Horizons Projects | Involving Young People in the Care and Support of AIDS-affected Children in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

HORIZONS PROJECT
Involving Young People in the Care and Support of AIDS-affected Children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Past studies on youth involvement in care and support have illustrated that young people already are involved in caring for people living with HIV and AIDS, and that training and support can enhance their role.

The purpose of this study was to:

test the impact of prevention, care, and support services provided by trained young people to AIDS-affected children within a school setting;
assess the impact on youth caregivers of being involved in care and support activities; and
determine the feasibility and appropriateness of youth services and outreach activities within a school setting for the care and support of vulnerable children.

The intervention focused on developing and implementing youth-to-youth services that involve young infected people, young people who are at risk of infection, and young people who are household heads or caring for sick adults. Intervention activities included training in care and support for caregivers and after-school support for youth that included homework assistance, HIV and AIDS education and psychosocial support, and club-based peer activities.

Key findings include:

Participation by learners in the youth caregiver program was high.
Participants responded positively to the youth caregiver program and reported benefits.
Program participants demonstrated greater gains in HIV knowledge than non-participants, but important gaps persisted among both groups.
Participants perceived barriers to the practice of the ABC behaviors.
Program participants demonstrated positive attitudinal changes toward people living with HIV, however stigma remained a problem.
Participants reported an increase in HIV-related communication.
Volunteer youth caregivers reported satisfaction with the program.
Volunteer youth caregivers felt limited in meeting the needs of program participants.
The attrition rate among volunteer youth caregivers was high.
Principals, teachers, and parents/guardians were supportive of the program.

Following this study, The Valley Trust received funding to expand the program to five new geographic areas and to broaden its mandate to include vocational training and nutritional support, as well as shelter, care, and child protection interventions. The program has developed linkages with other Valley Trust programs and community organizations to provide direct health and legal services to orphans and vulnerable children in the program. The Valley Trust has recruited new youth caregivers and now provides them a monthly stipend. The program has also expanded to include home visits/follow-up when necessary

Location

Valley of a Thousand Hills, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Duration

March 2005–March 2007

Horizons and Population Council researchers

Katie Schenk, Tobey Nelson, Eka Esu-Williams

Non-Council collaborators

Clive Bruzas, S’fiso Mnguni, Pinkie Nyamakazi (Valley Trust)

Donors

US Agency for International Development

Valley Trust

Publications/Resources
Horizons and Population Council researchers' names appear in boldface type.

2008
Nelson, Tobey C., Eka Esu-Williams, Lungile Mchunu, Pinkie Nyamakazi, S’Fiso Mnguni, Katie Schenk, Catherine Searle, and Jennifer Redner. “Training youth caregivers to provide HIV education and support to orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa,” Horizons Research Summary. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF)