This issue includes:

• Strategies to strengthen CAREGIVERS [1].
• Where to look for MORE [2] on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).
• Selected initiatives: ACCESS and VOICE. [3]
• Vote in a POLL [4] on priority focus: marginalised girls.
• Focus on ADVOCACY. [5]
• OVC RESOURCES. [6]

 

 

 

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Among the many groups and individuals affected by the spread of the HIV virus worldwide are children. Whether HIV-positive themselves or affected by the HIV status of a parent or relative or by the death of one or both parents, children experience the consequences of HIV infection in their family. Grandparents and other relatives, religious and secular community groups, and regional, national, and international development groups have developed a variety of approaches and resources that specifically address the issues faced by AIDS orphans, other vulnerable children, and the people caring for them. This collection of summaries from various knowledge sections on The Communication Initiative (CI) website is intended to indicate a few examples of strategies that work to support caregivers and build capacity for peer support, efforts to raise awareness and to advocate for this population group, and approaches to connecting with them through tools such as interpersonal communication, memory work, and filmmaking.

 

 

 

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SUPPORTING CAREGIVERS

 

 

1. Home Truths: Facing the Facts on Children, AIDS, and Poverty [7]

Published in February 2009, this final report of the Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA) summarises its main results and recommendations, which focus on the following principles: support children through families; strengthen community action that backstops families; address family poverty through national social protection; and deliver integrated, family-centred services to meet children's needs. According to Chapter 1, a bold change in approach is necessary that: extends support and services to all children in need; builds policies and programmes that support extended family and community networks in caring for children; and tackles poverty and gender inequality, which strongly influence child outcomes and amplify the impact of HIV and AIDS on children.

 

 

2. Friends of Orphans - Uganda [8]

Friends of Orphans (FRO) is a non-profit humanitarian organisation that was initiated in Pader Town, Kampala (Northern Uganda) in 1999 by people who had been orphaned or abducted as children. Volunteers work to support children who have been victimised in various ways (for example, through abandonment or abject poverty). This work includes providing financial support for education; offering vocational training; advocating for rights; meeting basic needs; and protecting children from war, murder, abduction, rape, and HIV/AIDS. In these interpersonal encounters, FRO focuses on exchanging information, engaging youth through entertainment (sport and play), and empowering women, AIDS orphans, and others by meeting basic needs and supporting vocational skills that foster economic development.

Contact: Anywar Ricky Richard ngomkwaro@yahoo.co.uk [9] OR fropug@yahoo.co.uk [10]

 

 

3. Clowns Without Borders South Africa Njabulo HIV/AIDS Residency Programme - Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland [11]

Created in 2004 by Clowns without Borders South Africa (CWBSA), Njabulo HIV/AIDS Residency Programme aims to provide psychosocial relief to both vulnerable children and their caregivers who are affected by poverty, disease, and HIV/AIDS. CWBSA is motivated by the belief that laughter and play have the capacity to improve the psychosocial conditions of those in areas of crisis, and so has developed its own approach that uses play, performance, theatre arts education, drama therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and professional empowerment to address the psychosocial needs of children and their caregivers. As of June 2009, teams of teaching artists and clowns had worked with over 170,000 children and caregivers throughout the region.

Contact: info@cwbsa.org [12]

 

 

4. Grandmother to Grandmother: New York to Tanzania - Video Documentary [13]

This documentary examines the lives of grandmothers on two continents who are living with the effects of AIDS in their families and communities. It introduces two projects - one in the Bronx (in New York, the United States), one in Tanzania - and tells the stories of how partnerships work to transform situations fraught with confusion and fear into opportunities for renewal and hope. According to the filmmakers, the founders of these projects are finding simple and effective ways to support grandmothers who are raising grandchildren. Children who were "at risk" are now thriving. Grandmothers who felt hopeless are beginning to hope again. 

 

 

5. Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign - Canada [14]

Grandmothers in Africa are bearing the brunt of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, as they are taking on the responsibility for their orphaned grandchildren following the death of their own children due to AIDS. In response to this, the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) launched a campaign to raise awareness and mobilise support in Canada for Africa's grandmothers, and to build solidarity between African and Canadian grandmothers. The campaign helps grandmothers in Africa secure food, housing grants, school fees for their grandchildren, opportunities to earn a living, and counselling and social support. Groups have also been formed in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Intercultural connection is encouraged. In October 2007, 8 African grandmothers from 4 countries visited British Columbia to meet with groups. Then, in March 2008, a delegation of 12 Canadian grandmothers traveled to Africa to visit SLF projects in Uganda, South Africa, and Swaziland.

