Questioning the Effectiveness of Cash Transfer Programme for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Supporting Orphaned Children with Disabilities.

The number of children being orphaned due to HIV and AIDS has been of concern given the already fragile and overburdened family and community support. Much of the focus has been on orphanhood as the major factor affecting child vulnerability. However, there are challenges when specific groups such as orphans living with disability are targeted for support. This paper describes the living conditions and challenges of orphaned children with disabilities. The study is guided by social construction theory developed by Berger and Luckmann (1966) and posits that individuals and groups participate in the construction of their perceived social reality. Thus, people’s attitudes towards disability are influenced by the dominant belief systems of the society in which they are located and will vary across time and culture. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design with mixed methodology. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were employed. Data was presented using descriptive statistics, reports and verbatim quotations. The study findings revealed that the Cash Transfer Programme for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CTP-OVC) does not adequately support orphaned children with disabilities as orphaned children with disabilities are entangled in a twist of unending cycle of vulnerability. Communities’ attitude towards children with disabilities is still negative due to cultural beliefs and attitudes leading to invisibility of such children’s needs and thus deprivation. The study concludes that inclusive social protection still remains a challenge especially for children in multiple OVC categories. Thus, there is need to work on strategies that can remove cultural and social stereotypes that encourage common perceptions regarding children with disabilities.