An Evaluation of Community Care in Nigeria Project on the Secure Livelihood of Orphans Vulnerable Children in Selected Communities of Anambra State, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
This study evaluates the community care in Nigeria intervention in OVC, a case study of three communities in Anambra state. The objective of the study among others is to determine sustainability and what difference SHP programme has made in enhancing access to basic needs/welfare among beneficiaries, evaluate to what extent this model can be replicated and what factors can enhance that replication. Primary and secondary sources of data collection were employed. Questionnaires were used to gather primary data from the respondents while secondary data was gotten from necessary publications.
The sample size used is three hundred and eighty-seven (387) and this was randomly selected from three communities Umuawulu, Isseke, and Inland Town St Stephen’s from three local government of Awka South, Ihiala and Onitsha South respectively and one hundred and twenty-nine (129) respondents were randomly selected and forty-three from each community by stratified sampling technique. The statistical tools like t test, F-test, ANOVA, Chi-square, runs test and Simple Percentage methods of analysis were used to analyze the collected data.
INTRODUCTION
The concept of Self-Help Project (SHP) is to motivate the guardians of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) households in the Savings and Loans Associations (SLA) structure to support the various aspects of the program and to boost their livelihood, and the nutritional security of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). The SHP can be in the form of demonstration farm in which they are supplied with special specie of cassava stem to plant and grow food, thereby multiplying the stems in the community.
It could also be in the form of livestock or any other project as may be conceived by the SLA members which is considered practicable. Self Help project or program are usually sponsored interventions or scheme (either by Government, Agencies, Donors, NGOs or Individuals Foundations), under which members of a community are encouraged to better themselves through means such as creating self-employment, growing own food, or making own shelter.
The members contribute their labour and/or materials while the sponsors provide equipment, infrastructure, land or fund (Todaro and Smith, 2009). Self Help Project or Program in this context is the available resources provided for household care givers of OVC to improve their livelihood and attain quality life for themselves and the OVC under their care. Self Help Project is community owned and as such easy to sustain. It is an effective way of improving household secure livelihood.
It is aimed at empowering both households, care givers, child heads of houses, and individual OVC. The practice is transferable and replicable in other communities or countries as best practices. The monitoring and evaluation of progress and impact respectively is both participatory, and bench marks, challenges, failures and successes easy to track in a shared learning form.
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