How Ingwavuma Orphan Care assist Hlengiwe Gumede (not her real name) has full blown AIDS and was thrown out of her family's house. She has a 6 month old baby who is also HIV+ and they live in a self-made shack of reeds with many gaps. At times when the AIDS related illnesses are too debilitating she is unable to fetch water and when we found them they often went thirsty because there was no-one to help. To protect their privacy we cannot show a photograph. Once our community-based carers were informed they began visiting regularly. Our social worker and paralegals initiated the beaurocratic processes to get disability grants and child care grants. We motivated nearby churches to volunteer and rebuild their shack using local materials and to fetch firewood and water when Hlengiwe is unable to do so. They received a monthly food parcel while the paralegals obtained their grants and they attend a monthly support group with other carers of HIV+ children where Hlengiwe receives advice on ARVs and all the many issues surrounding HIV on the ground. Meet the Mngomezulu Family – Extracted from a field workers report from Ingwavuma Orphan Care. “The first time I visited this family, I found Nomusa sitting alone outside a thatched rondavel. She was dusty and wore a torn T-Shirt and skirt and thin shoes, which were falling to pieces. We had gone there to follow up a report of a 26-year-old girl called Baby who was unwell and may need taking to hospital. We had no idea what was wrong with her and no information on any of the family accept they were orphans. Baby, had been taken to hospital that afternoon and, apart from Nomusa, the rest of the family, as far as we could tell, were out. Nomusa was very wary of us, she only spoke in Zulu and would not make eye contact with me. Her face was dirty and her lips dry and cracked. I established that she had a 12 week old baby girl which she could not breast feed due to a medical problem. I also established that they had no food except for a few potatoes and some maize meal.” Mngomezulu Family Since receiving this information Baby aged 26 has died of Aids, this is a typical family living in the Ingwavuma District. How the Ingwavuma Orphan Care help families such as the Mngomezulu Family and Hlengiwe Supporting through ongoing treatment and test results. Emotional support to the children who have lost their parents. Educating the young girls about safe sex. Helping them set up a new home. Helping them get free education.
The Bottom Line is, is that 3200 orphans have been identified within the Ingwavuma and greater area that the Ingwavuma Orphan care supports. Unfortunately resources only allow them to help a fraction of the 3200 orphans on their database, but the interventions are strong for those they help. | 
