Handbook of the Orphan Ministry

At the LBS Mwika (HUYAMWI)

Paper 8: filing –system

Released 06.06.05 – Author: Rev. Dr. Martin Burkhardt

I. Primary purposes of a filing –system.

1. To know the exact number of orphans (quantity)

2. To know the different groups of orphans, like age-groups, gender, kind of guardian, kind of education, etc (quantity)

3. To keep track of the need of the orphans, their individual development, and the provided help (quality).

II. Final effects of a good filing system

1. To give sponsors accurate information about the number of orphans and their needs

2. To target the available help to the most needy orphans.

3. To keep transparent records about the provided help.

4. To prevent that one orphans is receiving help twice from two different organization, by exchanging registration data.

III. Different levels of registration and records

1. Primary registration at the congregational level

a) To make the first registration

b) To keep record of the exact number of orphans

c) To evaluate the needs of the orphans

d) To keep track of their development

2. Secondary registration at the level of HuYaMwi.

a) To keep records of all orphans who received help from HuYamwi. In order to show responsibility towards the sponsors.

b) To identify orphans which are being help in order to exchange data with other organisations

IV. Sates notification of orphans

0= being registered, but not yet checked, or visited, status uncertain.

1 = child is not longer an orphan, e.g. she/he has grown up, father/ mother married again etc.

2 = child is living under good condition.

3. = child or family needs some education and advice but not financial support

4. = child or family needs some small financial support, like uniforms, stationeries, some sugar etc.

5 = child or family needs a long term financial engagement, like a scholarship, start of an income generating project, repair or rebuilding of a house

6= urgent case, immediate interaction is needed.

V. Work on the congregational level.

1. All new orphans must be written into a counter book having the following format

a) Internal Registration Number (serial no.)

b) HuYaMwi Registration Number (provided by HuYamwi)

c) Name of orphan

d) Gender of orphan

e) Year of Birth

f) Living place of the orphan (village/ sub village)

g) Data about the parents: Name / Year and cause of death

h) Date of the last evaluation – written with pencil

i) Last status level – written in pencil is first set to 0

j) Whether there is a special record (see below)

2. Home / Visit evaluation

a) It is the task of the committee to organize that all orphans having the status 0 are evaluated

b) All home visit and their results must be reported in a home-visit diary. There can be one home visit diary for each sub-village.

c) At each home visit the orphan must receive a new number from 1-6. All orphans of a family can share the same number.

d) Orphans having a number higher than 1 may be visited and evaluated regularly (at least once a year)

3. Special records

a) We recommend also to keep a special record for orphans having a number higher than 2 (at least starting with 4 or 5) this record can be written in a small notebook of 50 Shillings. All notebooks will show the internal registration –number and can be filled according to this number. Orphans living in one family can share this record.

b) The record will contain detailed information about the home visits, the provided help and development of the orphans.

4. Evaluation and prioritizing

According to the updated list of orphans the committee can suggest and plan the required help

a) Level 1 no interaction needed

b) Level 2 no help is needed, however we recommend to visit all orphans every year.

c) Level 3: Preparation of seminars, self-help groups

d) Level 4: Regular distribution of small material help

e) Level 5: Preparation of long term strategy

f) Level 6: Immediate interaction needed.

VI. Statistical work of HuYamwi

1. HuYaMwi will request regular statistical data of all its congregations

a) General statistic data about the congregation

b) Statistical data about the orphans (number gender etc.)

c) Distribution of all the orphans on level 0-6

2. Registration of Orphans

a) If an orphans is receiving any kind of financial help passing through HuYaMwi it must be registered by HuYaMwi (level 4 to 6)

b) The congregation will sent a form with basic data mentioned in the counter book and some comments.

c) HuYamwi will release a special Registration number, which must be noted in the counter-book of the congregation and must be used for all correspondence.

d) HuYamwi may also provide a special identification card (with picture) to ensure the identity of the orphan.

3. Verification

a) All registered orphans of HuYaMwi are subject to sudden and unexpected home-visits by HuYaMWI-staff in order to ensure that the provided help reached its target.