This paper seeks to investigate the engagement of the CMF of the
Presbyterian Church Kumba Cameroon, in their work for the poor,
particularly OVC. And also to know the related courses of their vulnerability
status which might affect their growth, and development. My sole objective
was to identify and census orphans and vulnerable children and determine
their medical, educational, nutritional, housing, employment and legal
needs. The approach of this work involved the church represented by the
Christian men fellowship (CMF), NGOs, civil society, traditional authorities,
and off course the divisional delegation of the ministry of social affairs
representing the six sub-divisions of meme in Kumba. This consists of a door
to door search of OVC from village to village in the Kumba sub- division
using some church trained volunteers in the field of social work. A well
structured questionnaire and vulnerability scale were used to identify these
OVC and their need. The divisional delegation of the ministry of social affairs
carryout supervision and validation, a survey was and 1802 orphans and
vulnerable children were identify in the Kumba municipality amongst this
number given, the CMF is hosting and supporting 786 OVC while the rest
are under some NGOs in the Kumba municipality and its environs. It was
also found that quite a host of these OVC lack birth certificates, with almost
(90.5%) with related health problems and (9.3%) with HIV infections while
few of them very little or no meal a day. Quite a number of these orphans
and vulnerable children are drop out from school for are simple reasons
that, either because of poverty or because one of the parent is sick and need
somebody to take care of. Another reason will be than an average family will
prefer to send the boys to school and allow the girl to stay home and talk
care of the younger brothers and sisters. About half of them live with
grandfathers or foster families and one third of these families need income
generating activities to support these OVC. In this regard, there was a need
for the provision of basic education, birth certificates, medical treatment and
nutritional needs for the orphans and vulnerable children in the Kumba
municipality,
The UNICEF UNAIDS and USAID developed a global strategic framework
guide responses to care and protect OVC in the context of HIV and AIDS by
providing anti-retroviral treatment to affected children and their parent and
also the sensitization of the general public on the prevention of these
pandemic disease. It was also noticed that majority of these OVC has lost or
both parents either due to the HIV and AIDS pandemic or other related
courses of which make vulnerable to the society such as conflict, war and
border crisis, during this many parent will lost their lives and may children
will be displaced to other villages and nearby towns were they will become
vulnerable to the society. And for that reasons, the CMF of the Presbyterian
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Church Kumba is coming in to exercise diaconal work to meet the basic
needs of these OVC.