Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Malawi
Malawi is a landlocked country in southern Africa. It is the second poorest country in the world with a population of 12 million people; 1 million are orphans. An ongoing Government/UNICEF monitoring mission indicates a worsening situation for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) due to the food crisis, which puts greater pressure on households that care for orphans. This increased vulnerability also results in a variety of negative socioeconomic trends, including: more children engaging in child labor; an influx of children on the streets in urban and peri-urban areas; more children in conflict with the law; weakened capacity of community-based organizations to care for OVC; and an increased number of children flocking to community-based child care centers that provide food.
A major challenge facing Malawi is the lethal “triple threat” combination of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, food insecurity, and weakened capacity for governance. HIV/AIDS and food and nutrition insecurity in Malawi are becoming increasingly entwined in a vicious cycle, with food insecurity increasing the risk of exposure to HIV, and HIV/AIDS in turn increasing vulnerability to food insecurity (UNICEF, 2005).
The 2004 Malawi Demographic Health Survey estimated that 48 percent of children under five are stunted, 5 percent of children are wasted, and 22 percent are underweight (MDHS, 2004).
Genesis’ Response: Activities and Achievements in Malawi
Activity 1: Income Generation Poultry Project
In September of 2004, Genesis began the construction of a chicken house as a sustainable income-generating project for the Naotcha child-care center. The volunteers have been trained in poultry farming practices by the Malawi Agricultural Center. The eggs from the chickens provide a hygienic source of protein for the children, while revenue from the sale of the chickens allows the child-care volunteers to purchase food, education materials to support the orphans.
Activity 2: Day Care Center for orphans and vulnerable children
The child-care center provides education, food and clothing to eighty orphans and vulnerable children. GENESIS International provides funds to the community volunteers to allow them to purchase food, firewood, and charcoal on a monthly basis.
Activity 3: Food and Nutrition Center
The primary objective of the nutrition program is to prevent chronic and severe malnutrition among children under five. The volunteers prepare two meals for the children per day and monitor the children’s weight.
