Orphans out in the cold

2003-06-16 22:36

Christi van der Westhuizen

Cape Town - The number of orphans in South Africa is expected to increase from the current 680 000 to 1.85 million in 2015. A great many of them do not receive State benefits because they lost both parents to Aids.

Children in child-headed families cannot access grants because only adults may apply, said Paula Proudlock of the alliance for the right of children to social security (Access) on Monday.

Access represents about 400 organisations.

Some people looking after orphans receive a caregiver grant. Currently about 148 000 children benefit from this, including orphans, said Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya.

But the majority of orphans who do actually receive State assistance do not get the caregiver grants, but child grants of R140.

Although 2.7 million children already receive child grants, there are 14.3 million children living in poverty, of whom 11 million are in dire straits.

For this reason, draft legislation on children currently before parliament must be passed as soon as possible, Proudlock said.

Legislation makes provision for a mentor system whereby non-governmental and community organisations take care of children in child-headed households. These organisations could then make the money available to the children.

Children in child-headed households are already dependent on these NGOs and churches for their survival.

Proudlock said accessing the grants took too long. Mostly the grants went to abused and neglected children taken from their parents by the courts.

Child grants "should rather be utilised" to relieve the need of poor children, including orphans, who are usually taken care of by aunts and grandmothers.

- Beeld