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Supporting community action on AIDS in developing countries

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Building Blocks: AsiaBriefing notes for communities working with orphans and vulnerable children

Livelihoods and economic strengthening

LIVELIHOODS AND ECONOMICSTRENGTHENING Acknowledgements

The Alliance would like to thank all those who contributed tothis publication, including:

Members of the development group for Building Blocks:Asia briefing notes

Aing Chamroeun, National Prosperity Association (NAPA),Cambodia; Cheng Chhor Virith, SCUK, Cambodia; ChiranuchPremchaiporn, AIDS ACCESS Foundation, Thailand; ChutimaSaisaengjan, AIDS Network Development Foundation(AIDSnet), Thailand; Dr Sangeeta Kaul, MAMTA, India; Dr SokSophal, Friends, Cambodia; Dr Srey Mony, World Vision,Cambodia; Himalini Varma, Thoughtshop Foundation, India;Im Phallay, independent consultant, Cambodia; IshdeepKohli, independent consultant, India; Jarukanya Rearnkham,AIDS Development Foundation (AIDSNet), Thailand; KanyaratKlumthanom, Thailand MOPH-US CDC Collaboration (TUC),Thailand; Lim Vannak, independent consultant, Cambodia;Ma Kol Chenda, KHANA, Cambodia; Madhavi Shinde,Committed Communities Development Trust, India; MinaxiShukla, CHETNA, India; Montira Montiantong, SpecialProjects Office, Office of the National Primary EducationCommission, Ministry of Education, Thailand; Ms VaijyantiBagwe, Committed Communities Development Trust, India;Namphung Plangruan, AIDS ACCESS Foundation, Thailand;Neelam Dang, Women’s Action Group - Chelsea, India; NethSan Sothy, NCHADS, Cambodia; Nirmala Antony, YoungWomen’s Christian Association (YWCA), India; NisacholOunjit, Médecins Sans Frontières - Belgium, Thailand; PratinDharmarak, Family Health International, Cambodia; PrudenceBorthwick, UNICEF Regional Office Thailand; San Van Din,Partners in Compassion, Cambodia; Shruti Shah, CHETNA,India; Sirinate Piyajitpirat, AIDS Network DevelopmentFoundation (AIDSnet), Thailand; Srilada Ketwong, Foundationfor Slum Child Care, Thailand; Suchada Suwanthes,NORTHNET Foundation, Thailand; Sum Sitha, CARE,Cambodia; Usa Khierwrod, Help Age International, Thailand;Uy Soung Chhan Sothy, Indradevi Association (IDA),Cambodia; Veena Johari, Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit,India; Wichitra Apateerapong, The HIV Netherlands AustraliaThailand Research Center Collaboration (HIV-NAT), Thailand.

What is the International HIV/AIDSAlliance?

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (theAlliance) is the European Union’s largestHIV-focused development organisation. Wewere established in 1993 as an internationalnon-governmental organisation to supportcommunity action on HIV/AIDS. Since then,we have worked with over 2,000community-based organisations in over 40countries, reaching some of the poorest andmost vulnerable communities with HIVprevention, care and support and improvedaccess to treatment.

© Text: International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2006© Illustrations: Centre for Health Education

Training and Nutrition Awareness(CHETNA), 2005

Information and illustration contained withinthis publication may be freely reproduced,published or otherwise used for non-profitpurposes without permission from theInternational HIV/AIDS Alliance or CHETNA.However, the International HIV/AIDS Allianceand CHETNA request that they be cited asthe source of the information and/orillustrations and CHETNA would like to benotified of their use at this address:[email protected]

This report is made possible by thegenerous support of the American peoplethrough the United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID). Thecontents are the responsibility of theInternational HIV/AIDS Alliance and do notnecessarily reflect the views of USAID or theUnited States Government.

