Query: What kind of grants does the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare offer to orphans and vulnerable children and what are the criterion?
Response: The Directorate of Child Welfare Services in the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is mandated to promote and protect the well-being of all Namibian children.
Implement programs in accordance with National and International instruments: the Constitution, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
The directorate is further mandated to empower communities to take care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC); strengthen the implementation of child welfare services/programmes; improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery, Strengthen coordination and networking at all levels.
There are four types of grants given to different types of children according to criteria used.
The following are the types of grants the ministry is providing to orphans and vulnerable children.
a) Maintenance Grant
b) Foster Parent grant
c) Special maintenance
d) Grant for vulnerable children
Maintenance Grant: This grant is given to children whose one parent passed on and the remaining parent is earning less than N$1000 per month. The same benefit goes to the children of pensioners, children of disable parents and children for parents (bread winner) sentenced to more than six months in prison.
Foster parent Grant: This is the grant given to children who are found in need of care. Children are placed through Court Order either in the individual families or organizations that are taking care of children.
Special Maintenance Grant: This grant is given to children under sixteen years living with disability.
Vulnerable Child Grant: This grant is given to children whose parents has no source of income or to parents’ income is less than N$1000.
The total number of orphans and vulnerable children benefited from the grant system as of March 2017 is 285 431. Grant amount: All the four types of grant beneficiaries receive N$250.00 per month per child.
Mr. Walters Kamaya, Chief Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Gender Equality & Child Welfare, Email: Walters.Kamaya@mgecw.gov.na