The department of
social welfare was first established in 1976 as a response
to increasing levels of poverty and other social problems.
Initially this department was based in the Ministry of
Interior Affairs, then it was moved to the Ministry of
Justice, then Employment and in 1993 it was based within the
Ministry of Health. The goal of the department is to
alleviate human suffering among the vulnerable groups in
society, the emphasis tends to change from overtime, but the
one recurring theme is poverty and suffering. Social welfare
services are aimed at improving the survival strategies and
self reliance of vulnerable groups in society. The main
target groups for social services include vulnerable and
abused children ands orphans, the elderly, the disabled and
those subjected to some form of psycho-social trauma and
abuse. When the impact of HIV/AIDS was barely felt, in the
late eighties, the main focus of the department of social
welfare services was the distribution of food packages to
families that were defined as poor, later the department
facilitated review of the monthly public assistance stipend
for the elderly, which was set at M100 and is administered
through the Prime Ministers Office. In 2004 the department
of Social welfare facilitated public assistance grants for
4,904 clients and medical exemptions for 1,354 paupers at
public hospitals.
The three components of social welfare services are:
preventive and promotive social work, social security and
social welfare services. Currently the biggest challenge
facing the Social welfare services delivery system is the
increasing number of orphans, a situation which is directly
related to the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This
challenge is further perpetuated by the vulnerability of
girl children especially, who are subjected to all kinds of
abuse especially sexual abuse. All these factors not only
create an emiserating environment for the bulk of children
in the country but create a vicious cycle of poverty. The
number of orphans is increasing dramatically, from an
estimated 73,000 in 2001 to nearly 92,000 throughout the
country in 2003. HIV/AIDS has many direct and indirect
impacts on children, ranging from the psychological effects
of losing one or both parents. Many of the children affected
or infected by HIV/AIDS are often exposed to various forms
of exploitation including sexual abuse, benign neglect, and
general misery, exclusion and depression.
Changes in lifestyles have also given rise to problems
associated with alcohol and drug abuse which often result in
vulnerability of women to domestic violence. The effects of
HIV AIDS have increased pressure on the social services to
provide support and counselling for the infected and
affected, especially caregivers and spouses.
Social Welfare reforms in the health sector and realisation
the HIV/AIDS continues to an extremely adverse effect on
social structure in the country led to a concerted effort by
the relevant government sectors to increase the number of
social workers in the health sector through initiating a
training programme at the National University and creating
position for social workers at the district level. Social
Welfare services have been integrated into the district
health package which was developed under the Health Sector
Reform Programme. Social services have received a
considerable boost in the past five years and the capacity
of the delivery system has improved. Never the less the
system is still severely understaffed considering the needs
at the community level.
Over and above provision of generic social services for the
identified vulnerable groups, the social welfare services
also incorporate preventive, curative and rehabilitative
services for disabled persons. Disability care includes
improving capacity of caregivers and parents to care for
their disabled children and facilitating integration of
disabled children into the schools and other social
settings.
SOCIAL SERVICES by system level
Community Level
The community level is supported by a network of volunteers
who work in the areas of development and empowerment through
community based income generating projects, sensitisation on
children, youth and womens rights, support services for
people living with AIDS, domestic violence and foster homes
for orphans. In terms of prevention, social services at this
level also include provision of communication and advocacy
materials to promote social welfare services, including
preventive measures and rehabilitative services for
disability as well as life skills for the youth.
Health Centre Level
The health centre level provides technical support and
supervision to the community structures and initiatives.
Dissemination of the relevant educative and communication
materials on disability, alcohol abuse, child abuse and
neglect, and the elderly is an important function of the
health centre level. Other services include counselling,
follow-up of families that are in dire need, rehabilitative
services, follow-up of AIDS patients at home and counselling
of family members as well as counselling of parents with
disabled children are some of the activities undertaken at
this level of the delivery system. The health centre level
also collaborates with other NGOs that operate within their
catchment area, especially in the area of caring for orphans
and vulnerable children.
District Hospital Level
The hospital level is responsible for overseeing coordinate
planning and budgeting for social services in the district/
HSA. More and more district hospitals are forced to forge
partnerships with the office of the District Administrator
and the local councils to facilitate a mulit-sectroral
approach to the delivery of social services that meet the
needs identified a the local level.. Other sector involved
are the police, justice, law enforcement and human rights as
well as the education and agriculture sectors. This district
hospital level, like the lower levels provides counselling,
health education and rehabilitative services. At this level,
psychosocial services and outpatient services are provided
for special cases such as rape victims, battered women and
abused children. Sever cases are referred to the National
Psychiatric Hospital or to QE II Referral Hospital. For
disabled patients there is also the option of referring
patients to the Ithuseng Vocational Rehabilitation Centre
where they are provide with skills and work habits that will
enable them to start their own businesses and be
self-sufficient.
Ithuseng Vocational Rehabilitation Centre
Ithuseng Vocational Rehabilitation Centre was
established in 1991 as a response to the realisation that
disability perpetuates poverty. In order to contain some of
these effects the government in partnership with the
International Labour Organisation and the United Nations
Development Programme, established the Centre with the main
objective of empowering disabled persons so that they can
contribute productive to economic development and the own
personal well being and that of their families.
The Centre supports to adults and youth with any form of
disability by providing vocational guidance and training,
literacy and numeracy training, technical skills in metal
work, leatherwork, carpentry, sewing and knitting,
agriculture, general repair skills and basic training in
business management. Other kinds of support include job
placements but the emphasis of the training is to encourage
self employment and partnership among the trainees to start
their own businesses. Trainees are provided with tools as
part of the support. Originally on completion of the
training a loan was granted to the graduates so that they
can start their own business and repay the loan overtime. In
this way a revolving loan fund was established but this
initiative collapsed because of failure of people to repay
the loan and absence of mechanisms to penalise those who
failed to pay. Currently the Centre uptake is 60 trainees
every two years and they are provided with medical,
physiotherapy and appliances support. Trainees also have
access to sporting, recreational, and social facilities. The
main criterion for choosing prospective trainees is those
disabled adults who are in desperate need particularly those
who have never attended school. Enrolment at is free to
facilitate equitable access but the demand outweighs the
accommodation capacity of the Centre because there is just
not enough space for all the potential trainees. The biggest
challenge currently facing the Centre is mobilisation of
resources to improve and expand the management and
infrastructural capacity of the Centre.
CONTACTS
Social
Welfare Department
Contact person Joalane Putsoa
Position Administrator
Telephone +266- 22322142
Fax +266- 22317206
Email:
jayputsoa@yahoo.com
Rehabilitation unit
Contact person M
.. Matsoso
Position Chief Rehabilitation Officer
Telephone +266- 22311117
Fax
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Email:
mmatsoso@health.gov.ls
Ithuseng Vocational Rehabilitation Centre
Contact person
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Position
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Telephone
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