Contact: Julie Coultas campaigncoord@stephenlewisfoundation.org [15] OR campaign@stephenlewisfoundation.org [16]

 

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Please also see the following for more projects, thinking, and resources related to AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children:

 

The Soul Beat 75 - Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children [18]

 

Soul Beat Africa HIV/AIDS Theme Site [19]

 

The CI HIV/AIDS Theme Site [20]

 

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FOSTERING ACCESS AND VOICE

 

 

6. Lubuto - United States, Zambia [21]

The Lubuto Library Project, Inc. (LLP) is working to create opportunities for equitable education and poverty reduction through model library services housed in indigenously styled buildings. Lubuto's open-access libraries strive to fill a gap in services to orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) by providing a bridge to schools and social services that are otherwise beyond their reach, particularly in the case of the street children. Collections are assembled and catalogued by United States (US) volunteers and are sent shelf-ready to Africa, where local-language books are added. Library staff appointed by the host organisation receive in-service training from professional librarians to offer enrichment programmes and services sensitised to users' psychosocial needs. Lubuto is also developing a child protection policy and a girls' outreach programme with the intention of benefiting other organisations that support OVC.

Contact: webmail@lubuto.org [22]

 

 

7. Jali Watoto (Care for Children) Anti-Stigma and Discrimination Campaign - Tanzania [23]

Launched in 2006, this campaign was designed to support community-based HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support activities with vulnerable children in Tanzania, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS, by training young people to be peer educators. Jali Watoto (Care for Children) is a response to the fact that HIV/AIDS orphans frequently experience stigma at school. They can be teased or bullied by other children, denied participation in games, or prevented from participating in lessons. In certain instances this abuse keeps HIV/AIDS orphans from attending school altogether. Workshops for children and youth are designed to empower them as agents of change: "We know that the anti-stigma messages that are given to our young people will be spread to their families, their friends and throughout the community."

Contact: pact@pacthq.org [24] OR Jane Calder jane@pacttz.org [25] OR John Bernon jbernon@pacthq.org [26]

 

 

8. Inzwi Redu/Ilizwi Lethu/Our Voice Radio Programme - Zimbabwe [27]

Launched in May 2009, this interactive radio programme series focuses on the needs of OVC in Zimbabwe. "Inzwi Redu/Ilizwi Lethu/Our Voice" seeks to encourage children's participation in responses to HIV and AIDS. It is broadcast on Radio Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe's two main local languages, Shona and Ndebele. The programme consists of a discussion between a grandmother, "Gogo", and children. In each programme, two children read a story, after which Gogo asks them questions on what they have learned. The series explores children's issues around HIV and AIDS, life skills, access to basic services, and psychosocial support, among others. Information on the programmes is tailored towards the general development of the children, breaking the cycle of vulnerability and HIV transmission, and, at the same time, enhancing the children's personal survival.

Contact: secretariat@zimnapovc.co.zw [28] OR safaidsnap@safaids.org.zw [29]

 

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Please VOTE in our Early Childhood Development Poll: What is the most persistent problem facing marginalised female children? [30]

 

Problem:

•  Lack of access to education.
•  Lack of inheritance and ownership rights.
•  Societal acceptance of sexual teasing and harassment.
•  Forced customs related to sexuality: e.g., FGM, arranged marriage, involuntary prostitution.

 

VOTE and COMMENT at click here. [30]

 

 

RESULTS thus far (July 30):

60%: Lack of access to education.

26%: Forced customs related to sexuality: e.g., FGM, arranged marriage, involuntary prostitution.

8%: Societal acceptance of sexual teasing and harassment.

6%: Lack of inheritance and ownership rights.

 

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ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE

 

 

9. Seen and Heard: Involving Children in Responses to HIV and AIDS [31]

by Robin Vincent

This HIV/AIDS communication policy brief from Panos London explores strategies for involving children - including young children - in responses to HIV and AIDS. "Seen and Heard" looks at a range of barriers to children's participation, the challenges of accommodating the distinctive communication styles of children, and promising initiatives to support children's communication and participation. The paper draws on the experiences of people living in communities affected by poverty and HIV and AIDS in challenging policymakers and practitioners to give children the tools and space to participate effectively in decisions that affect their lives. It emphasises the importance of listening to the voices and experiences of children, and recognising their energy and creativity in addressing the lived realities of HIV and AIDS in their households and communities. 

 

 

10. Artists Action Around AIDS/Highly Effective Art (AAAA/HEART) - South Africa [32]

This initiative by the Centre for HIV and AIDS Networking (HIVAN) aims to raise public awareness on issues related to HIV/AIDS using the cultural arts as a tool for communication and advocacy. In an effort to empower communities affected and infected by HIV/AIDS, AAAA/HEART develops exhibitions, catalogues, presentations, publications, forums, and developmental workshops, and forges links with cultural organisations that advocate for change. The project also conducts "train the trainer" workshops which seek to mobilise trained art-workers in utilising their skills for the benefit of infected and affected communities in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to mentor these art-workers so that they can apply their professional skills to the development of, for example, child-friendly programmes to educate orphans and vulnerable children on issues surrounding HIV/AIDS.

