RIGHTS-AFRICA: Religious Groups Lead the Way in Caring for AIDS Orphans

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Joyce Mulama

NAIROBI, Oct 6 2003 (IPS) - The role that religious organisations can play in helping communities to care for children affected by AIDS has been receiving greater attention since the 13th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa.

The meeting, which was held in Nairobi from Sep. 21 to Sep. 26, brought together almost 8,000 delegates – including scientists, political leaders and representatives from civil society.

The delegates heard that religious groups are going to great lengths to meet the needs of AIDS orphans and children otherwise affected by the pandemic, even though their efforts are often ignored.

A report on this topic was issued at the conference by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Conference on Religions for Peace (WCRP).

Their study shows that the number of faith-based organisations (FBO) that are responding to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in several African countries has increased. This has happened "without significant external facilitation and financial support".

"Recently, the trickle became a flood. Nearly two-thirds of congregational responses were established in 1999-2002," says the report, entitled Study of the Responses by Faith-Based Organisations to Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

The study was conducted in six countries – Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Uganda – between 2002 and 2003.

About 97 percent of the religious groups surveyed were found to be offering some support to orphans and vulnerable children. This assistance included religious and educational support, HIV prevention efforts, home visits and counselling.

The report says these findings contradict the belief that communities with severe epidemics are disintegrating, and their support systems faltering.

However, it also notes that little financial support has been provided to faith based groups because they are "said to lack capacity to manage grants."

"The study demonstrates that this notion is erroneous," says the report.

Speaking at the launch of the survey on Sep. 23, research leader Geoff Foster pointed out that the management capacities of FBO’s were at the same level as those of larger non-governmental organisations.

According to the report, "The fact that religious groups have established and expanded their initiatives despite limited financial and human resources, is an illustration of their organisational ability".

Foster asserts that this is due to "strong insider understanding" of how communities should respond to the problem of orphaned children.

UNICEF says that the report is the first phase of a strategy aimed at increasing the number of vulnerable children cared for by religious organisations.

A statement from the UN agency’s regional advisor for children orphaned by AIDS, Stanley Phiri, says that "As a result of the study, it is anticipated that partnerships between religious organisations and inter-governmental organisations such as UNICEF, donors and other organisations, will be strengthened so that the work FBO’s are doing at community level to address the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS can be expanded."

Analysts have also emphasised that donors should try to collaborate with well-established organisations, to guard against exploitation by opportunists who are out to misuse AIDS funding.

"AIDS is a sexy and lucrative topic. There are unscrupulous people starting AIDS orphanages for their own interest," says Tony Banks, an official at Nairobi’s Nyumbani Children’s Home, which looks after children orphaned by AIDS.

"Financial support should be channelled to people with feet on the ground, and any donors need to monitor how the money is being spent," he told IPS in a telephone interview.

A number of health experts believe there are enough organisations to channel funds to AIDS orphans. The only problem is a shortage of money.

"The knowledge and human resources are there: organisations of People Living With AIDS, the inspired youth peer counsellors, the political leadership, the religious leadership, the activist women’s groups, the community based and faith based organisations; there is overwhelming sophistication and strength on this continent," said Stephen Lewis, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa. He was speaking at the opening of the Nairobi conference.

"What is missing are the tools and support to do the job. Provide those to Africa, and we can break the back of this pandemic," he went on.

During his visit to the continent in July, U.S. President George W. Bush pledged 15 billion U.S. dollars to fight HIV/AIDS and other diseases in Africa and the Caribbean during the next five years.

Statistics indicate that there are about 34 million orphaned children in Africa, 11 million of whom have lost parents to AIDS. This figure is likely to rise to 25 million by 2010, according to UNICEF’s country representative in Kenya, Nicholas Alipui.

Throughout Africa, nearly 30 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, including three million children under the age of 15.