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Find out moreLivelihood Support and Care for People Living with HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe
Project Summary
Aim:
To ensure that orphans and vulnerable children are supported and that child-headed households and other families affected by HIV and AIDS can maintain their livelihoods
Region:
Chipinge and Chiredzi districts
Project Duration:
FY2005 to FY2010
Total Public Funds Required:
Fully funded
In Zimbabwe, the ongoing economic crisis has continued to limit the capacity of the community to provide quality support and care for people living with HIV and AIDS. However, Plan's Reducing Community Vulnerability to HIV and AIDS priority project is enabling people to maintain their livelihoods, produce nutritious food, and access home-based care and other services.
Why livelihood support and care for people with HIV and AIDS is a priority
Access to nutritious food, health care and support are vital for the survival of people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. Apart from the debilitating effects of the disease, HIV and AIDS compromises a family’s ability to meet basic food needs and earn sufficient incomes. Stigma and discrimination often discourage people from accessing health care and support services. Children may also miss out on education as they drop out of school to care for sick parents or are required to work to contribute to the household. If parents die, older children then become the head of the family, caring for younger siblings, which leaves them little or no opportunity to return to school. In rural areas, services to help support children affected by HIV and AIDS are mostly unavailable.
What is being done
Plan is working with communities in two rural districts, Chipinge and Chiredzi located in drought-prone south eastern Zimbabwe. Our work aims to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children are supported and that child-headed households and other families affected by HIV and AIDS can maintain their livelihoods and have access to nutritious food. This is being done by providing home based care and support so that children can attend school, education on alternative ways of increasing basic nutrition and ensuring that rural communities can also access home-based support and services for people living with HIV and AIDS.
What has been achieved so far
Since 2004, project activities in Chipinge and Chiredzi districts have improved the livelihoods of child-headed households and other vulnerable families through training and providing resources to grow crops and set up small livestock projects. In addition, the quality and reach of home-based care services that are being delivered to people living with HIV and AIDS have been improved. Plan has also been working with communities to help them develop support networks that assist orphans and other vulnerable children during this time.
