scholarly journals Child-headed households because of the trauma surrounding HIV/AIDS

2007 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zamani Maqoko ◽  
Yolanda Dreyer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
African Philosophy ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Aids Orphans ◽  
Aids Pandemic ◽  
Out Of School ◽  
Hiv Aids

By the year 2002 14 million children had been orphaned globally because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. A great number of these have become the heads of households, are forced to look after themselves and siblings, drop out of school, are vulnerable to many forms of abuse and have found work to take care of themselves and their siblings. Misinformation, ignorance and prejudice concerning HIV/AIDS limit the willingness of a community to provide for the orphans who have been affected by the disease. This article aims to address the question why this is also the case in South Africa and why the African philosophy of “ubuntu” (humaneness), does not seem to make a difference. This study build upon fieldwork undertaken in the Bophelong area among HIV/AIDS orphans who function as heads of households and children who have been orphaned due to circumstances other than HIV/AIDS. The article concludes that religious communities can fill the gap left by the lack of “ubuntu” and can play a major role in nurturing HIV/AIDS orphans who function as heads of households. Churches can build a supportive environment where HIV/AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children can feel accepted.

scholarly journals School dropout among female learners in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Prince Mokoena ◽  
Adrian D. van Breda
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High School ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
High School Dropout ◽  
School Dropout ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Secondary Schooling ◽  
Out Of School

South Africa, like many countries, has high numbers of learners who do not complete secondary schooling. This reduces these young people’s chances of finding work or of earning a better salary. It is thus important to understand the factors that contribute to high school dropout. In the study reported on here we investigated the factors that caused a number of female learners to drop out and return to high school in a rural community in Mpumalanga. The learners provided 3 reasons for dropping out of school: pregnancy, illness and immigration. The analysis of these factors suggests 3 underlying themes that influence the ability of children to remain in school, viz. health, policies and structures, and poverty. The implications of these and recommendations to address them are discussed. The authors argue that greater interdepartmental efforts are required to support vulnerable girls to remain in school.

scholarly journals The Burden of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Due to HIV/AIDS in Cameroon

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dickson S Nsagha ◽  
Anne-Cécile ZK Bissek ◽  
Sarah M Nsagha ◽  
Jules-Clement N Assob ◽  
Henri-Lucien F Kamga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Hiv Prevalence ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Orphans And Vulnerable Children ◽  
Aids Orphans ◽  
Hiv Aids

HIV/AIDS is a major public health problem in Cameroon and Africa, and the challenges of orphans and vulnerable children are a threat to child survival, growth and development. The HIV prevalence in Cameroon was estimated at 5.1% in 2010. The objective of this study was to assess the burden of orphans and vulnerable children due to HIV/AIDS in Cameroon. A structured search to identify publications on orphans and other children made vulnerable by AIDS was carried out. A traditional literature search on google, PubMed and Medline using the keywords: orphans, vulnerable children, HIV/AIDS and Cameroon was conducted to identify potential AIDS orphans publications, we included papers on HIV prevalence in Cameroon, institutional versus integrated care of orphans, burden of children orphaned by AIDS and projections, impact of AIDS orphans on Cameroon, AIDS orphans assisted through the integrated care approach, and comparism of the policies of orphans care in the central African sub-region. We also used our participatory approach working experience with traditional rulers, administrative authorities and health stakeholders in Yaounde I and Yaounde VI Councils, Nanga Eboko Health District, Isangelle and Ekondo Titi Health Areas, Bafaka-Balue, PLAN Cameroon, the Pan African Institute for Development-West Africa, Save the orphans Foundation, Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Health. Results show that only 9% of all OVC in Cameroon are given any form of support. AIDS death continue to rise in Cameroon. In 1995, 7,900 people died from AIDS in the country; and the annual number rose to 25,000 in 2000. Out of 1,200,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Cameroon in 2010, 300,000(25%) were AIDS orphans. Orphans and the number of children orphaned by AIDS has increased dramatically from 13,000 in 1995 to 304,000 in 2010. By 2020, this number is projected to rise to 350,000. These deaths profoundly affect families, which often are split up and left without any means of support. Similarly, the death of many people in their prime working years hamper the economy. Businesses are adversely affected due to the need to recruit and train new staff. Health and social service systems suffer from the loss of health workers, teachers, and other skilled workers. OVC due to HIV/AIDS are a major public health problem in Cameroon as the HIV prevalence continues its relentless increase with 141 new infections per day. In partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and other development organizations, the Ministry of Public Health has been striving hard to provide for the educational and medical needs of the OVC, vocational training for the out-of- school OVC and income generating activities for foster families and families headed by children. A continous multi-sectorial approach headed by the government to solve the problem of OVC due to AIDS is very important. In line with the foregoing, recommendations are proposed for the way forward.

