Cause

Proposed intervention to prevent more OVC

Programs that already exist to deliver this type of intervention (government and non-government)

Adaptations required in existing programs to ensure required coverage and increase effectiveness

Gaps that will require new programs to fill.

Family breakdown

Develop psycho-social counseling for families;

build social networks in urban areas to simulate village support structures

Pilot program including both of these components exists in one major city. Results, so far, have been positive.

Assuming impact evaluations are positive, this program should be expanded to all major cities and towns where child abandonment is a problem. Would need to improve targeting of program to ensure only those most vulnerable of abandoning their children benefit; cost per beneficiary household would need to decline.

Illness of Parents

HIV/AIDS prevention education;

Ensure access to primary health care services to all households

HIV/AIDS prevention materials have been developed by the National HIV/AIDS Committee

Primary health clinics currently exist in 50% of municipalities.

Primary health clinics have the facilities, staff and supplies to provide basic health care services in only 20% of municipalities

Need to be more aggressive about disseminating these materials to at risk parents, particularly to fathers who are truckers or migrant laborers.

Would need to have fully operational primary health care services in 100% of all major cities and towns, where street children are already a problem.

Poor Quality Health Care

More funding dedicated to preventive health care

Very little systemic effort to educate parents on low-cost, basic health care prevention.

Some recent attempts to educate people on HIV/AIDS

Would need to greatly increase the intensity and improve of this effort in order for it to have an impact.

Would need to design more systematic approach to educating parents on how to prevent the 5 top causes of mortality for adults and children.

Infidelity

HIV/AIDS education;

psycho-social counseling to build awareness of consequences of infidelity

See above

See above

Poverty

Target conditional cash transfers subsidies to at-risk households

Nothing of this kind exists

Would need to develop conditional cash transfers program that promotes school enrollment and pre-natal and new-baby wellness health visits and education. These would be targeted to households at risk of abandoning or mistreating their children.

Conjugal Disagreements

Develop psycho-social counseling for families;

build social networks in urban areas to simulate village support structures

See discussion above

Divorce

Develop psycho-social counseling for families;

build social networks in urban areas to simulate village support structures

See discussion above

Death of Parents

HIV/AIDS prevention education;

ensure access to primary health care services to all households

See discussion above

Remarriage

Pre-marriage counseling services for people remarrying to discuss responsibilities for step-children as part of broader Psycho-social counseling program.

See discussion above

Child Abuse

Educational campaigns to build awareness re. non-abusive forms of disciplining children

Nothing exists

Would need to develop new communications campaign targeting at-risk families in large cities and towns

Rebellious child

Ensure young people have a voice and positive means of expressing themselves.

Conflict prevention and management training for children and parents.

Very little exists.

Organize recreational activities for youth groups in low-income neighborhoods from where children living or working in the street originate.

Children accused of sorcery

Develop legal framework to make it illegal to accuse any one, particularly a child of sorcery

Nothing exists here, but other countries have passed similar laws.

Will need to develop national law to this effect and find appropriate penalties that do not serve to undermine family solidarity and make poor households poorer.

Parents fear of being victim of child’s sorcery

Develop psycho-social counseling for families;

Educate parents about child and adolescent behavior;

Train parents in conflict prevention and management skills and non-abusive forms of disciplining children.

See above

See above

See above

Large Family Size

Make family planning services available to adolescent girls and women

Such services are available at some of the better public health clinics, but little effort is made to promote them.

Would need to make systematic effort to ensure that all reproductive aged girls and women receive a basic education on what contraceptive and family planning services exist and how to have access to them. This may best be done through the educational system for girls and through the maternity wards for new mothers.

Attraction of Street Life

Ensure safe forms of recreation for children and youth in cities

See above

Church promotion of concept of child sorcerers

Develop legal framework to make it illegal to accuse any one, particularly a child of sorcery

See above

Proliferation of Evangelical churches

Develop psycho-social counseling for families and promote new social networks in urban areas as alternative approaches for problem-solving and dealing with family stresses.

See above

Insatisfaction with Marriage

Develop psycho-social counseling for families to help them to address trouble within marriage.

See above

Economic Pressure on Parents

Provide targeted conditional cash transfers to households at risk of abandoning their children;

Increase household’s income generation potential through provision of grant capital and/or training.

See above

Some microfinance programs exist, but given the vulnerability of these households, grant capital would be necessary.

Would need to develop separate program designed to stimulate businesses owned vulnerable households using grants, complemented by training.

Low wages

Increase household’s income generation potential through provision of grant capital and/or training.

See above

Unwanted births

Give adolescent girls and women access to family planning services;

promote condom use among men

See above

Not much available targeting young men.

May need to adjust HIV/AIDS educational materials to target a younger audience and to promote the contraceptive function of condoms as well. This program could be disseminated through schools and mass education campaigns targeting young audiences.

