Children and AIDS…
Since its discovery in 1981, AIDS has claimed more than 25 million lives. In 2005 alone there was a staggering 2.8 million casualties, 500,000 of whom were children. While global in scale, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is a catastrophe that has hit Sub-Saharan Africa particularly hard. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate there is the highest in the world.
Sadly, children become the overlooked victims of this deadly disease. In many cases, they are left parentless, hopeless, and are often ill themselves.
The children that are orphaned by AIDS rarely have the means to support themselves. In Africa, approximately 10 million orphans are left begging on the streets or are taken in by extended families themselves struggling to survive. A terrible burden is placed upon the grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbours to provide housing, food and education for these children.
In the wake of this disease is a generation of children who are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation and disease. In order to offer these children a future more promising than their past, orphans and extended families need our support.
Every child deserves…
Children deserve to have a future. Every child deserves love and care. Every child deserves enough food to eat, a safe place to sleep, and an opportunity to learn. With proper guidance and a suitable education, children are better able to avoid living on the streets and the lure of the sex trade, therefore reducing their risk of HIV infection. A cycle of hope and promise can replace the all too familiar cycle of poverty, infection and death.
HOPE is investing in the lives of children in Africa, and we are asking you to join us. Preventative education, support for those living with HIV/AIDS, and community awareness building are a priority in HOPE’s HIV/AIDS work in Africa. By approaching this epidemic from a holistic standpoint, HOPE is helping to educate and nurture children who have been orphaned by AIDS.
Where there is HOPE…
In Swaziland, HOPE is helping communities care for their AIDS orphans through the establishment of Neighbourhood Care Points run by community volunteers. Here children receive nourishment, guidance and an education. You can help by supporting the establishment of a Neighbourhood Care Point.
In Ethiopia, HOPE is supporting orphaned children through a unique program that connects donors to AIDS orphans. With your support, these children are able to attend school and acquire skills that will help them gain future employment. They are also offered emotional and physical support outside the classroom. To learn more about how you can help, and to better understand what it will mean to be responsible for transforming the life of a child orphaned by AIDS, read about Building a Family Tie.
