According to UNICEF, 14 million children under the age of 15 have lost one or both parents to AIDS. By 2010, this number is expected to exceed 25 million. Without urgent, collective action, millions more children will face enormous risks in their struggle to stay alive.

facts to consider

One of the most devastating aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is the growing proportion of children the disease has orphaned. Unlike most diseases, HIV/AIDS generally kills not just one, but both parents. What is more, the stigmatisation and discrimination that people affected with HIV often live with is passed onto their children, making their fight for survival that much more precarious.

When parents or caregivers fall sick and die, a child’s life often falls apart. With HIV and AIDS, the hardship hits well before children are orphaned. First a parent or caregiver becomes ill with HIV or AIDS, and is unable to work. The entire family feels the economic impact – children, especially girls, must often drop out of school to go to work, care for their parents, look after their siblings and put food on the table.

On top of the psychological impact of losing one’s parents, children who lose their parents to AIDS are often stigmatised or ostracised by their communities. These children are often much more at risk of becoming a victim of violence, exploitative child labour, discrimination or other abuses. Surviving children face malnutrition, illness, physical and psychosocial trauma, and impaired cognitive and emotional development. Unaccompanied girls are at especially high risk of sexual abuse. And because of all this, they too are very likely to become HIV-positive.

• In Zambia, a study by the International Labour Organisation in several districts shows the majority of children in prostitution are orphans, as are the majority of street children.
• Studies from numerous regions have shown that orphaned children have substantially lower levels of education than children who are not orphaned.

Many more orphans are ending up on the street. In 12 African countries, it is expected that, by 2010, orphans will make up 15 per cent of all children under 15 year old.

The struggle

With global infection rates still rising, HIV/AIDS will continue to cause unprecedented suffering among children for at least the next two decades if not longer. It takes roughly 10 years between HIV infection and death from AIDS, so today’s prevalence levels will largely determine the number of orphans over the next decade. Because of the lag time between infection and death, the numbers of orphans will continue to increase even in countries where HIV infection rates are declining.

make a difference (mAD) plan

Building effective partnerships

MAD is collaborating with non-governmental organizations, orphanages and community schools to communities strengthen the traditional safety nets to care for, support and protect children orphaned or made vulnerable by the disease.

We have teamed up with:

• Hope Humana on AIDS Training in Zambia
  
• The YMCA to educate youth and children in Zambia
  
• Hope Orphanage and Community School in Zambia
  
• Mapalo Community School in Zambia
  
• Rainbow Project in Zambia
• Kilimanjaro Kids Care in Tanzania

Education, Health, Job Skill Training and Income Generators

MAD works with children and youth through education, health, job skill training and income generating activities. We want to prevent children from becoming orphaned in the future and if we educate children about AIDS at a young age, we can. If the children we educate, they are better able to care for their children. 

Supporting Communities

In Tanzania MAD has been doing home visits with the children from their partner orphanage. The children are taken to their home villages so that they may visit their relatives that are living. At times the children have a grandmother, grandfather or sibling still alive. We do this so that the children can stay connected to their communities. We feel it is important for them to know about their extended families and for their extended families to know that the children are being taken care of.