Orphan Grief Counseling

Due to the staggering population of single and double orphans, the community health workers (CHWs) in Zambia recognized a need for professional grief counselors in their community. The Child Support Specialist Program, or CSS, began soon after the schools formed. It became a safe time where orphans could play, speak about their feelings and obstacles, and receive professional support from a health worker and professional counselor.

This program is one that is near and dear to our hearts, as it affects so many children in Zambia after the AIDS crisis wiped out nearly an entire generation. CHWs have taken a special interest in supporting parents who have just lost a partner and grandparents who find themselves re-learning how to parent at an older age. Children in the CSS program lovingly refer to the CHWs as “Mama Madam”, a figure that cares for them and looks after them. A book was written with the same title, “Mama Madam”, to normalize working through grief, loss, and adjustment to new environments.