Strategies for providing care and support to children orphaned by AIDS

R S Drew · Choice Makufa · G Foster

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Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare Child Welfare and Adoption HIV/AIDS Impact and Responses

Abstract

As a result of the severe HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan countries such as Zimbabwe, where between 25-30% of the adult population are estimated to be infected, there are a growing number of orphans requiring care and support. Traditionally, orphans have been absorbed within the extended family but this is becoming more difficult because of the large number of young adults dying. The burden of care and support is falling on the very young and the very old. A number of strategies have been introduced to provide this care and support. Institutions, though popular, are very expensive to run, have limited capacity and only really cater for physical needs. Interventions which simply react to those who present to them may not reach the most needy and may encourage dependency. Community-based orphan care has been identified as the best and most cost-effective way of caring for orphans. An example of a community-based orphan visiting programme is presented. In the last six months of 1996, the FOCUS programme's 88 volunteers made a total of 9,634 visits to 3,192 orphans in 798 families at an average cost of US+1.55 per visit. The key elements of such programmes have been identified. They need to be implemented by a community-based organization (CBO) within a defined community. Volunteers should be selected from within the community. They need to be trained and supported as they enumerate orphans, identify the most needy and carry out regular visits. The volunteers should keep records of all their activities. These records can then be used as a basis for monitoring the programme. In order to cope with the increasing number of orphans in resource-poor settings like Zimbabwe, it is essential that such programmes be replicated and scaled up. This not only an economic necessity but is also a way of providing appropriate and effective services to those who need them.

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References

1995Orphan prevalence and extended family care in a peri-urban community in Zimbabwe 1997Perceptions of children and community members concerning the circumstances of orphans in rural Zimbabwe 1996Supporting children in need through a community-based orphan visiting programme

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2001Resource Needs for HIV/AIDS 2004Hidden Child Workers: Young Carers in Zimbabwe 2002Supporting Community Efforts to Assist Orphans in Africa 2006A Generation at risk: the global impact of HIV/AIDS on orphans and vulnerable children 2008A systematic review on the meaning of the concept ‘AIDS Orphan’: confusion over definitions and implications for care 2009Interventions for improving the psychosocial well-being of children affected by HIV and AIDS.2006Barriers and incentives to orphan care in a time of AIDS and economic crisis: a cross-sectional survey of caregivers in rural Zimbabwe 2004Challenges of a pandemic: HIV/AIDS-related problems affecting Kenyan widows

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