Featured project: Thogomelo

The South African Children's Act (2005) gives community caregivers a vital role within the community response to vulnerable children. Yet their own psychosocial wellbeing, which is so critical in effectively responding to children, is seldom prioritised. Caregivers face multiple stresses in the context of HIV, poverty and high incidence of child abuse, neglect and exploitation.

HLSP's sister company, has partnered with PATH and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance to develop caregiver training and child protection interventions that are cost-efficient, sustainable, and relevant to the South African context. HDA is providing the technical lead for child protection as well as day-to-day project management of an initiative, known as the Thogomelo Project.

In collaboration with the lead National Department of Social Development, the project, which runs until 2013, aims to care for and protect children made vulnerable through AIDS or other reasons by providing psychosocial support for the individual caregiver and promoting caring organisational environments to foster their wellbeing. And, by enhancing child protection skills it empowers caregivers to respond effectively to vulnerable children as well as become agents of change in the often under-functioning child protection system.“Thogomelo” is a Venda word meaning ‘to care for” – the project offers the first accredited psychosocial support and child protection training for community caregivers in South Africa. Working in close collaboration with the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority, South Africa’s skills development regulatory body, the project aims to facilitate entry level jobs and a career path for this hitherto unrecognised component of the social welfare workforce, estimated at over 60,000 members.

Training is delivered nationally by provincial training service providers sub-contracted to the project. The ultimate beneficiaries are vulnerable children, whose quality of care is improved through addressing the psychosocial wellbeing and child protection skills of their caregivers. In addition to training, the project has developed two good practice case studies, a CD- Rom of child protection policy and legislation, a training costing model and several resource guides for community caregivers. 

For more information please contact: Sam Cutshwa