| In Swaziland alone there are currently 70 000 | | | | level. |
| orphans. Projections by the body coordinating the | | | | Also, as part of community orphan outreach |
| HIV/AIDS fight in Swaziland, the National Emergency | | | | programs, governments with the cooperation of |
| Response Council on HIV/AIDS, show that the | | | | international agencies like UNICEF and the World Food |
| present figure will increase to 120 000 by 2010. | | | | Programme, have set up a network of volunteer-run |
| Through different outreach programs by different | | | | neighbourhood care points (NCPs) in communities |
| organizations, something is being done to assist the | | | | heavily affected by HIV/AIDS, where there are |
| growing number of orphans in Africa. | | | | many orphans. This orphan outreach programme |
| Africans believe in the concept of "ubuntu", which is | | | | ensures that the children get a balanced meal, have |
| about having compassion and showing kindness to | | | | companionship in a stable environment and |
| others. Africans also hold the belief that 'it takes a | | | | experience some love and care from adults being the |
| village to raise a child'. These beliefs have driven | | | | volunteers. Volunteers in a community can be from |
| Africans in communities to easing the burden of | | | | the community or any other community - as long as |
| children orphaned by HIV/AIDS as they have taken | | | | it is a willing somebody. The NCP's range from |
| the children in offering them care and support. African | | | | outdoor meeting points to small two-room buildings |
| orphan outreach has become partly a responsibility of | | | | where orphans learn to count and read, eat two |
| the orphans' relatives, extended family and | | | | meals a day and receive health treatment from a |
| community. But that alone has not been enough as | | | | mobile clinic operating out of a flatbed truck |
| the number of orphans increases daily. Furthermore | | | | whenever available. |
| because of drought, poverty and other | | | | Other orphan outreach programs include: |
| socio-economic crises, not many families in the | | | | Corporate or Company Outreach Programs |
| communities are able to take care of orphans. Their | | | | Company staff members dedicate some time to |
| poor economic situations make life difficult because | | | | work in community-based orphan outreach programs. |
| with the little they have, they must also take care of | | | | They usually put together some money and visit the |
| their own children and families. These community | | | | place and at times hand out food parcels and clothes |
| outreach programs make a difference. | | | | for the orphans. |
| At chiefdom level, there are also community based | | | | NGOs, charity organizations Outreach Programmes |
| outreach programs such as the cultivation of fields to | | | | Local civil society organizations and charity |
| provide food for orphans. Chiefs provide a piece of | | | | organizations develop orphan outreach programs |
| land and government contributes funds for the | | | | through which they provide survival skills training, |
| purchase of farm implements and seeds for different | | | | psychosocial counseling and even sustainable |
| crops including maize, sorghum and beans. The | | | | agricultural education. The charity organizations often |
| community members contribute vegetables, their | | | | mobilize their members to donate towards taking |
| time and their manpower to tend to the fields until | | | | care of a certain element of orphan care such as |
| the harvest is ready. When ready, the produce is | | | | buying them school uniforms or even sponsoring an |
| shared equally amongst the orphan homes within the | | | | orphan's education. |
| community and this is also facilitated at chiefdom | | | | |