by Gretchen Hemes
A person does not have to be carrying the AIDS virus for it to devastate their life. In Zambia alone, more than 520,000 children are making their way in the world without the benefit of their parents. AIDS orphaned them.
"The AIDS orphan crisis in Zambia must be treated like an emergency," says Aben Ngay, who served as CARE's assistant country director in the southeastern African nation from 1996-2000. "Long-term, sustainable solutions are needed as well, but we must provide for and protect these children now."
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The SCOPE OVC project helps families raise children orphaned by AIDS.
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CARE-Zambia, in conjunction with Family Health Trust, developed a project called SCOPE OVC (Strengthening Community Partnerships for the Empowerment of Orphans and Vulnerable Children). SCOPE OVC works with government and local organizations to assist people caring for children orphaned by AIDS. In poor communities on the fringe of Zambia's cities, that includes nearly everyone.
"Every household is supporting an orphan directly or indirectly," says Ngay. "More than half the households have taken in at least one orphan, and typically siblings stay together, so often there is more than one child."
When a family's size is suddenly doubled, there are obvious consequences, Ngay says. It becomes increasingly difficult to afford to feed, clothe and educate all the children. Close living quarters often lead to increased sexual activity, even among very young children.
The situation may be even worse for orphans who are not or refuse to be taken in by extended families. They live life on the fringe of the fringe, often banding together, finding some measure of safety in numbers, Ngay says.
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Improving access to health care is an important part of caring for AIDS orphans.
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"Sometimes it feels like we take one step forward and two steps back, because there are so many issues involved in caring for AIDS orphans," says Ngay. "But we cannot throw our hands up and say the problem is too big. These children need us today."
The Zambian people have already initiated projects to mitigate the devastating impact of this disease, Ngay says. SCOPE OVC helps build networks among the Zambian government, churches, local volunteer groups and the private sector to reach more orphans and families with more effective services. Depending on the most urgent needs, this may include feeding and educating very poor children, instructing adolescents on how to prevent AIDS and creating economic opportunities that will help support larger families.
SCOPE OVC manages eight district offices in Zambia and has plans for four additional offices.
Many people agree with Ngay's assessment the AIDS crisis in Zambia is an emergency, but he says there is cause for optimism. Some orphans have become success stories in their own right. Among them are young people who have gone on to get a secondary education at a government school after learning basic skills at a CARE-sponsored community school. These children could not afford tuition for the government school, but when they showed real promise as students, extended family members made sacrifices to finance their education.
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Zambian communities are finding ways to help families support those in need.
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"These are children who would have been left behind," says Ngay, CARE's senior technical advisor for Basic & Girls' Education. "Their community did more than save them, they helped them grow. It is possible. We need the international community to acknowledge this is a problem everyone must work together to solve. They talk about the AIDS crisis; now they have to step up with the funds."
There are no blueprints for solutions that fit every scenario, says Ngay. That is why CARE believes it can do the most good by supporting local organizations that tailor their response to AIDS based on a community's greatest needs.
Gretchen Hemes writes news and feature articles for CARE.
CONTACT:
IN ATLANTA: Alina Labrada 404-979-9383 labrada@care.org.
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