Psycho-Social Support
- ASAP is concerned with the holistic development of orphans and
vulnerable children and with day to day nurturing and the fostering of
relationships that ensure proper psycho-social support.
- All young children require protection, nurturing and comforting to meet
emotional needs and support whole development.
- Relationships with stable caregivers that support ongoing interactions
with encouraging adults that promote their culture and foster cognitive
development.
- As they grow, children need friendships with same-aged peers and to be
members of formal cultural institutions, including educational, play, creative
activities, social and religious groups.
Challenges
- Poverty strips communities of their capacity to provide well-rounded
care for children. Lack of access to services, poor environmental conditions,
inadequate resources, social instability, overworked and demoralized caregivers
negatively directly affect children’s development.
- Child poverty in South Africa is exceedingly high. Due to the legacy of
apartheid, poverty is also closely tied with race. Ninety-five percent of all
poor children in South Africa are African.
- The HIV/AIDS epidemic poses particular threats to early childhood
development. Young children may lose parents and siblings through illness and
death. When this happens, the impact is devastating to children whose physical
and psychological development may be delayed, distorted or otherwise
interrupted.
Services Provided
Child and Youth Care Training:
ASAP has partnered with the National Association for Child Care Workers (NACCW) to bring comprehensive child and youth care training to child care workers This accredited community based training equips adults whose educational backgrounds range from semi-literate to post-graduate, with the skills needed to intervene in the lives of orphans and vulnerable children, child-headed families and youth-at-risk. The course teaches women about how to meet the basic and developmental needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Educo Africa’s Wilderness Youth Courses:
For the past two
years, ASAP has sponsored a group of 14 youth from KwaZulu-Natal who travelled
to Cape Town to attend Educo Africa’s Wilderness Youth Course. This
course is part of a broader HIV/AIDS Project which aims to address and mitigate
the psycho-social impact of HIV/AIDS on young people who are infected and
affected by HIV/AIDS. They have the rare opportunity to explore the impact of
HIV/AIDS in their lives in a supportive context.
Student Partnership Worldwide:
SPW has formed an agreement with one of
our partner organizations in the Eastern Cape and accepted 8 youth into their
leadership programme. This is a year-long peer education and development of
leadership skills initiative involving youth from all over South Africa.
Participants bring these skills back to their communities and engage with other
youth accessing ASAP services.
Art Therapy:
This year, ASAP hosted a creative arts
education project, Anno’s Africa. They brought circus, art, dance and
music workshops to 150 vulnerable children from Nyanga township outside Cape
Town. The arts foster joy and creativity and encourage self-worth and
expression. The children learned teamwork and improved communication skills
while exploring their own creative potential.
Kids Clubs:
ASAP supports the development of
community Youth Clubs and after-school activities for orphans and vulnerable
children. Activities also include outings, wilderness adventures, Christmas
parties and school holiday activities.
