Background information
The impact of HIV/AIDS
An estimated three million children were living with HIV/AIDS by 2002, and about 13 million children
were orphaned by AIDS. The number of children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS is expected to
top 25 million by the year 2010, given the prevailing poverty and HIV/AIDS pandemic situations in
most countries in sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS, 2002).
The number of orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) and the negative impact of HIV/AIDS
on children is continuing to increase in many WV ADP communities. A large and growing number of
children are experiencing the trauma and distress of losing their parents; and are being forced to fend
for themselves. In the absence of adult protection, love and support, these children have been made
even more vulnerable by illness, exploitation and abuse, and by HIV infection. Illness, malnutrition
and death among young children are on the rise, school attendance is declining and the numbers of
street children are growing. The Christian and humanitarian imperative, which underpins everything
World Vision does, compels us to respond in the face of such pain and suffering.
Based on records from a number of WV’s programme reports, existing support for this large population
of children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS has been limited and fragmented, even in the
communities where WV works. The coverage, reach and impact of OVC responses have remained
limited in scale.
World Vision recognises that no single organisation can comprehensively respond to all the needs of all
OVC; and that the family and the community are the first line of defence and are ultimately responsible
for their children. World Vision thus seeks to mobilise and strengthen the existing community care
systems for vulnerable children as the key strategy in helping communities to support, care and protect
their children. By doing so, World Vision envisages working with communities in partnership or in
coalition with their care systems, hence this training programme on Community Care Coalitions (CCC).
Who are Orphans and Vulnerable Children?
The process for generating a community definition of who OVC are is outlined in this guide. The
selection of OVC, as well as OVC households, needs to be guided by community members, local
government officials, WV and other non-governmental organisations working in partnership. In each
community, it is important to use criteria that are simple to implement and that are community friendly.
However, it is important to set criteria that are as objective as possible, to be consistent in the criteria
used, to be regular in the identification of the neediest in the community (as this may change over
time), and to reflect more broadly on the impact on the OVC and families assisted.
Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Unit 2, Facilitator’s Guidelines^51