HIV/AIDS and Children: Zimbabwe

A number of factors have contributed to the difficulties facing Zimbabwe today. These includes the effects of the present political impasse, dollarization, rapid inflation, lack of investment, rising unemployment, escalating cost of living, the effects of frequent droughts and the emergence of HIV/AIDS. However, all the mentioned issues impact negatively to the children in Zimbabwe and leads to moral decadency, immature marriages and increasing death rate.

The present political, economic, social and HIV/AIDS situation in Zimbabwe presents a number of challenges to individuals, families, communities and especially children living with HIV/AIDS.
On an individual level, the income of HIV/AIDS affected families dwindles, usually because the breadwinner is ill or the family’s saving are spent on medical treatment. The current environment for the working class is terrible as most of them are given an allowance which is US$100 and this is too little to suffice the needs of most families in Zimbabwe. Children in these situations are often forced to drop out of school and to work. The situation is exacerbated when the prices of food and household goods increase.

The countries economic crisis has severely impacted upon the country’s health care system, more specifically on the diagnosis of HIV infection and the care of HIV/AIDS patients. In addition, even diagnosing opportunistic infections is too costly for the majority of the population. In Harare Mashambanzou is one nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides food for HIV/AIDS-affected families. The economic challenges inhibits volunteers for Mashambanzou and around the country from regularly reaching families with counseling, food, and blankets
At the community level HIV/AIDS has placed an additional burden on the extended family system. This structure has provided security for children and families foe generations.

Traditionally in Zimbabwe, family elders would meet and assign a family member, usually the father’s eldest brother, to care for an orphaned child and raise the child as part of his own family.
Recently the capacity of families to cope with additional children has become more and more strained and cumbersome. Relatives because of economic constraints look at their familial responsibility towards related children as more of a financial burden.

There are additional problems for orphaned children without relatives owing to the stigma attached to caring for non-related children. In this emergency, additional support from outside sources is required to help these children to cope

Early marriage is regarded as an option for households absorbing extra children. A man may marry to obtain assistance in taking care of his dependants. A woman may marry to reduce the number of dependants in her family’s household, as well as to obtain additional income through the bride price, that is goods and money given to the bride’s family by that of the bridegroom.

The recent farm invasions have also affected the lives of children living on farms, endangering their physical and psychological security. For instance, there has been an increase case of rape among young girls living on the farms, thus making young girls in these areas more vulnerable to HIV infection.