Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
CARE leavers have amplified calls for the Government to formulate care reforms that will support their transition to adulthood.
This comes amid revelations that care leavers get a monthly stipend of up to ZW$230 a month under the Children in Difficult Circumstances Fund.
A care leaver is someone who has spent time living in the care system, away from their family. This could be with a foster family, in a children’s home or supported housing service, or under another arrangement as agreed by their social worker.
Young people in Zimbabwe usually leave care when they are 18.
An emotional atmosphere engulfed a national budget consultation meeting held recently in Bulawayo when a care leaver, Ms Thabiso Ngwenya narrated their ordeal.
Ms Ngwenya is the Deputy Director at Zimbabwe Care Leavers Network, a support and advocacy group for care leavers.
The sad narration took legislators through the struggles of care leavers who are expected to become independent, self-sufficient productive adults without the resources and support systems to achieve that.
“One of our main challenges as care leavers is accommodation. As you might know that when we get to the age of 18, we are released from the homes. Those that are fortunate get foster homes while some are sent back to the same families where they would be coming from.
“However, this is a challenge because if you are sent back to a family perhaps where you were abused, the relationship is very difficult as at times the perpetrator would still be there. Some of the care leavers go to the streets while some live-in with friends,” said Ms Ngwenya.
She said documentation was one of the major challenges they were facing as some of the are leavers did not know their parents at the time they moved to care facilities.
“The process of getting documentation like identity cards and passports is very long and frustrating to the extent that we have had some missing out on scholarships. You will also know that when the Defence Ministry is recruiting, one of their emphasised requirement is a long birth certificate which puts us at a disadvantage when it comes to such opportunities. We cannot even participate in school sporting activities due to the short birth certificate,” said Ms Ngwenya.
She revealed that some former care leavers have become commercial sex workers or entered into marriages of convenience just because they want a roof over their heads.
“While under care, we have committal grants or what is called per capita grant. This comes from a fund called Children In Difficult Circumstances Fund (CDC). However, those with court orders only receive a paltry $230 while those without court orders get just 50 cents a month,” said Ms Ngwenya.
She, however, expressed gratitude to some of the measures undertaken by the Government to ensure the safety of this vulnerable group.
“I should say Government has done well in ensuring it identifies our challenges as either abandoned children, abused or vulnerable children and put us into a place of safety. We have also seen that it has made it mandatory for every home to have a social worker who gives counselling as well as ensuring the home is a safe haven for children. Some care leavers have also benefitted from various Presidential and Government scholarships which is quite commendable,” said Ms Ngwenya.
She further called on the Government to increase halfway homes as well as formulate legislative statues that will support care leavers.
“We call on the Government to increase halfway homes where care leavers can stay until they are stable. Halfway homes are those that can accommodate youths that are above 18. We also plead with the Government to come up with a legislative framework that will help support care leavers,” said Ms Ngwenya.
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derick.khumalo
Online Reporter