AIDS pandemic has created immense crisis particularly in sub-Saharan Africa including
Ethiopia. Ethiopia has the 3rd highest number of HIV-positive cases in the world,
and the World Health Organization estimates that 1.2 million children in Ethiopia
have been orphaned by AIDS. Significant number of children orphaned by AIDS has
been left to raise families in what are known as "child-headed households". These
children are forced to nurture their younger siblings including food, clothing and
shelter.
To address some of the challenges faced by child-headed households due to HIV/AIDS
epidemic in Ethiopia, P2P in partnership with War Child Canada, have been implementing
a project entitled “Ethiopian AIDS Orphans Development Program.” Recently, the intervention
gets strengthened by the financial supports of Stephens Lewis Foundation and Canadian
Embassy. Unlike the usual intervention strategies employed by other organizations
and agencies, People to People select orphans living in a child headed households
and send the older child into long-term vocational trainings and provide comprehensive
support for all other siblings under his/her supervision. The idea behind the project
is to make the family self-supportive as the trained older orphans will be employed
and take the responsibility of the household. Major supports include food, house
rent, clothing, school related expenses, medical services, psychosocial supports,
recreational programs, annual clothing, home and school visits, etc.
The project targets to provide 300 AIDS orphans with basic necessities of life including
food and shelter, as well as access to education, skills training, psychosocial
rehabilitation and HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness.
The project has trained a number of older orphans heading the family, most of whom
are females, in different vocational training fields such as nursing; hear dressing,
electricity, etc.
Their younger siblings are provided with the necessary resources to gain access
to an education. They are also provided with basic needs, access to health care,
psychosocial support and access to a large recreational program.
These young people are also participating in peer support groups, building leadership
skills and self-confidence, as well as sharing their knowledge of HIV/AIDS issues
with their communities.