LIVELIHOODS AND ECONOMICSTRENGTHENING

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Acknowledgements

Members of the international advisory board for BuildingBlocks: Asia briefing notes

John Williamson, Displaced Children and Orphans Fund,USA; Linda Sussman, independent consultant, India; EtiennePoirot, UNICEF, Cambodia; Amaya Gillespie, United NationsSecretary General’s Study on Violence against Children; InduCapoor, CHETNA, India; Sirinate Piyajitpirat, AIDSNet,Thailand; Pok Panhavichetr, KHANA, Cambodia; Dr Jintanat,HIV-NAT, The Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Center,Thailand; Prudence Borthwick, UNICEF, Bangkok RegionalOffice.

International HIV/AIDS Alliance staff members andconsultants


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Background

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance, with funding from USAID,has produced this series of practical briefing notes to assistpolicy-makers, programme managers, non-governmentalorganisations (NGOs), community-based organisations(CBOs), local government and communities to respond to theneeds of children affected by HIV and AIDS1 in Asia. Thebriefing notes focus on how programmes can strengthen thecapacity of children, families and communities. They do notinclude general information on HIV and AIDS, as this isavailable in many other publications.

These briefing notes are part of a set of seven, comprising sixtopics and an overview:

• Health and nutrition• Livelihoods and economic strengthening• Education and training• Care and psychosocial support• Social inclusion• Protection

All these areas are important and should be consideredtogether in an integrated response. Each briefing noteintroduces issues, and provides principles and strategies forguiding the response, while also offering examples of bestpractice from programme experience. The strategies reflectinternational good practice and the experience of peopleworking with orphans and vulnerable children in Asia. Someof the guides also include case studies from Africa toillustrate practical actions that can be taken.

The briefing notes were developed through a highlyparticipatory process, guided by an international advisoryboard. Initial content for the notes was developed during aworkshop in Chiang Mai by members of the developmentgroup for Building Blocks: Asia, acknowledged above. Thiswas then written up in English by a consultant, Kathy Attawell,and then translated, reviewed and revised in Cambodia, Indiaand Thailand. These revised editions are available in Khmer,Hindi and Thai – see www.aidsalliance.org for moreinformation on these publications. This English edition is basedon the original content developed during the Chiang Maiworkshop, with revisions and editions based on the country-level reviews and feedback from the international advisoryboard. Examples and case studies from this process havebeen noted as coming from a ‘Member of the developmentgroup for Building Blocks: Asia’.

1 The term ‘children affected by HIV and AIDS’ includes children living with HIV as well as those who have lost

family members to AIDS or who are living in families or communities affected by HIV and AIDS.


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Background

The briefing notes in Hindi

The briefing notes are all divided into three sections:

IntroductionThis section explains the topic and how it relates to childrenand families affected by HIV and AIDS.

IssuesAn outline of the impact of HIV/AIDS on children.

Principles and strategiesGuidelines and possible ways of taking action to strengthensupport for orphans and vulnerable children.


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Introduction

HIV and AIDS have a major impact on economics andlivelihoods, increasing poverty and reducing economicopportunities.

Many children affected by HIV and AIDS live in great poverty.Poor households are struggling to meet children’s needs forfood, clothing, health care and education. HIV-related illnessand death increase expenditure and decrease income,reducing household economic resources. Takingresponsibility for additional children increases the burden onfamilies already suffering economic hardship.

Living in poverty also reduces children’s opportunities fortraining and education. With few qualifications and skills,children’s future employment prospects are limited to informaland low-paid work, reducing their ability to improve theireconomic situation. Many orphans and children affected byHIV and AIDS also lose their rights to family land, propertyand livestock. Without assets, it is difficult to generateincome or obtain credit.

This guide is divided into two sections:

Issues

This section considers the economic impact of HIV and AIDSon children and explains why programmes need tostrengthen the livelihood and economic skills and resourcesof children, families and communities.

Issues include:

• Decreased income• Increased expenditure• Reduced resources• Family debt• Increased economic pressure on poor households• Lack of welfare support• Loss of inheritance• Lack of economic support and skills• Missed education• Reduced life chances


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Introduction

Principles and strategiesThis section outlines the key principles of programming toimprove the economic situation of children affected by HIVand AIDS, and describes possible ways of taking action tostrengthen the livelihood and economic skills and resourcesof children, families and communities. Case study examplesare included to illustrate practical application of some ofthese principles and strategies.

