Where does OSA work?

Orphan Support Africa is currently working with CBOs in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda. Our offices are located in Malawi. Our US based operations are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

What is a CBO?

CBO stands for “community based organization”, which is an existing local organization based in the village at the grassroots level.

What is the role of CBOs?

Community based organizations have a critical and important role to play in the provision of care, protection and support for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC). They possess an extensive reach at the village level in mobilizing resources and the community. CBOs work with the community to create programs and activities to support OVCs. CBOs include the whole community in the decision making process, and all are involved in programs to create greater effectiveness in providing services for the OVCs. This, in addition to their unmatched staying power, makes them an invaluable asset in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic and in service delivery and care to OVCs.

What services to CBOs provide for OVCs?

Some of the services provided by CBOs for the care of OVCs include:

-Socioeconomic support

-Psychosocial support

-Education and school needs

-HIV prevention education and counseling

-Medical care

What are the key strategic interventions for OVC?

There is greater need to strengthen the capacity of families and communities to care, protect and support orphaned and vulnerable children by providing economic, psycho-social and emotional support and to mobilize and support community-based responses. There is a need to ensure access for OVCs to essential services, including education, health care, birth registration and others. There is also urgent need to raise awareness at all levels through advocacy and social mobilization in order to create a supportive environment for OVCs and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

Why is OSA in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region in the global AIDS epidemic. Although just over 10% of the world’s population live in this region, more than two out of three adults and nearly 90% of children infected with HIV reside in Sub-Saharan Africa.

What has the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic been on OVCs?

Many countries in Sub Saharan Africa are coping with increasingly large numbers of children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. As the numbers of OVC increase, so does the stress of traditional coping systems of extended families which are now being overwhelmed with the increase in numbers. When one member of a community falls victim to AIDS, it is not just a loss for their loved ones and household, but of an entire community that rely extensively on one another for support and prosperity.


Who takes care of OVCs?

The extended family usually takes take of OVCs after the death of one or both the parents. However, it is proving increasingly difficult for surviving parents, their extended families and
 relatives who are already under economic hardships, to provide, protect and care for the expanding number of orphans and vulnerable children.

What is the current situation of OVCs in Malawi?

The situation of children of Malawi, particularly those orphaned remains very serious, this is due to a combination of chronic poverty, bad weather conditions, bad harvest, and a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Among the most devastating effects of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and in particular Malawi, is that it is orphaning generations of children. HIV and AIDS are generating a major humanitarian crisis for families in Sub-Saharan Africa. The number of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS is expected to rise to 2 million by 2010. Malawi has an extremely high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, which affects an estimated 16.4 per cent of people aged 15 to 49 and accounts for some 70 per cent of hospital deaths.

How does the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant help CBOs?

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation Grant funds OSA’s program to partner with CBOs to provide greater services to OVCs over a 3 year period. OSA is currently working with 40 CBO partners that provide support to over 36, 000 OVCs. CBOs are involved in income generation activities, home based care, HIV/AIDS education and awareness, early childhood & primary education and feeding programs as part of their efforts to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children.

How can I help?

Your donation goes directly to the work of CBOs in providing support and care for OVCs. Orphan Support Africa is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization so your donation is applicable for IRS tax credit. You can also help by spreading the word about OSA in your community by “liking” us on Facebook, “following” us on Twitter, or recommending any one of our other sites online to your friends, co-workers and family.