Looking after children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa

Every minute of every day, one child dies and four children lose a parent because of an AIDS-related illness. Already 15 million children have been orphaned by AIDS worldwide.

There are an estimated 2 million orphaned children in South Africa, half of whom have lost one or both parents because of AIDS. Most of these orphans and vulnerable children are taken care of by their extended family, headed mainly by elderly members who often live in poverty. Some children are faced with the responsibility of caring for their one remaining parent, sick from an AIDS-related illness. Others have to fend for themselves, or look after their younger siblings.

Many of these children are denied access to education, health care and psychosocial support because of fees, the distance they would need to travel, or lack of knowledge that these services exist. In addition, they are at a higher risk than other children of being exploited through child labour, as well as sexual abuse.

Soccer Aid 2006 funds have supported:

• Forty “Isibindi; Circles of Care” projects across South Africa providing services for 13,472 children and training for 575 care workers. The overall goal is to create a safe and caring community for children and young people at risk, especially those in child-headed households.
• The training of 3,000 health workers in the skills needed to look after children with HIV.
• Youth participation in provincial public parliamentary hearings within the process of the Children’s Amendment Bill enactment.
• The implementation of antenatal care projects in 18 clinics which have led to a decrease in stillbirth rates by almost 26 per cent.
• The increased capacity of the KwaZulu Natal virology laboratory to process HIV tests. This has gone from 1,200 tests a year to approximately 60,000.

Read Sipho’s story

Read Tsehiso’s story

With your help, we can protect more children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa.

Watch a film of UNICEF Ambassador Robbie Williams talking to a family of children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa.

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