Snake park has child headed households, orphans, and children with disabilities

Nobulaw Sitshaluza

A child-headed household or a child-headed family is a family in which a minor has become
the head of the household. They are common here in my community when both parents
have died a mostly because of chronic diseases children are therefore left to be orphans.
From 2010 to 2014 I started volunteering in an organization called Orphan and Vulnerable
Children (OVC). I had to resign from that organization because I realized that Iam the only
suitable candidate to take care of my disabled child. Last week being a field worker I came
across the same issues that impacted my community in Snakepark. The organization is still
based at Obed Mosiane Primary School. I worked in a public works program to facilitate
children ‘s homework and their social problems at school and home. I was conducting door-
to-door at the children’s home addresses, getting a sense of how their home environment.

The orphans who are siblings mostly want to remain together which is one of the contributing
factors that contribute to child-headed households. Most grandmothers had to be the ones to
take care of these grandchildren after their children passed on. In my community, I did come
across community members who have CP children and children with other disabilities. Most
community members though knew of some child who is disabled and fewer members of my
community who dont know anyone who is disabled a child or an adult. Our community in
Snakepark is facing a lot of issues that we as community-based activists need to address
and build more programs to assist not only people or children with disabilities including
orphans or Vulnerable children.