Circles of Support for Vulnerable Children: A Community and Schools-based Multi-sectoral Approach to Meeting Their Needs

The project developed an approach to capacitate communities to identify and use existing resources to support orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) living in the community, with the school as the central supporting structure. The main purpose of this project was to enable OVC to remain in or re-enter school and fulfill their development potential.

As part of the project, HDA produced a toolkit that highlights key points in the inception, implementation and evaluation of the programme. The toolkit provides a breakdown of critical processes that need to occur to create Circles of Support (COS) groups. It offers insight into the general process of implementing Circles of Support programmes, and draws on the experience in the pilot sites. This toolkit describes the four phases of the project:

• Phases 1 and 2: Inception, local consultation and training
• Phase 3: Implementation
• Phase 4: Monitoring and evaluation

Other project materials included in the toolkit are: Capacity Audit Tool for Use in Schools ; Train the Trainer Curriculum ; Circles of Support Diary ; Fieldworker Development Diary ; School Monitoring Form ; Guidelines for Child Participation in COS and School Case Studies .

In the model, experienced trainers are trained in the use of facilitation packs that they subsequently use in training of local level community volunteers drawn from participating school communities. The training is structured into eleven sessions covering different components of the model. English versions of training materials can be downloaded below.

• Session 1: Introduction and Understanding Children's Lives
• Session 2: Talk and Listen to Children
• Session 3: Set Up a Circles of Support Group to Help Children Stay in School
• Session 4: HIV and AIDS
• Session 5: Know the Community That Your School Serves
• Session 6: Know Who to Ask for Help and Support
• Session 7: Find Ways to Get Financial or Other Support
• Session 8: Decide What Action to Take to Help Children
• Session 9: How to Use the Circles of Support Diary
• Session 10: Basic Counselling Skills for Circles of Support
• Session 11: Setting Up a Community Network

Local level community volunteers are provided with and trained to use the following small media:

• A4 Pamphlet: Setting up a Circles of Support Group.
• A Poster for Advocacy: Join a Circles of Support Group .
• A Poster specifically for use in Schools: Teachers and Other Adults at School Can Help to Support Children in Need .

Following the pilot phase of implementation, H DA contracted a child participation research specialist to conduct activity-based qualitative research with children participating in the Circles of Support programme. Circles of Support: Children's Voices identified children's needs and priorities and the impact that the programme had on their lives.

Eastern Cape “Caring Schools” Project

2007 - 2008
Eastern Cape, South Africa
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Free State CIRCLES OF SUPPORT Project

2008 - 2010
Free State, South Africa

• Advocacy Brochure
• Facilitator Manual
• Learning Guide
• COS Poster
• UNICEF Children’s Rights Poster