Contact: Bren Brophy brenb@hivan.org.za [33]

 

 

11. A Grandmother's Tribe: Documentary on HIV/AIDS - Kenya [34]

This documentary film tells the story of two Kenyan grandmothers who have stepped in after the loss of their own children to raise their young grandchildren. It is designed to increase awareness of the large numbers of grandmothers in Africa who struggle to care for orphans of HIV/AIDS. The project also developed a website and a discussion guide that allow people and organisations to take action and organise their own public screenings and fundraising activities.

Contact: Qiujing Wong qiujing@borderlessproductions.com [35]

 

 

12. Suffering in Silence: The Links between Human Rights Abuses and HIV Transmission to Girls in Zambia [36]

This document from Human Rights Watch reports results of a 2003 study of human rights abuses of Zambian girls less than 18 years of age, the majority orphaned by HIV/AIDS. It gives background information about the effects of HIV/AIDS on the continent of Africa, on women and girls more specifically, and in the country of Zambia. It then describes the situation of OVC, of traditional practices which can increase the risk of HIV infection, and of sexual abuses related to the risk of HIV transmission. It details the shortcomings of the current legal framework and describes national and international responses and their inadequacies.

 

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CONNECTING THROUGH TOOLS AND RESOURCES

 

 

13. The Child Within: Connecting with Children Who Have Experienced Grief and Loss [37]

by Judy Rankin and Renate Cochrane

This August 2008 publication forms part of the "Called to Care" toolkit, a series of practical, action-oriented handbooks and mini manuals on issues related to HIV/AIDS, designed for use by church leaders, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Child Within, the sixth book in the series, aims to promote resilience in children who have suffered grief and personal loss. It arose out of a need expressed by volunteer caregivers who were experiencing serious difficulties in looking after orphaned children. The book is designed to be used to facilitate workshop sessions to help participants learn how to communicate more openly and effectively with children. According to the publishers, it does so by enabling adults who care for children to rediscover and appreciate their own "child within".

 

 

14. Memory Box Programme - South Africa [38]

Implemented by the Sinomlando Centre for Oral History and Memory Work in Africa (School of Religion and Theology, University of KwaZulu-Natal), this programme provides AIDS patients and their children with support by recording their living memories. These memories are kept in a "memory box" which contains the story of the deceased parents as well as various objects pertaining to their history. The programme also introduces the methodology of the memory box to volunteers of various community organisations who deal with orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng province, South Africa. The objective of the Memory Box Programme is to enhance resilience in vulnerable children and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS.

Contact: Philippe Denis denis@ukzn.ac.za [39] OR sinomlando@ukzn.ac.za [40]

 

 

15. Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Support (OVT) Toolkit [41]

This website and CD-ROM from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Family Health International is a collection of information, tools, and guidance on supporting orphans and other vulnerable children living in a world with HIV/AIDS. It covers a range of subject areas, sharing learning and resources from a wide range of organisations. These areas include: Running a Programme, Health and Nutrition, Education, Psychosocial Support, Economic Strengthening, Living Environments, Quality Improvement, and Children's Rights.

 

 

16. Changing Children's Lives: Experiences from Memory Work in Africa [42]

This December 2007 report shares learning from the memory work conducted by Healthlink Worldwide and 6 other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across Sub-Saharan Africa. The focus of the publication is on learning and analysis in the theory and practice of memory work, as well as demonstrating its effectiveness as an HIV response. The document also contains key challenges and how to deal with them, as well as recommendations for policy and practice. According to the authors, memory work is a participatory approach that encourages families to communicate openly about HIV, in order to strengthen children's resilience to the pandemic. It focuses on creating a safe environment in which disclosing one's HIV status and open communication are possible.

 

 

17. Untold: Stories in a Time of HIV and AIDS - Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe [43]

Untold is a series of 9 short films from 9 Southern African countries and forms part of a cross-border regional collaboration, led by the Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication. It is an effort to act together as a region to help deal with the HIV epidemic in southern Africa. Over an 18-month period, producers, scriptwriters, and directors from each of the 9 countries were trained in filmmaking and the edutainment process. The Untold series deals with a range of issues including HIV testing, teacher-learner relationship abuses, friendship, loyalty, fidelity, gender-based violence, growing up and making choices, living with HIV, and AIDS orphans.

Contact: soulcity@soulcity.org.za [44]

 

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This issue of The Drum Beat was written by Julie Levy.

 

 

 

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The Editor of The Drum Beat is Kier Olsen DeVries.

 

Please send material for The Drum Beat to The CI's Editorial Director - Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com [45]

 

The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.

 

To reproduce any portion of The Drum Beat, click here [46] for our policy.

 

To subscribe, click here. [47]