scholarly journals An Afro-Christian ministry to people living with HIV/Aids in South Africa

2005 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matsobane J. Manala
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
World View ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Aids Pandemic ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Pain And Suffering ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Church ◽  
Hiv Aids

The HIV/Aids pandemic is cause for great frustration to the developing countries in their attempts to improve the quality of life of their citizens. HIV/Aids in South Africa demands a specific approach to the Christian ministry in which the African world-view is acknowledged. In order for the church to play a relevant and meaningful role in combating the HIV/Aids pandemic, it is necessary that the church should be informed of the existential situation of persons living with HIV/Aids. This information is vital for raising awareness and engendering sensitivity among Christians. In the context of such awareness of and sensitivity to human pain and suffering, the community of the faithful should be moved to heed Christ’s call to show neighbourly love. The possible role of the church in caring for those who are already infected with HIV is defined.

scholarly journals Challenges faced by households in caring for orphans and vulnerable children

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Hiv Prevalence ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Socioeconomic Impacts ◽  
Orphans And Vulnerable Children ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
Nelson Mandela ◽  
To Come ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Hiv Aids

South Africa has seen a rapid increase in HIV prevalence among the general population over the past ten years, from less than 1 percent in 1990 to 20 percent in 2001. As the HIV/AIDS epidemic increases, so do the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). In 2002, an estimated five million people were living with HIV/AIDS. Because of the average 10-year period between infection and death, even if HIV prevalence declined rapidly, South Africa would still experience an increasing orphan burden for many years to come. By 2010, 16 percent of all children in South Africa will be orphans with more than 70 percent due to AIDS. The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund initiated the Goelama Project, which uses a community mobilization strategy to catalyze action by local organizations and government bodies to prevent HIV infection and mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of the disease, particularly as they affect OVC. This brief highlights key findings from a study of 29,000 members of nearly 5,000 households in eight study sites to identify ways that government and communities can strengthen the socioeconomic capacity of households to care for and support OVC.

THE CHALLENGES AND COPING RESOURCES OF YOUTH HEADING HOUSEHOLDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-48
Author(s):  
Petro Botha
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Coping Resources ◽  
Separate Group ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Contextual Design ◽  
Aids Pandemic ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
And Coping

There is a large number of youth-headed households in South Africa. This is linked to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country. Various studies have been undertaken on child-headed households, but there is a lack of research on the personal experiences of youth heading households. The assumption has been made that youth are older and able to cope with their situation. Youth heading households have not been defined as a separate group, but have been included in Orphans, Vulnerable Children and Youth (OVCY). The aim of this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges and coping resources of youth heading households. A qualitative approach and a descriptive and contextual design were used. It is important that governments and NGOs clearly define a youthheaded household and include youth heading households in research evaluating current services to OVCY, and that they plan services focusing specifically on the needs of this group.

HIV/AIDS Policies and Modernity in Brazil and South Africa: a Comparative Critical Analysis

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Katito
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
Brazilian Government ◽  
Aids Pandemic ◽  
Care Policies ◽  
History Of ◽  
Hiv Aids

This chapter compares HIV/AIDS policies in Brazil and South Africa over the thirty-year history of the epidemic, focusing on the period between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s. The discussion lays emphasis on the largely divergent policy responses of the two states to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The chapter begins with an overview of Brazil and South Africa's HIV/AIDS policies, along with critical factors that explain why, despite being two similar societies, they responded so differently to the epidemic. These factors include the nature and the timing of democratic transition and the relatively stronger Brazilian civil society. The chapter argues that Brazil acted far more aggressively than South Africa against the HIV/AIDS epidemic by implementing comprehensive prevention, treatment and care policies. As a result, the Brazilian government has been able to contain the spread of the virus across its population. In contrast, negligence, denial, delay and fragmentation have considerably exacerbated the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa.

scholarly journals Quality Visual Drop-in centres as a community response

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sithabile Ntombela
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Aids Pandemic ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hiv Aids

School going children have a broad range of needs at any given point in time. If these needs are not met, they may experience barriers to learning and development, which can result in the breakdown of the learning process or even total exclusion. Barriers to learning and development affect learners differently, but nothing threatens their development and quality of life in the same way as the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Young children, because of their dependence on others, are likely to suffer developmental, educational, emotional and physical setbacks, due to the impact of the pandemic. For many, the impact is so great that their access to schooling is threatened as they (and their siblings) struggle to survive. This article discusses literature on how HIV/AIDS intensifies poverty, while in the process marginalising affected and infected children; and it is also concerned with how communities can respond to the needs of these vulnerable children. Particular attention is paid to dropin centres as a sustainable response to the challenges young children face in KwaZulu- Natal. The article concludes that the drop-in centre scheme is a desirable model of care as it employs an environmentally friendly approach that relies on inter-sectoral collaboration to provide care and support for children in need.

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