Dear Reader,

This brief report addresses the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on children and families in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that is home to over 80% of the 15 million children under the age of 18 who have been orphaned by the pandemic worldwide. The health, education, safety, and survival of increasing numbers of children are particularly at risk in African countries that are heavily affected by HIV/AIDS, poverty and disease. The most promising solutions to this mounting crisis look beyond orphanages and institutional care to more sustainable, cost-effective, and developmentally appropriate alternatives.

The first line of support for children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS is family and community. With great creativity and resilience, growing numbers of grassroots, community-based, and non-governmental organizations are working to strengthen and revitalize the local safety nets that have been unraveling as the pandemic spreads. All children need the nurturing support of family and the experience of community in order to thrive. This publication highlights the programs and strategies that help ensure that children remain in family care within their communities by reducing discrimination, ensuring access to education, creating income, and providing direct support.

The four donor organizations that have produced this report – the Firelight Foundation, American Jewish World Service, Bernard van Leer Foundation, and Pan African Children’s Fund – fund grassroots organizations serving children in 21 African countries. We have witnessed the effective work of groups rising to the challenge of HIV/AIDS in their communities. We have also struggled with the issue of institutional care. While we do not endorse the use of orphanages as a solution for reasons outlined in this report and described much more broadly elsewhere (see Additional Resources, p. 11), we recognize the need for short-term emergency care for especially vulnerable children, such as street youth and children who have been abused or abandoned. As donors, we have funded residential programs for children who have no other means of support while also working to ensure that these placements are temporary. The bottom line is that investing in community-based approaches enables children to be provided and cared for within families – where they grow best - and reduces the number of children who are left without care or are placed within institutions.

One of the greatest challenges that grassroots groups face is that their work is under-recognized and under-funded. It is the intent of this report to provide readers with a better understanding of community-based organizations and the vital role they play in supporting the needs of children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. We offer it as both a summary and a guide to current and future donors – foundations, individuals, and faith-based organizations – eager to help address the HIV/AIDS pandemic wisely.

Kerry Olson
Founder and President – Firelight Foundation

Ruth Messinger
President – American Jewish World Service

Peter Laugharn
Executive Director – Bernard van Leer Foundation

Charles E. Blake, Sr.
Founder and CEO – Pan African Children’s Fund