Principle 1Protect children’s rights

Principle 2Promote community self-reliance

Principle 3Strengthen the economic coping capacity of families andcommunities

Principle 4Help children to develop practical economic and livelihoodskills

Principle 5Support future planning for children

Children can learn skills fromtheir families to make a living

LIVELIHOODS AND ECONOMICSTRENGTHENING Issues

HIV and AIDS create or worsen poverty because of:

Decreased income

Family income is reduced when parents become too sick towork their land or to earn an income. Sometimes a parentmay lose their job because they have HIV or due to frequentillness. Often the household has no income at all after theparents die. In places where HIV and AIDS is highlystigmatised, the family may lose income because otherpeople in the community refuse to buy their crops or goods.

Increased expenditure

Households with a family member with HIV-related illnessoften spend much of their income on medical treatment,leaving less money for food, health care for other familymembers, and education.

Reduced resourcesTo cope with economic hardship, affected families commonlysell assets or use up their savings, reducing their capacity tomake or borrow money.

Family debt

Borrowing money to pay for food, medical treatment orfuneral costs is often the only option for poor families.

If parents die leaving unsettled debts, children mayhave to take responsibility for repayment. In somecases, they may be subjected to violence frommoneylenders or be forced into labour to pay off

the debt.

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An appraisal of the situation of childrenaffected by HIV and AIDS in Cambodiafound that in some cases children arereduced to begging. As one child said: “Idon’t want to have to beg.” - KHANA, 2000Children affected by HIV/AIDS: appraisal ofneeds and resources in Cambodia.

Long illnesses can result in the need tosell family assets


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Issues

Increased pressure on poor households

Caring for orphans increases the economic burden onfamilies who are already caring for their own children. Elderlycarers with no source of income or welfare find it particularlydifficult to cope with the costs of raising orphanedgrandchildren.

Lack of welfare support

Children and older people may not know about theirentitlement to available welfare benefits or may lack theknowledge and skills to access them.

HIV and AIDS reduce children’s economic opportunities andfuture life chances because of:

Loss of inheritance

Selling off family assets, such as property, land or livestock,reduces the capacity of children to generate income or obtaincredit. If parents do not make a will, other relatives may takeproperty children could have inherited, especially when theyhave no legal rights or title deeds. These children may nothave access to legal support to help them claim their rights.Grandparents may lack the resources or capacity to pursue alegal case on behalf of orphaned grandchildren.

Lack of economic support and skills

Without a regular income or assets, or withexisting debts, it is difficult for poor and

HIV-affected families, the elderly orchildren to obtain credit or loans.Households headed by children or theelderly also commonly lack skills andaccess to training to help them start

income-generating initiatives or tomarket their goods. Children may

be unaware of or denied their parents’share of community savings and credit

schemes.

Grandparents may lose familyproperty if they do not know theirlegal rights

A study in Thailand found that manyfamilies of people living with HIV and AIDSused family savings, often intended to payfor children’s future education, or sold landto pay for medical treatment. -Im-Em, W.and Phuangsaachai, S. (1999) Householdresources allocation and responses towardAIDS-related illnesses, Mahidol Universityand CARE, Bangkok


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Issues

Missed education

Children in affected households or who have lost their parentsoften have to earn money to contribute to family income or tosupport themselves. Even if the family can afford to educatethem, children from poor homes may feel too ashamed to goto school if they do not have good clothes or shoes. Thesechildren start work earlier than their peers, reducing theirchances of achieving basic literacy or gaining qualifications.Children in households affected by HIV and AIDS may alsodrop out of or miss school to help with caring for the sick,domestic tasks, farming or the family business.

Reduced life chances

Children without education or formal qualifications are lesslikely to have access to vocational training and have limitedemployment opportunities. These children may end up

working for low wages inthe informal economy,

with little chance ofimproving theirsituation. Girls whodrop out of schoolor miss schoolmay have little

alternative but tosell sex in order to

support themselvesand their families,

increasing their risk ofHIV infection.

