NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Wyncote, PA, United States, 2009/01/26 - Thanks to the donation of A Broader View Volunteers (ABV), Kyosiga Association for Development successfully provided food and soap to 123 Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) and their care providers on December 31 and January 2, 2009.

The event at which these items were given was hosted at SBS Nursery and primary school. In honor of the nature of ABV’s donation of funding from one community to another the event was entitled “Cultural exchange Happy New Year 2009.” The event exceeded KAD’s expectations with more families fed and an audience of 200 plus people.

Back Ground of Recipients
The OVCs and their care providers who attended this event represent a small piece of the vast community of people in Wakiso District that are deeply in need of support services in health/HIV/AIDS, education/skills development, economic generation, food security, potable water and sanitation. This event focused of HIV/AIDS orphans, and vulnerable children, one of many vulnerable community groups in Wakiso District.

In Wakiso District, there are over 80,000 children living without at least one parent and over 20,000 who have lost both. This equates to roughly 16% of all children in the district who have lost at least one parent and 4% who have lost both. The category ‘OVC’ also includes vulnerable children. KAD understands vulnerability in this context to mean any child who does not have equal access to the resources necessary for his/her development and capacity to reach their potential. This could include, for example, children who cannot afford to go to school, access health services, children who are the head of their households, and those who care for sick relatives. It is unclear what percentage of these children have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. With recorded HIV/AIDS infection rates between 7% and 10% nation wide it can be assumed that the percentage is high.

It should be noted that KAD’s observations through its conduction of a base line survey in November suggest that many people living with HIV/AIDS in Wakiso District have not received HIV/AIDS testing and counseling let alone medical care through they have clear signs of HIV/AIDS infection. This reality indicates that many HIV/AIDS infections go unrecorded in Uganda’s records. Poorest community members often live and die with HIV/AIDS without ever receiving medical care. Furthermore, HIV/AIDS is complicated by so many other health and wellbeing issues faced by Wakiso residents making cause of death often ambiguous. Common health issues that complicate HIV/AIDS infection include but are not limited to: malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, whooping cough, cholera, intestinal parasites and other water borne infections caused by contaminated water supplies and malnutrition.

Extended families are commonplace in Wakiso. Often grandparents, aunts, uncles and older siblings look after many children due to the death of their parents (WHO, 2006). As indicated by the base line survey, these families struggle to meet the needs of as many as 25 orphans sometimes without any source of income.

The people who attended the event were invited by KAD through their Local Council members (district and parish representatives). The families who were invited were chosen based on the greatest need. These families are all caring for OVC, most of whom has lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.

What Was Provided
With A Broader View’s donation, we were able to provide 2.5lb of posho (corn flower which is a main food in Uganda), 1 mosquito net, 2.5lb of beans, 2.5lb of sugar and a bar of soap to members of all the families in attendance exceeding our hope to understanding that the household would be sharing in the gift. These items will allow families to eat, wash cloths, clean their homes and selves for a few days. The mosquito nets provided with support from the local government of Wakiso will help sustain the health of the family after they have enjoyed the food.

The pictures below are of food given at the event, volunteers packing the items, a women preparing food in her outside kitchen in Sumbwe, Wakiso and a happy recipient of food.

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Written by / Agency / Source: A Broader View Volunteers Corp.

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