As a consequence of HIV and AIDS, cholera and related pandemics, Zimbabwe faces one of the biggest challenges in death rates in Africa. The lives of millions of children, adolescents and young people have been redefined by HIV and AIDS.
Sadly, this world sees a child becoming orphaned every 2 seconds, as many others lose parental care as a result of poverty, natural disasters, conflicts and diseases. In Zimbabwe these figures have exceeded one million with most of them engaged in child labour; work that is harmful to children’s physical and mental development and interferes with their education. This robs them the means for empowerment with knowledge and skills that create opportunities for a brighter future.
While efforts have been made to implement community-based initiatives to support orphans and vulnerable children; the focus has been primarily on providing material and psychosocial support. The approach has neglected to provide education and valuable life-skills information that orphans and children need in these dire circumstances. Similarly, over one million orphans and vulnerable children who are supposed to benefit from the Basic Education Assistance Module fail to attend school in due to lack of funds. Educate a Child Africa Foundation aims to bridge this gap, assisting vulnerable children in Zimbabwe where other organisations (such as NGOs) have had to leave due to political reasons or financial constraints.
