FREE STATE SOCIAL WORKER MAKES INTERNATIONAL WAVES AT THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE WITH HER GROUND-BREAKING RESEARCH

By Cuma Pantshwa

• Ms Dithuso Monare, a social worker and Director at the Charlotte Maxeke Treatment Centre in the Free State, presented her groundbreaking research on the challenges faced by unaccompanied minors and undocumented children at the International AIDS Conference in Munich.
• Her study revealed significant bureaucratic barriers, limited resources, and procedural complexities that prevent vulnerable children from accessing essential identification documentation and protection services in South Africa.
• Monare’s findings called for urgent interdepartmental collaboration and policy changes to better support the rights and welfare of orphaned and vulnerable children.

Ms Dithuso Monare, a social worker and Director at the Charlotte Maxeke Treatment Centre in the Free State, obtained her Master’s degree earlier this year in April. Her dissertation, titled Challenges in Access to Identification Documentation and Protection Services for Unaccompanied Minors and Undocumented Children, was one of the 40 chosen oral presentations that made an impact on the international stage in Munich during the prestigious International AIDS Conference. 

The IAS has been at the centre of the HIV response since the early days of the pandemic. Its mission is to galvanise the scientific community, build global solidarity, and enhance human dignity for all those living with and affected by HIV. This year’s conference featured more than 40 oral abstract sessions, 50 invited-speaker sessions, 22 workshops, and 100 satellite sessions. It showcased exciting community-led innovations alongside scientific breakthroughs and game-changers.

Detailing her experience, Ms Monare explained that the International AIDS Conference made a call for late-breaking abstracts in May, which are reserved for presentations containing new and important findings. “I submitted my abstract based on my dissertation, and it was approved on the 14th of June 2024, for an oral presentation under: ‘Track F: Removing Legal, Policy, and Human Rights Barriers for Children and Young People’,” she shared.

“On the 20th of June, I received another email from IAS informing me that I had been awarded a scholarship for conference attendance! I couldn’t believe it! It was quite a marvellous gesture considering that our Free State government does not have a sufficient budget for such activities,” she added with excitement.

Monare’s presentation focused on the challenges faced by orphaned and vulnerable children and youth (OVC&Y) in accessing identification documentation and protection services, with a specific emphasis on unaccompanied minors and undocumented children in Mangaung Metro, Free State Province, South Africa.

Protecting children’s rights is a legal obligation aligned with policies and legislation, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the South African Constitution, the Children’s Act, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Monare expressed that her study thoroughly examined the rights of children and identified gaps, such as the failure to obtain IDs and other child protection services for orphaned and vulnerable children. Commenting on Monare’s findings, Dr Joyce Ramabulana-Ndzuta, Social Work Manager for Orphans and Vulnerable Children at the Department of Social Development, said, “From the Risiha programme’s point of view, we make use of Child and Youth Care workers who visit and assist families with a number of issues, including obtaining an ID when a child does not have one.”

Dr Ramabulana-Ndzuta elaborated on the role of Child and Youth Care (CYC) workers in the country’s child protection system, which promotes the well-being of children, especially those who are orphaned, vulnerable, or living in child and youth-headed households. She explained that when CYC workers discover that some children lack documentation, they refer such cases to social workers. “Social workers are then expected to write a report to the Department of Home Affairs after completing their investigations, detailing reasons behind a child not having an ID.”

Dr Ramabulana-Ndzuta also described the complexities and various scenarios facing these vulnerable children, such as abandonment by parents, displacement, or being cared for by elderly, immobile grandparents. She confirmed, “Through Risiha assessments, we have a way of establishing whether children have proper documentation or not so that they do not miss school if they are of school-going age.” Risiha is an initiative aimed at transforming the lives of vulnerable children.

However, Monare’s study reveals significant bureaucratic hurdles, limited resources, and procedural complexities that severely hinder access to essential services for these vulnerable groups. She called on government departments to avoid working in silos, emphasising that continuous interdepartmental collaboration is needed. Her findings highlighted that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Department of Social Development (DSD), and Department of Education (DoE) face significant challenges in documentation processes, legal frameworks, and resource allocation.

“The collective needs to explore potential solutions to address these challenges effectively. It is important to realise the urgent need for interdepartmental coordination, policy changes, and capacity building for officials in Child Protection Services to address these challenges,” emphasised Ms Monare.

Her research and presentation at the International AIDS Conference have brought international attention to the critical need for systemic changes in the way South Africa handles the documentation and protection of vulnerable children, advocating for a more integrated and supportive approach.