These two children areexplaining why theycannot go to school

I have to lookafter my mother

who is sick.

I have to go andwork to support

my family.

LIVELIHOODS AND ECONOMICSTRENGTHENING Principles & strategies

Protect children’s rights

Children have the right to enjoy adequate standards of livingand to have access to welfare benefits, including socialsecurity and social insurance.

It is essential to protect children’s rights to their inheritance. Itis also important to protect the rights of widows, as children’swell-being often depends on the economic resourcesavailable to their mother.

Strategies for action

Ensure that affected households and children are able toaccess welfare entitlements. Possible actions include:

- Provide affected families with information about how toaccess scholarships, free health care and other benefits.

- Give households headed by children or elderly carerspractical help with application forms and procedures.

- Identify community advocates who can ensure thatorphaned children and children who have sickparents receive the social welfarebenefits they areentitled to.

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•

1The Convention on the Rights of the Child states:

• Children have the right to benefit fromsocial security, including socialinsurance.

• Children have the right to a standard ofliving that is adequate for physical,mental, spiritual, moral and socialdevelopment.

Legal advisor givingadvice to thecommunity


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Principles & strategies

•

•

In India, the Lawyers’ Collective providesadvice to help ensure that children’sinheritance rights are protected. One manwho had taken on responsibility for caringfor his nieces and nephews was veryconcerned that they would lose their shareof their deceased father’s property tounscrupulous relatives. The Collectivehelped him to file a guardianship petition tolook after the children and their propertyand to file an injunction to restrain paternalrelatives from selling or transferring theproperty. In another case, lawyers andsocial workers helped orphaned siblings toget the family home transferred into theirname. - Member of the development groupfor Building Blocks: Asia

Encourage families to protect their children’s rights toproperty, land and other assets. Possible actions include:

- Help families to make a legally binding Will.- Make sure that children and their carers are aware of laws

that exist to protect inheritance rights.- Promote birth registration in places where children need a

birth certificate to inherit property or obtain social welfarebenefits.

- Encourage parents to pass on birth certificates and titledeeds to their children.

- Provide access to legal advice, aid and support for childrenand caregivers to help them claim what they are legallyentitled to.

Mobilise the community to protect the rights of widows andchildren. Possible actions include:

- Promote awareness of the inheritance rights of women andchildren.

- Enlist community leaders to protect the inheritance rightsof widows and children and to solve family disputes.

- Encourage village committees to take responsibility forpromoting the interests of orphans and vulnerable children,including protecting them from being unfairly taken byrelatives.

This family ispreparing a legallybinding Will


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2 Promote community self-reliance

Strengthen the capacity of communities and families toimprove their situation. Schemes that rely totally on donorfunds for financial and material support are not sustainableand encourage dependence on welfare and external support.


Promote integration with existing community structures toensure sustainability. Possible actions include:

- Strengthen existing community organisations so that theycan address the needs of children affected by HIV andAIDS, rather than establishing new structures.

- Encourage village development committees to organisepractical support for families affected by HIV and AIDS.

Mobilise communities to provide economic and materialsupport. Possible actions include:

- Establish community welfare funds to pay for educationand health care for orphans and vulnerable children, tocover the costs of funerals or to provide short-term relief tofamilies in crisis.

- Promote community food and clothing donation schemes.- Involve religious organisations.

•

•

Communities donating food and clothes

The Sangha Metta Project, which works inThailand, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan andVietnam, encourages Buddhist monks andnuns to get involved in HIV and AIDS careand support. Communities traditionallymake donations to the temple, and themonks are using this mechanism togenerate resources, which they distribute toaffected families and children during homevisits. Some temples are conductingfundraising activities on special days suchas World AIDS Day and Children’s Day, aswell as motivating community volunteers toprovide practical support to affectedfamilies. - Member of the developmentgroup for Building Blocks: Asia

In one sub-district of Mae Sarouy district inThailand, a civil society forum was set up toaddress the problems of children affectedby HIV and AIDS. The forum includescommunity leaders, religious organisations,health centre workers, village healthvolunteers, and women’s groups. The forumhas succeeded in raising awareness andincreasing community support, includingestablishing a Children’s Fund. Day care andother activities are conducted for childrenand their families, facilitated by healthcentres. - Member of the developmentgroup for Building Blocks: Asia


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Encourage communities to provide labour when parents aretoo sick to work and for households headed by children orgrandparents. Possible actions include:

- Identify community volunteers to help with tasks such asharvesting or house repairs.

