REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA PUBLIC WELFARE ASSISTANCE PLACES OF SAFETY SCHEME (PWAS) MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, MOTHER A N D These are institutions under which temporally CHILD HEALTH This is Government’s social assistance programme, shelter, food and care is provided to the aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of socio- stranded, destitute and persons in various help- economic shocks on the extreme poor and vulner- less situations. Such institutions are found in able persons. Kabwe, Lusaka and Mansa . The scheme targets:- MARRIAGE COUNSELLING Aged persons This involves premarital and marital counseling Disabled or the chronically ill persons and guidance services to couples. Single Headed households; Orphans and vulnerable children; MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK Victims of minor disasters This is provided in material and other forms of assistance, counseling and tracing of relatives Department of Social Welfare And others who are genuinely unable to support for/to patients mainly in districts where there are themselves. no Medical Social Workers. CARE FOR OLDER PERSONS PRISON WELFARE This is support to prisoners by way of linking SERVICES PROVIDED This is support provided to older persons through them to their families and to prepare for their community or institutional care. The following are integration into the communities once dis- some of the old people’s homes in the country: charged from prison. Maramba in Livingstone The Department has offices in all districts and at Chibolya in Mufulira Provincial headquarters. For more information Mitanda in Ndola contact any District or Provincial Social Welfare Divine Providence Home in Lusaka Officer. Chibote in Luansya Mwandi in Sesheke Or St. Theresa in Ndola Likulwe in Senanga The Department runs the first two with the help of DIRECTOR the board, while the Salvation Army runs Mitanda. Department of Social Welfare The Catholic Nuns runs Divine and Chibote while Community House, Sadzu Road Mwandi is run by the United Church of Zambia. P.O. Box 31958 Lusaka, Zambia The Department also mounts public awareness campaigns including observance of the Interna- Tel: Tele/Fax: 235343 tional Day for Older Persons (1st October): as well as encouraging residential and non-residential care STATUTORY SERVICES Social Welfare Officers provide counseling to tive and quality service provision in line with na- parents/guardians of the juveniles on the need tional obligations to Orphans and Vulnerable Chil- to maintain contact with children or dependants dren (OVC) as enshrined in international conven- These services involve the administration of in institutions to help in preparation for their tions, national policies and laws. the following pieces of legislation: eventual reintegration into the community. Probation of Offenders Act. CAP 93. In addition the Department also provides guidance, Juveniles Act, CAP 53 The Department runs Nakambala Approved capacity building of child care providers and sensiti- Adoption Act, CAP 54 School and Insakwe Probation Hostels for the zation of local communities in recognizing the needs Maintenance Orders Act, CAP 55 and the reformation of children in conflict with the law of OVC and making the services meet acceptable Day Nurseries Act, CAP 313 or with disruptive behaviour. The Prisons De- standards. partment under Ministry of Home Affairs run CORRECTIONAL SERVICES the Katombora reformatory School. The De- ADOPTION These are services provided to juveniles partment seconds staff to the Katombora insti- in conflict with the law. They include:- tution. This service provides a permanent home, legal pro- tection and security to children in need of care in Investigations for courts After care services are offered to juveniles dis- accordance with the Adoption Act Cap 54 of the charged from the two correctional institutions. laws of Zambia. Social Welfare Officers, gazetted as Probation It is meant to assist in preparing juveniles for Officers carryout investigations on behalf of eventual reintegration into the community and FOSTERING the courts to determine and advise the courts it involves the supervision of such juvenile by on the punishment which is in the best inter- Probation Officers and juveniles inspectors. This is a service provided to children in need of care ests of juvenile offenders. in accordance with the Juveniles Act Cap 53 of the CAPACITY BUILDING AND INSPEC- laws of Zambia. This service provides a temporary Probation of Offenders TION OF CHILD-CARE FACILITIES home to the child. This is either institutional or community based The Department does not run child care institu- rehabilitation process in which a juvenile in tions, but net-works with and provides guide- lines to NGOs and individuals permitted to NON-STATUTARY SERVICES conflict with the law is placed under the super- vision of a Probation Officer in accordance operate children’s homes. The Department also provides small grants to some of the homes. These services are administered without reference to with the Probation of Offenders Act Cap 93 of an Act of Parliament. They include: the laws of Zambia. These homes provide care to children in need SOCIAL CASH TRANSFER SCHEME Correctional facilities and after care ser- of care, (orphaned, abandoned or children whose parents or guardians are unfit to look The main objective is to reduce extreme poverty and vices intergenerational transfer of poverty among beneficiary after them). Government policy however, en- households and the community. The beneficiaries re- courages community participation in the care of These are institutions meant to provide recep- ceive transfers that are paid bimonthly. Beneficiary tion, care and rehabilitation of juvenile in con- such children. Institutional care viewed as a households with persons with disabilities receive dou- flict with the law as ordered by the court. measure of last resort. ble transfers also bi-monthly. These are Nakambala Approved School in Mazabuka, Katombora Reformatory in Kazun- The Department of Social Welfare addresses gula and Insakw Probation Hostel in Ndola the proliferation of children’s homes, regu- (female juveniles). lates, service delivery and provide guidelines to all child-care service providers for better, effec-.