Physical Health Zambia Project #10939

Zambia: Support for Schooling of HIV/AIDS Orphans

by Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan)

Project Report | May 29, 2014
Children Fighting HIV / AIDS

By Kayo Oda | Programme Coordinator

confirming the support with a child and her family

In Zambia, estimated 800,000 children are said to have lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS. Most of these children stay with their grandparents, their relatives, or their family’s close friends. Many of these host families are not wealthy, unable to send those HIV/AIDS orphans to school. Among those children, some are going through even harder times, suffering from the disease themselves.

AAR Japan started educational support to Awal, one of the HIV/AIDS orphans, in 2008. The little boy with innocent smiles grew up to become a 17-year-old man in 10^th grade. He lost his mother at age six, his father at age seven and now lives with his aunt. His aunt and her family of seven are never rich, living on only 300 kwacha, which is equivalent to approximately 50 US dollars, a month. Awal’s aunt is struggling with health problems these days.

To make matters worse, Awal has recently come down with the AIDS symptoms. He became HIV positive through maternal-fetal transmission; and knowing of his HIV positive status, Awal has been taking antiretroviral drugs since he was little. Antiretroviral drugs suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV disease; however, he quit taking the drugs recently. This caused skin rash on his face.

Awal’s friend who had also been taking antiretroviral drugs passed away; which led him to believe that he had no hope for his future and that he would die young anyway. His host family did not encourage him to continue the treatment, either.

We were very worried that Awal had stopped taking medication. Angela Mutale, a staff member of AAR Japan Zambia Office, attempted to see him in person and talk him into resume his treatment, but she was not welcomed at first. Awal did not want to see Angela, and his aunt was not very supportive on this matter. After many visits and conversations, however, Awal and his aunt accepted Angela’s sincerity. Awal finally visited the clinic with Angela, took blood examination, resumed his treatment, and recovered his hope for his future.

Among the 43 children whom AAR supports today, there are HIV/AIDS orphans who contracted AIDS though maternal-fetal transmission like Awal. There are also HIV/AIDS orphans who are not contracted with AIDS but are forced to live on their own or at an orphanage. Even the HIV/AIDS orphans who have relatives to live with are obliged to work in order to support their host families. The government of Zambia recognize the necessity of establishing a support system for these HIV/AIDS orphans, but it is not realized yet. Without appropriate support from the government, many of HIV/AIDS orphans struggle not only physically but psychologically as well.

Some of them have issues such as young pregnancy and underage drinking. In order to tackle solve these problems, we could not wait for the government of Zambia. We have to keep encouraging each family to create their own support system at home. AAR Japan started a new program in 2013 with the help of psycho-social counselor, so as to help the HIV/AIDS orphans and their families solve their everyday problems.

Awal’s medical condition has been stable since he had resumed the treatment, but we cannot be off-guard yet. AAR Japan, with the help of local volunteer staff, regularly checks up on Awal to make sure that he is taking the treatment and that his condition is stable. It is our sincere hope that Awal will continue his treatment and graduate his school, so that he could enjoy what awaits him in the future.

Note: In view of privacy protection, assumed names are used in the article, to protect the identity of the beneficiaries.

Permalink

Feb 28, 2014
You make my dream come true- Story of Benson

By Yuko Ito | Program Coordinator

In front of Benson's (left) home

Benson MALAWA is a 16-year-old student, who goes to Flying Angels Community School in Ng’ombe Compound in Lusaka. He passed the National Examination of Grade 9 last year and successfully went on to Grade 10 this January. Ever since Benson lost his mother to AIDS four years ago, he has lived with his grandfather, Cosmos SHACHELE. His house, made of irregular-shaped blocks, has five rooms that can barely accommodate all eleven family members including Benson and his grandfather. Cosmos feeds his family repairing shoes and selling bananas in the compound. However, his monthly income is so low that he cannot buy enough food to feed all his family members three regular meals a day. Cosmos is very proud of Benson, but he cannot afford his school expenses under such severe financial constraints. In response to the situation, AAR has supported Benson’s school fees, uniform, shoes and stationery every year.

Benson has good attendance in school, maintains great performance, and always ranks within the tenth place in his class. His notebook is neatly written and covers all the important points from the classes he attends. His teachers praise his great performance, giving written comments of ‘excellent!’ on the mathematics exercise on his notebook. In Zambia, school textbooks are so expensive that most students cannot afford them. Students instead carefully copy what teachers write on a blackboard on their notebooks and use them as if they were textbooks. Benson normally remains in classroom after he finishes all classes of the day, though he occasionally helps his grandfather’s work immediately after school. As Benson strongly hopes to go to a university, now he works hard especially on English and mathematics because they are considered to be important subjects in Zambia. After university, he wants to pursue a career as a lawyer because he wishes to help people in need in his country. Such aspiration springs from the vulnerable environment in which he grew up. Benson expressed his gratitude for his schooling saying; “Thank you for your support, which enables me to continue to go to school. God bless you.”

It is estimated that there are approximately 800,000 AIDS orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The students we support are amongst these children. Despite their difficult family situations, they strive to do well in school like Benson. Many of these students told AAR staff members that they wish to have a successful career not only to help their own families but also to give back warm support to any of those who are in dire needs of assistance in the future.

Benson (left) and his mentor Charles (right)

Benson's neat mathematics notebook

Benson (fourth from the left) with his friends

Permalink

Dec 2, 2013
To Make Her Dream Come True- Story of Jennifer

By Atsushi Naoe | Programme Coordinator

Jennifer strongly hopes to learn at high school

Thank you for your kind support to the project ‘Zambia: Support For Schooling of HIV/AIDS Orphans’. In the following report, we would like to share the story of Jennifer, one of the most zealous students we are supporting.

Jennifer, 17, is a 9^thgrade girl who goes to Roma Girls Secondary School located in Ng’ombe Compound in Lusaka. Her mother died of AIDS just after she gave birth to Jennifer. Her father, Richard, works as a chicken buyer at a market, but his income is not enough to send his daughter to school. AAR Japan has long been supporting the schooling of Jennifer since she was a 1^stgrader in 2005. She behaves well and works hard at school and at home, having served as a school prefect a couple of times and having been on the top list as for the academic performance. When she was a 7^thgrader, she got a high score of 807 out of 1000, far beyond the average of 500 at the national examination, which made her qualified to enter Roma Girls Secondary School that is known for its quality education among the community. Even after she entered that school, she did not slow her pace. After all classes are finished, she remains in a classroom and study by herself until 4p.m. every day since it is difficult for her to study at home, once returning home from school, she has to prepare supper for her family and look after her young half-brother and half-sister. Jennifer says she wants to be a doctor in the future because she lost her mother to AIDS and witnessed many sick people in her community such as her mother’s elder sister suffering from high blood pressure.

Jennifer is frugal with words but her determination toward her dream is genuinely solid. She strongly hopes to enter good high school, receive quality education and be permitted to a medical school. In Zambia, all 9^th graders take a national examination at the end of the year, of which results decide whether one can continuehigher educationor not. Jennifer is trying her best toward the exam in order to make her dream come true.

Jennifer is proud of attending her school

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.