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Lusaka, Zambia

Anglican Children's Project

Project No: F20
Project Manager: Felix Mwale

The Anglican Children's Project (ACP) is a community-based outreach program whose goal is to halt the incidence of poverty and destitution of children, including AIDS orphans ending up on the streets. They currently work with 853 orphans and other at-risk children, most of whom have been directly affected by the AIDS/HIV epidemic.

ACP's approaches to these problems are both curative and preventive, through programs such as:
  • Canaan Center in Chelston, which has dormitories to house nearly 50 children during their rehabilitation. Since its inception, the Center's curative program has worked with 119 children: 34 have been reintegrated, 18 returned to the street, 21 are in transition, and the rest are presently in residence.
  • Education sponsorship provides tuition for children enrolling in government schools. So far, 139 children have been sponsored.
  • Skills training enables the children to be self-reliant. To date, 28 children have been sponsored in the fields of agriculture, basic electronics, tailoring, design, carpentry & joinery, teaching, catering and computers.
  • Psychosocial counseling. Most of the problems faced by these children are social; therefore, it is imperative that they (and their parents) first identify their problems before they can begin to overcome them. Included in the counseling efforts are topics such as child-abuse prevention, small business initiatives, and sex education.
  • Bible Clubs. Currently 300 children, aged 5-12, meet each Saturday to learn about various contemporary issues, such as behavioral change, child-abuse prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness, and the importance of personal hygiene. They also teach from the Scriptures, to help the children learn Christian principles that will uplift and strengthen them in their daily lives.
  • Recreational Activities. In addition to just being fun, games such as football, netball, and draughts help the children regain physical coordination and mental acuity.

Problem Analysis

The orphan rate in Zambia increases daily as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. All social and economic indicators clearly show that an increasing percentage of the population is becoming marginalized, particularly women and children. They are further being impoverished through a number of economic constraints and social services, income and inadequate nutrition.

These situations have caused extended families to disintegrate and not be able to take care of the children of their dead relative, as they are already over-stretched with their own large families’ needs. As a result, orphaned children end up on the streets to fend for themselves. (In actuality, nearly three quarters of Zambian children live below poverty line with little notable difference between orphans/vulnerable children and others.)

Almost half of all AIDS-impacted children in the country reside in a household headed by a surviving parent. Forty percent have lost both their parents. Grandparents and aunts/uncles look after a large percentage of these children who have lost both mother and father, demonstrating that extended families continue to share the burden of orphan care.

It is estimated that there are 750,000 street children, and that 7% have no home to return to.

It costs about $50 a year to send a child to elementary school and over $100 a year to send a child to high school. For families living on less then a dollar a day, obviously school becomes an impossible luxury. As older children become the heads of household for their younger siblings, and/or healthy adults take on caring for more and more of their relatives’ children, simply feeding the children becomes difficult. And yet, without school and adequate food, many children run away and end up on the streets, at high risk themselves for HIV/Aids, drug abuse and other challenges.

More on Anglican Children’s Project

The overall goal of Anglican Children’s Project is “to increase the capacity of orphans and other vulnerable children and their families in responding to their needs through community based and other interventions.”

In creating awareness of children’s rights, activities are carried out using drama groups, focus group discussions and written materials. Through outreach programs, staff visits other communities and churches for the purpose of sensitizing the members on the effects of poverty, child abuse, children’s rights and HIV/AIDS with emphasis on how best to reduce stigma and discrimination of the affected persons.

In addition to community-based outreach work, Anglican Children’s Project runs a home for street children who have been in a temporary shelter and are ready to attend school, live in one place and learn skills toward self-independence.

Outreach workers also help organize home based care for the sick, plan for the future of the children soon to be orphaned, and raise funds to help with the food, clothing and school expenses of the orphans. In addition, because the outreach workers build strong relationships with the residents, they help organize in response to other needs as well, and provide psychosocial counseling.