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Kindernothilfe is pleased to present the report “On our way - How communities can work for children affected by HIV/AIDS” which was carried out in two case studies in Uganda in April 2007. This report takes a close look at community based approaches, self-help groups and their ability to alleviate the burden of HIV/AIDS affected families and children.
40 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS, 25 million people have died from the disease so far, and it is projected that 45 million people will be newly infected by 2010. Nine out of ten HIV-infected are living in developing countries; two third of them in Sub-Sahara Africa. Every day 1.400 children die of the immune deficiency. AIDS is one of the greatest disaster known to man. The devastation left in its wake, reverses the development process of countries, destroys social structures and robs children of their future. As the youngest members of families impoverished by HIV and AIDS, children often carry the heaviest and most tragic burden. Local communities do their very best to support children and young people affected by HIV and AIDS. However, due to the huge challenges extended families and communities face, it is often impossible to respond adequately to the social, economic and psychosocial needs of the families and children who, without support from outside sources, are the most vulnerable victims. In compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child every child should, among others, be guaranteed the right to life, survival and development. Therefore, Kindernothilfe in addition to “Millennium Development Goal 6”, which aims to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015, supports not only prevention programmes to slow down the spread of the disease and the adequate treatment of infected children, but also programmes which aim at improving the living conditions of children within their communities. The community programmes supported by Kindernothilfe and African Evangelistic Enterprise Uganda (AEE) are committed to encourage peoples´ own initiatives and to help them to help themselves while making the needs of children a priority. Community self-help groups are an important element of such programmes. In these groups mostly women come together and are encouraged to express their needs in coping with their social and economic problems. In doing so, these groups find support through savings and income generating activities. The groups help to create strong communities which in turn strengthen children. In this report the authors have a close look at community based approaches especially self-help groups in two projects of African Evangelistic Enterprise Uganda (AEE) which supports community based projects in Uganda. The projects visited, in which mainly women have been mobilised to take action in their communities, impressively demonstrate the importance of enabling people to manage their own affairs in their localities. The self-help groups feel that they are “on their way” towards a self-determined future although more needs to be done and Kindernothilfe and African Evangelistic Enterprise Uganda (AEE) will further accompany and support them in their efforts. For more information, contact:
Frank Mischo or Petra Stephan, Kindernothilfe
Düsseldorfer Landstraße 180, 47249 Duisburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 203 7789 129/185; Fax: +49 203 7789 118
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]