Thandanani functions within a team-based developmental framework aimed at facilitating self-sustaining community based child care and support systems within each of the communities we serve. This system is outlined below.

Thandanani’s Training Team trains volunteers in:

• The provision of home visits aimed at identifying and addressing the basic material, physical, cognitive and emotional needs of OVC’s.
• The implementation of life-skill, caregiver support and community awareness programmes
• The development & maintenance community and household based food gardens
• The running of Early Learning Centre’s (ELC’s) and the provision of early childhood development & care activities at these centres.
• The establishment savings groups and of volunteer driven income-generating projects.

Thandanani’s volunteers then address the basic material, physical, cognitive and emotional needs of OVC’s in their community by:

• Conducting regular home and school visits to monitor and address the material, physical, cognitive and emotional well-being of OVC’s
• Distributing emergency relief supplies to those households in need of assistance.
• Facilitating access to social security grants and other forms of material support.
• Facilitating caregiver support programs, life-skills programmes and memory box work
• Operating Early Learning Centres for pre-school OVC’s.
• Managing food garden’s and food kitchen’s for the benefit of OVC’s
• Organising and conducting Community Awareness Campaigns aimed at educating the broader community on issues related to child rights and care.

Thandanani’s Development Team supports these volunteers and OVC Households by:

• Holding regular volunteer meetings to assist our volunteer teams plan and implement their activities.
• Conducting home and school visits to monitor the material, physical, cognitive and emotional well-being of OVC’s and the activities of volunteers.
• Providing emergency assistance for households in dire need
• Supporting the development of food gardens, food kitchens, income generating projects and Early Learning Centre’s within each community.

Thandanani’s Welfare & Child Care Team supports our volunteers and OVC’s by:

• Providing direct access to individual and family counselling.
• Facilitating child placements, access to Foster Care Grants and other forms of child support.
• Facilitating therapeutic workshops and camps for OVC’s.
• Coordinating the life-skill and memory box programmes for OVC’s.
• Coordinating the Caregiver Support Programs
•  Providing practical support and development to the community based Early Learning Centre’s we partner.

Through our developmental approach Thandanani endeavours to empower and support volunteers in the provision of care and support to orphans and other vulnerable children and their caregivers.

Our ultimate goal is to develop self-reliant care and support systems in each of the communities we serve.