africa. In collaboration with several partner organisations, the project currently focuses on how children, families and communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to develop models of best practise so as to enhance and improve support structures for OVC in the southern African region as a whole. This report forms part of a series that examines the work undertaken as part of the Kellogg OVC Intervention Project from 2002 to 2005.

In 2011 there were an estimated 3.9 million orphaned children in South Africa, many of them orphaned by HIV/AIDS. These children are at high risk for developing psychosocial and mental health problems. The National Strategy for the care of orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs) recognizes the importance of psychosocial support but there are few specific guidelines on best practice and little research on the effectiveness of psychosocial support programs. There is even less research capturing the perspectives of front-line staff and caregivers. This master's thesis project conducted a case study of an NGO that provides foster care for OVCs in the Western Cape of South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 14 foster mothers, four social workers and one administrator of the HomeFromHome organization. Interviews explored the experiences, opinions and concerns of participants regarding psychosocial support and the respondents' views on the (1) main challenges they face in providing psychosocial support (2) what they see as the most effective forms of support and (3) their recommendations for policy changes. Responses highlighted the psychosocial challenges faced by OVCs, those caring for children, and program staff. The research findings support the existing literature, which promotes psychosocial support as essential for orphaned, and vulnerable children. This case study found that HomeFromHome social workers, foster mothers and administration want increased levels of psychosocial support for both children and caregivers. Respondents identified foster mothers and a primary loving caregiver as the most significant form and source of psychosocial support for the children. An analysis of the participant responses identified several areas that warrant further investigation for future policy and program development. These include: the different forms of alternative childcare, the role of the community and the church, the gap between policy and implementation, gendered issues, the aging out process, and issues concerning biological families.

A follow-up to the Nelson Mandela Foundation's 2002 national household survey of HIV/AIDS prevalence in South Africa, this 2005 report seeks to provide further understanding of the HIV pandemic. Using data that tested for HIV incidence rather than just using mortality statistics, this study looks at which socio-demographic groups are most vulnerab≤ whether new policies have been successful in fighting the disease; what exactly is being done by key players, such as the government, churches, and other civil society organizations; and how the spread of HIV can be reduced in South Africa.

Since 1994, the democratic government in South Africa has worked hard at improving the lives of the black majority, yet close to half the population lives in poverty, jobs are scarce, and the country is more unequal than ever. For millions, the colour of people's skin still decides their destiny. In his wide-ranging, incisive and provocative analysis, Hein Marais shows that although the legacies of apartheid and colonialism weigh heavy, many of the strategic choices made since the early 1990s have compounded those handicaps. Marais explains why those choices were made, where they went awry, and why South Africa's vaunted formations of the left -- old and new -- have failed to prevent or alter them. From the real reasons behind President Jacob Zuma's rise and the purging of his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, to a devastating critique of the country's continuing AIDS crisis, its economic path and its approach to the rights and entitlements of citizens, South Africa Pushed to the Limit presents a riveting benchmark analysis of the incomplete journey beyond apartheid.

This is a report on census of orphans and vulnerable children in two districts in Zimbabwe.