Within communities in Southern Africa, there are segments of the population who are often overlooked by policy makers--groups of people who are in continual danger of falling through the cracks. The most vulnerable members of society are children, and within this group, there are many who are constantly susceptible to abuse or neglect, primarily orphans and street children. The HIV and AIDS pandemic has created a substantial increase in the number of orphans who populate countries in Southern Africa with many children having lost one or both parents to the virus. Some of these orphans are adopted by their extended families, while others are kept by older siblings, but when access to basic services such as health care is limited, as it often is, it is these overburdened families, especially the ones headed by children, who suffer the most. The result of this turmoil, combined with entrenched poverty is that some children end up living on the streets, begging just to acquire the necessities of life. But they are not the only ones who are vulnerable. The physically and mentally challenged members of society also largely lack a voice in the public arena. They suffer not only from the effects of poverty, fractured families, HIV and AIDS, and a lack of access to services, but also from the effects of stigma, due to long-held misunderstandings that the most vulnerable have not had a platform to address.
United Nations Millennium Development Goal (UNMDG) 1 has as its primary objectives the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. In addition, the UNMDGs vocally stress the importance of gender equality in access to education and employment, as fairness and impartiality in furnishing these two essentials can help to act as a barrier to vulnerability. The spirit of these objectives has helped to shape PSAf’s response to the plight of the most affected members of society.
At Panos, we believe that media and communication are essential tools in shaping public opinion and we utilize them both to inform the public and to create an opportunity for marginalized groups to communicate directly with policy makers and other intervention specialists. Panos does this through a set of methodologies, both time-tested and innovative.
The goal of PSAf’s Vulnerable Groups Programme is to ensure that the issues and concerns of vulnerable groups are integrated into the development agenda, resulting in the reduction of their susceptibility. We strive to amplify the voices of the vulnerable as a part of the development process by building their capacities to report on issues that affect them and giving them a platform to share their stories as a tool to advocate for their own empowerment. When the voices of the vulnerable are heard, this increases public awareness of the issues affecting them and generates empathy for the affected. PSAf uses its documentation of the plight of children and the mentally and physically challenged to engage in dialogue with public policy makers over the rights that these groups require which have often gone unprotected. Through this direct engagement between marginalized people and their leaders, PSAf endeavours to raise awareness, instigate the implementation of more favourable policies, and ultimately improve the lives of Southern Africa’s most vulnerable.
For more information about PSAf’s Vulnerable Groups Programme please contact general@panos.org.zm
View PSAf Vulnerable Groups Programme publications
