Displaying 1 - 10 of 109
Executive Summary
Zambia’s HIV prevalence is currently estimated at 11.1% among adults aged 15–49 years and 1.1% among children aged <15 years20. The Zambia National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council estimates that 10% of Zambia’s population (over 1.3 million children under age 18 years) are at high risk of being orphaned or vulnerable due to the impact of the HIV epidemic. Since the epidemic began, an estimated 250,000 children and adolescents have already been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. The Zambia Family (ZAMFAM) project’s aim is to improve the care and resilience of…
ABSTRACT
The extent of the vulnerability of orphans and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe has been on the increase. To investigate the challenges faced in addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in Marondera, focus group discussions and interviews were utilised. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data in this study and the data was presented in themes. The findings from the study indicated that there was a need to increase the capacity of the Social Welfare Department. They also indicated the need for proper alignment of policy development and implementation, as well…
Abstract
This article describes the impact on social services of an innovative model of family care in Moshi, Tanzania, aimed at orphaned children and youth who are affected by HIV/AIDS and their caregivers. We explore three questions: Is social capital created during the provision of social work services? If so, what aspects of the model are responsible for it? How does this social capital influence the participants’ educational/occupational aspirations and vision of the future? This qualitative study is based on a case analysis of eight adolescents and their caregivers. Data were…
Abstract
The people with the greatest stake in Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) interventions are the children and their parents/guardians. Unfortunately, most OVC programmes are predesigned and implemented without considering beneficiaries’ perceptions when developing solutions (ALI 2007:15). The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of orphans and vulnerable children’s parents/guardians about the effectiveness of Future Families’ children programme in Olievenhoutbosch as a way to explore how much they are involved in the process of designing the programme…
Abstract: The Amajuba Child Health and Wellbeing Research Project measured the impact of orphaning due to HIV/AIDS on South African households between 2004 and 2007. Community engagement was a central component of the project and extended through 2010. We describe researcher engagement with the community to recruit participants, build local buy-in, stimulate interest in study findings, and promote integration of government social welfare services for families and children affected by HIV/AIDS. This narrative documents the experience of researchers, drawing also on project reports, public…
ABSTRACT
Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and their families face many challenges but there are opportunities to provide care and support programmes for them in their communities. This paper presents the achievements and implications of HIV Programme Development Project (HPDP) funded by World Bank on care and support services for OVC in Osun State, Nigeria. Eight Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were engaged by Osun State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OSACA) as part of HPDP to provide care and support services for OVC between year 2013 and 2015. Using…
The Coordinating Comprehensive Care for Children (4Children) project strengthened social service systems through the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for case management in DRC, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, and Uganda. This multi-country development has been synthesized into this global case management package that can be considered the gold standard for implementing partners and governments instituting a systematic, individualized, child-centered and family-focused approach for vulnerable households. The tools, SOPs and…
Abstract
ChildFund International (ChildFund) is a child‐focused International Non‐Governmental Organization (INGO) which, since 1938, has worked with local implementing partners (LIPs), government, and other partner organizations to help create the safe environments children need to thrive. The purpose of this commentary is to reflect on the utility and possible application of the suggestions and study designs in this special issue to real‐life intervention studies in dynamic context settings. The commentary provides three regional case examples with evaluation study lessons learned from…
HIV and AIDS continue to be a major contributing factor to vulnerability in Uganda. High HIV prevalence alongside economic challenges, internal migration, family breakdown and other illnesses have resulted in significant numbers of orphans and vulnerable children. These children have faced significant shocks and adversities, but have typically lacked access to a spectrum of supports and services. In addition, many have been unable to access the traditional mechanisms of extended family care that were available prior to the epidemic. In response to the wide-range of vulnerabilities faced by…
Abstract
Background
Contextually relevant interventions are needed to support the well-being of at-risk adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, the large number of children who have been orphaned, such as by HIV/AIDS, are in need of interventions to foster their resilience.
Objective
The goal of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the Balekane EARTH program, a 2-week wilderness-based therapeutic intervention in Botswana for children who have been orphaned.
Method
A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was used. At program entry and again at…