Objectives
- 1To open up a world of healthcare. Unregistered children are often unable to gain access to health care services or pay more for those services than a registered child. A birth certificate means a child can access medical treatment and the vaccinations they need to stay healthy.
- 2To give children education. Without birth registration, a child can be kept from participating at school. Without birth certificates, it can be difficult for children to get proper education. During the enrolment process there is a need for a birth certificate entry number. This will also mean they cannot sit exams but with a birth certificate, a child will have the necessary documentation needed to enrol in publicly funded schools
- 3To provide protection. Without identification, children suffer from political, social and economic exclusion as there is no documentation of a child’s existence. As a result, children are not protected and they suffer from abuse.
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Overview
A birth certificate plays a crucial role in establishing one’s identity, nationality and access to rights. It is an essential document required for various purposes, including education enrolment, access to healthcare services, employment opportunities and legal rights. In Zimbabwe many children, especially orphans and vulnerable children, are unregistered; they do not have birth certificates. Several challenges contribute to this issue including inadequate registration infrastructure, particularly in remote and marginalised communities, which makes it difficult for parents and guardians to register their children’s births. In addition, limited awareness about the importance of birth registration and the necessary procedures has also hindered the registration process. Through its birth certificate project, Sethule Orphans’ Trust is committed to raising awareness about the importance of birth certificates and educating people about the correct documents required for birth registration.
Purpose
This project targets orphans and vulnerable children in rural areas, in order to address the challenges faced by those children who are not registered for birth certification. In Zimbabwe these are regarded as an ‘invisible population’. Sethule Orphans’ Trust works with the Government of Zimbabwe to help children to obtain birth certificates as part of its efforts to accord them citizenship rights and to enrol them in schools. It is every child’s right to have a birth certificate as it opens up a wider range of opportunities, such as access to education, health services and social security.
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