Here are Various Catergories of Children who need your support..

There is national concern about the growing numbers of vulnerable children and the need to protect them, through a coordinated guided response in Botswana. The National Situation Analysis on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (2007) identified 30.6% of children as vulnerable due to living in poverty, while other children struggle to grow up in families prone to internal conflicts, alcoholism, violence, abuse and poor parenting skills.

We have situations where children are also heading households and living in households headed by their young brothers or sisters. Other groups of vulnerable children are those who are displaced or refugees or who have parents in prison or detention

These children are unlikely to enjoy their rights and may even be driven onto the streets to support themselves. Children with unmet emotional needs are also particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse.
Let us define some of the common terms used to define the various categories of children in Botswana:

A child is a person below the age of 18 years.

‘Orphan’
International definition
An orphan is a child below the age of 18 years who has lost one or both parents

Botswana programme definition
“an ‘orphan’ is a child below 18 years who has lost one (single parents) or two (married couples) biological or adoptive parents. Married couples include those married in civil or traditional marriages”

‘social orphan’
Botswana programme definition
‘Social orphans’ are those abandoned or dumped or whose parents cannot be traced”

‘vulnerable child’
A vulnerable child is a person below the age of 18 years who is in any situation or circumstance which is or is likely to adversely affect the child’s physical, emotional, psychological or general well-being, which prevents the enjoyment of his or her rights, and who is in need of protection.

‘A child in need of protection’
A child in need of protection is a vulnerable child under the age of 18 years and includes a child who is temporarily or permanently deprived of parental care and support; or who is temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment and care; or heads or lives in a child headed household; or displays behaviour which cannot be managed by the parent, guardian or other person; or suffers from physical/mental disability or any form of chronic illness; or is involved in work which is harmful to his or her emotional, physical, psychological, social or educational development or well-being; or suffers/lives in abusive circumstances; or lives in circumstances calculated to cause or conduce to the child’s seduction, prostitution or corruption; or is in contact or conflict with the law.

‘Child-headed household’
A child headed household is a family headed by a person under the age of 18 years, in the absence of his or her parent (s) or other adult family member to provide care for the children in the household.

Let's discuss support to these children later...