WINDHOEK: The Registration of Orphans and Vulnerable Children is underway in the Khomas region is expected to be completed in two weeks.

The six-month national campaign which started in June will see all orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) registered and issued with identification cards.

In an interview with Nampa on Thursday Managing Director (MD) of Epupa Investment Technology Shalli Elungu said the registration team is also in the Caprivi Region and will move on to the Kavango region in the next two weeks.

The Epupa Investment Technology was contracted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare to carry out this campaign.

¨The significance of this exercise is for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare to build up a data base and have a profile of all OVCs in the country,¨ Elungu said.

He said the exercise will also verify the existence of the OVCs adding that some could have relocated to other countries or towns or some could have passed on.

Thus far since the registration commenced in the Khomas region, 300 OVCs have been registered, Elungu said.

¨A fixed point of registration is at the Epupa Investment Technology offices in Dorado Valley and I would like to call on people to come out in numbers for registration to avoid running the risk of not receiving their grants,¨ the MD said.

The ministry through its Child Welfare Directorate is mandated to promote and protect the well-being of all Namibian children in order for them to become responsible citizens and contribute to the economic development of the country.

The government, through his ministry, provides financial assistance to orphans through maintenance, foster parent and special maintenance grants.

The number of orphans on the grant system has increased drastically, from 9 676 in 2003 to 136 833 in May this year.

The number of orphans increases daily due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other problems affecting the Namibian society.

Orphans receive N.dollars 200 per month while disabled people receive N.dollars 500.