Orphans and Vulnerable Children - CRIN

Introduction and Objectives for Topic 2

HIV/AIDS has had devastating effects on children, rendering them vulnerable by forcing them to

experience their parents or guardians illness and death, by leaving them orphaned, and by causing

them to live in families that have taken in orphans.

The social impact of HIV/AIDS on children and families includes discrimination, vulnerability,

decline in physical and emotional well-being, loss of access to education and increased poverty.

Families become poorer and economically vulnerable when breadwinners become too ill to earn,

while family healthcare costs rise. The death of a breadwinner may cause widows and orphans

to lose their inheritance, their possessions and property, and to be left with nothing.

Fieldworkers working with communities which have been ravaged by HIV/AIDS, have noted that

mental and emotional depression is a significant factor in further increasing the vulnerability of OVC,

guardians and communities as a whole. People who have been in a state of depression over a long

period of time can lose their ability to cope with their everyday lives and often lose interest in life

in general. Children in families or part of communities that are depressed, can become increasingly

vulnerable as adults neglect their own needs and the needs of children.

This topic will explore the various ways in which HIV/AIDS affects all aspects of a child’s life.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this topic, participants will be able to:

 Define what psychological and socio-economic mean.

 Explain the psychological impact of HIV/AIDS on children, their families and communities.

 Explain the socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS on children, their families and communities.

(^108) Unit 2, Module 1 Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children