65% of our children require counseling and protection
To facilitate this critical need, Family of Hope Services is part of an international team working to uphold the human rights of children and youth in Katutura who fall through the cracks. This team consists of four entities:
The project started off in 2013 and will end in December, 2015.
The final year for the program will focus on a new initiative that will address needs in health and nutrition, early childhood development, and back to school educational support. The target children and youth will also receive child care and protection, psychological support, and life skills for HIV/AIDS prevention. The programme team is working closely with the Department of Community Child Protection Forum (CCPF) under the Ministry of Gender and Child Welfare, and other services providers focusing on child protection.
The project will reach out to about 3,000 people living in the informal settlements and squatter camps in the constituencies of Moses Garoeb and Tobias Hainyeko in Katutura. It will specifically work with children and youth in these constituencies who live in poverty and who are socially disadvantaged as follows:
This new initiative is part of an on-going programme that was launched in 2013. The previous work was successful in facilitating the issuance of birth certificates in Katutura so that affected children can go to school. Many children do not have birth certificates and they have no rights or recognition without a birth certificate.
The Department of Home Affairs and Immigration in Namibia worked closely with the team to administer the paperwork. This year the team is taking the project one step further with child care and protection.
For more information contact Director@familyofhopeservices.org
Left to right: Honourable Martin David, Councilor, Moses Garoeb Constituency; Abigail Bachopi, Founder and Director of Family of Hope Services; Ambassador Raul Fuentes Milani, Head of the European Union Delegation to Namibia; and Mthabisi Maphosa, Family of Hope Services Board Member. Ambassador Milani unveiled a plaque at Family of Hope’s new Centre, to launch the initiative to help marginalized children and youth in Katutura.
Abigail Bachopi welcomes guests to the event.
Ambassador Milani addresses the guests and the children at Family of Hope Services. In addition to launching the new program, Ambassador Milani urges the children to work hard. He says that everyone has a different life and that we all need to work hard to be healthy and to reach its fruits.
Guests at the event.
A few members of the Family of Hope Care Team entertain the guests with a dance.
Playwright and Director, Norman Job, acts the role of the mother in his play, No Sugar in the House. The play addresses the daily challenges people in Katutura face. Seated is Matthew Shilamba, a Family of Hope Services youth who graduated from the Centre two years ago.
Elzanne Erasmus, Venture Publications, and Abigail Bachopi
Ditteke Den Hartog – Imago Dei Namibia
Marika Matengu, Programme Coordinator – Embassy of Finland; Abigail Bachopi, Director Family of Hope Services; Honourable Martin David, Councilor Moses Garoeb Constituency
