Children with Trauma
The Town Practice is pleased to support two local orphanages in Lusaka, Zambia.
Chisomo Centres (meaning grace (of God))
Official Website – https://chisomocenters.org/
Providing A Safe Haven For Children
The problem with children living/working on the streets is complex. HIV/AIDS has contributed greatly to the problem by placing a significant burden on surviving family members to care for children. While 40% of street children have lost one or both parents, the majority are not orphans but have been sent to the street by a mix of problems including crushing poverty, abuse, no access to education and limited alternatives for meeting their basic needs.
Chisomo strives to offer a safe haven for children living on the street, a place where they can receive shelter, food, clothing and counselling through its programs of prevention, intervention, tracing and reuniting. These services are divided into intervention services (Chisomo Drop-in Shelter and Home) targeting children on the street, and a prevention programme (Chisomo’s Women’s Programme) targeting families at risk of having children go to the street.
Intervention (Chisomo Drop In and Shelter )
Intervention services (Chisomo Drop-in Shelter and Home) target children on the street, Chisomo strives to offer a safe haven for children, a place where they can receive shelter, food clothing and counselling.
Prevention Program (Chisomo’s Women’s Program)
Targeting families at risk of having children go to the street. Chisomo provides Entrepreneurial Skills, training women in catchment areas of the women’s program.
Reintegration (Tracing and Reuniting)
Chisomo works to reintegrate street children into their home communities and families, which is ultimately the best place for them.
Vision Of Hope
Official Website – http://visionofhopezambia.org
Building A Safer Zambia, One Child At A Time
VoH is the only organization serving the specific needs of female youth on the streets in Zambia. We work to change the future of girls in crisis, prevent streetism, and build a Zambia where girls and women are free from exploitation.
Our Program Is Designed WITH, Not FOR, The Girls At VoH
We are constantly examining and refining our program activities based on open feedback and communication with the girls. Below are Vision of Hope’s top priorities:
Life skills are the foundation of Vision of Hope’s program. Learning life skills can instill confidence, self-esteem, decision-making strategies, and hope within each girl.
Education is critical to improving girls socioeconomic status, presenting them with more opportunities for their future. Vision of Hope is dedicated to assisting and supporting each girl to reach her educational goals by providing school fees, supplies, and mentoring services at the VoH shelter.
Health education and access is fundamental to VoH’s work. Whether it relates to sexually transmitted infections (STI’s), HIV prevention, or the symptoms of malaria and tuberculosis, health education empowers each girl to make informed and safe decisions. VoH connects children to routine medical care and encourages youth to build trusted relationships with healthcare professionals. For our HIV positive youth, VoH supports adherence to antiretroviral therapy so every girl has the possibility of a long and healthy life.
Skill training/financial literacy is designed to empower girls economically. Some of the trainings including rug-making, gardening, cooking and other income-generating activities. (Insert more here – based on demand from youth, combats girls returning to the streets, etc.)
Counseling is available and strongly encouraged for each girl that enters our program. We provide on-site mental health, drug and alcohol and trauma counselling.
Community prevention and outreach is an important part of our daily work. Vision of Hope collaborates with schools, churches, clinics, and community organizations to combat social stigma and factors that contribute to children resorting to the streets as their homes. Outreach workers also work in the community to fight gender-based violence and exploitation, and provide counseling and support to community members in need.
Child rights are largely unknown to at-risk girls. Vision of Hope works to educate each girl of her rights and how to protect and advocate for them, including the rights to privacy, education and safety.
Want To Help?
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