Social support covers a wide range of activities, including; distributing clothes, blankets , mosquito nets, and assisting families to receive medical attention.

A social support committee consisting of volunteers from the Mwandi community has been set up to identify the areas and children in most need in the village. These volunteers are members of the various churches and traditional sections in the village. Their major role is to visit the homes of the children to assess their living conditions and meet their families and additional caregivers.

In 2010, over 600 blankets were distributed to orphans and vulnerable children. Winter in the village can get very cold and most of the children sleep on the floor of mud huts. A new, warm blanket will drastically change the life of a child in need this coming winter. For just $15 (AUD) you can be a part of this solution.

This year the project has been able to distribute 440 pieces of clothing each month to the most vulnerable children in the community. The ability to buy new clothes is something that we so often take for granted. Seeing children attend the OVC every day in the same clothes gives a glimpse into the incredible need for clothes distribution to continue.

A wonderful addition to the social support framework has been the development of a relationship with Beit Cure Pediatric Hospital in Lusaka. This partnership has allowed over 150 children from the Mwandi catchment with disabilities and injuries to receive first class, life-changing treatment from medical specialists. The project is fortunate to have been able to send family members with these children to Lusaka to care for them during their treatment and to learn how to care for them and meet their needs upon their return home. To witness these children developing and flourishing after their treatment and surgeries is testament to the importance of this relationship continuing... it is changing lives.