Unwanted step children

Increase single mothers opportunities to be economically independent, so remarriage is not their only option;

Communications campaign regarding the responsibility of step-parents to care for their step-children;

Make necessary laws to ensure that parents care for their children after divorce

See above

Nothing exists

Nothing exists

Would need to develop special new program for this purpose.

May not be practical to do this since the state does not have the ability to enforce such a law.

Polygamy

Through a training program on household economy, educate men on the financial responsibilities they face in taking on another wife and the challenges of meeting those challenges in an urban environment.

Develop psycho-social counseling for couples to help them to solve problems in current marriage to lower attraction of finding new wife.

Nothing exists.

See discussion above.

Would need to develop a special campaign targeting urban areas where polygamy is most prominent.

Consequence

Proposed Intervention to Address needs of existing OVC

Alcoholism

In short-term, gain trust of child and treat for alcoholism.

In medium-term, provide pscho-social counseling to street children and their families in an effort to address underlying causes of child going into the street.

Several NGOs already do this.

Several NGOs already do this.

Provide more funding for this type of activity through grants to NGOs and reward success in reuniting families.

Drug addiction

In short-term, gain trust of child and treat for drug addiction.

In medium-term, provide pscho-social counseling to street children and their families in an effort to address underlying causes of child going into the street.

Several NGOs already do this.

See above

Child drops out of school

Provide educational catch-up services and re-enroll child in main-stream school as soon as possible.

Work to reunify child with family.

Several NGOs already do this.

See above.

Develop national standards for this type of program to guarantee rapid transition back into mainstream national education system.

Prostitution

Make condoms and contraceptives available to street children;

Educate street children on risks of HIV/AIDS, STDs, and pregnancy.

Provide alternative, less risky means of income generation for children living and working in street.

Work to reunify child with family.

Several NGOs already do this.

See above.

Existing microenterprise programs do not target youth.

Make sure that NGOs working with street children have access to free condoms.

Organize special youth entrepreneurship program targeting street children as well as children at-risk of becoming street children. Program should include training and seed grant investment capital.

Crime

Provide alternative, less risky means of income generation for children living and working in street.

Provide safe recreational activities for street children and youth in general.

Work to reunify child with family.

See above

See above.

See above.

Begging

Provide alternative, less risky means of income generation for children living and working in street.

Provide safe recreational activities for street children and youth in general.

Work to reunify child with family.

See above.

See above.

See above.

Poverty

Work to reunify child with family.

Provide conditional cash transfers to parents to ensure child attends school and gets basic health care.

Provide training and access to investment capital to parents to enhance their income generation potential.

See above

See above

Teen Pregnancy

Make condoms and contraceptives available to street children;

Educate street children on risks of HIV/AIDS, STDs, and pregnancy;

Work to reunify child with parents;

Develop up-to-date law facilitating adoption.

Counsel child on adoption option and, if she decides to keep the child, on good child rearing practices.

See above.

See above.

See above.

Current adoption law is out of date, unclear and bureaucratic.

NGOs work with these children, but do not appear to offer this type of advice.

Update law to facilitate adoption

Support NGOs working with street children to provide information on the adoption alternative and link child with relevant government offices to facilitate adoption process.

Impoverished Babies

Work to reunify child and mother with girl’s parents;

Counsel child on adoption option and, if she decides to keep the child, on good child rearing practices;

Provide conditional cash transfers to parents to ensure child attends school and gets basic health care.

Provide training and access to investment capital to parents to enhance their income generation potential.

See above.

See above.

See above

See above

Unsafe abortions

Make condoms and contraceptives available to street children;

Educate street children on risks of pregnancy and unsafe abortions;

Provide free safe abortion services had MOH hospitals.

See above

See above

Currently doctors are not systematically trained in how to do safe abortions.

Develop a curriculum module for medical students on how to conduct a safe abortion.

Provide on-going education on safe abortion techniques to doctors working in clinics in urban areas with high rates of teen pregnancies.

HIV AIDS and STDs

Make condoms and contraceptives available to street children;

Educate street children on risks of HIV/AIDS and STDs.

See above.

See above.

Sexual Abuse

Make and enforce laws to criminalize sexual abuse of minors;

Communications campaign to build public awareness about illegality of sexual abuse and to educate children about safe places they can go if they are the victim of sexual abuse;

Fund safe houses where children who have been sexually abused can go to get away from the abuser.

Develop psycho-social counseling targeting at-risk families that may help to identify early warning signs and prevent repeat offences.

Country has signed the International Declaration of Children’s Rights, but nothing exists in national law that criminalizes sexual abuse of minors.

Nothing exists

Nothing exists

See above

New law would need to be developed and law enforcement who police areas known for prostitution and judges who would try such cases need to be trained on how to handle these types of offences.