- Establish caregiver groups to provide mutual practicalsupport.

Encourage communities and families to contribute towardsthe cost of providing services.

Community members provide practical help repairingthe house of a neighbour with AIDS

The Orchid Clinic in Thailand, which providesday care services for children affected byHIV and AIDS, expects parents in return tomake a regular contribution to a bankaccount for their child. - Member of thedevelopment group for Building Blocks: Asia

Also in Thailand, a group of women inChiang Rai province set up a communitysavings group and used some of the profitsearned from these savings to establish anassistance fund for people with HIV andchildren affected by HIV and AIDS. Thefund is used to help in financialemergencies and to provide interest-freeloans. The women also identify familiesneeding other assistance. For example,they raised the situation of a very elderlywoman caring for her young grandchildrenwith the abbot of a local temple, and as aresult the temple agreed to support theschooling of the older grandchild as well asto provide the family with food. - Member of the developmentgroup for Building Blocks:Asia

•

•


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Strengthen the economic coping capacity of families andcommunities

Families and communities are the main source of support forchildren. Their capacity to provide for children depends ontheir economic resources and ability to maintain livelihoods.

When they are in economic difficulties, families rely onrelatives, neighbours and others in the community. They alsoneed support such as community-based child care, repair ofdeteriorating houses, apprenticeships and training,agricultural support, labour sharing, credit and savingsschemes. Efforts to build the capacity of households mustbe complemented by efforts to strengthen communities.Strategies to address poverty and improve the situation ofaffected children should therefore focus on strengthening theeconomic coping capacity of communities and familiesrather than simply providing direct economic support tochildren. It is important to work with organisations whounderstand all the different methods and approaches used ineconomic strengthening, as they can advise on the bestapproach to use.


Promote coordinated approaches. Affected children andfamilies require a range of support, which requires differentprogrammes and projects to work together. Possible actionsinclude:

- Promote links between programmes; for example, rurallivelihoods, agriculture, non-formal education, micro-finance and credit.

- Coordinate activities with health and education services.

Help families to maintain economic independence. Possibleactions include:

- Provide legal support to parents with HIV who experiencediscrimination at work or who are dismissed from theirjobs.

- Introduce practical measures that enable parents tocontinue to earn income or work their land; for example,pre-school and day care centres for children.

- Involve the elderly and affected children in identifyingsolutions to their economic problems and developingincome-generating activities.

- Provide agricultural advice to help affected families growcrops that require less labour.

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•

•

In Cambodia, the organisation IDA supportsthe employment rights of people living withHIV. In one case, an HIV-positive womanwas dismissed from her job because shewas sometimes sick. IDA helped her to gether job back by talking to her boss aboutHIV and AIDS. - Member of thedevelopment group for Building Blocks: Asia

In Cambodia, the NGO NAPA isencouraging communities to helpgrandparents caring for their orphanedgrandchildren by giving clothes and schoolmaterials. Similarly, the Khmer BuddhistAssociation is encouraging communities tohelp poor guardians in taking care oforphans, and provides clothes, learningmaterials and interest-free loans for six to twelve months. - Member of thedevelopment group for Building Blocks:Asia

The Orchid Clinic day care centre forchildren allows people living with HIV andAIDS to continue to work without worryingabout leaving their children alone all day. Member of the development group forBuilding Blocks: Asia


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Strengthen capacity to generate income. Possible actionsinclude:

- Target income-generating schemes to affected families,and in particular to grandparents, widows and children.

- Explore how older people can use traditional skills to make money.

- Identify local employment needsand provide relevant vocationaltraining for affected families.

- Provide training in business, financial management andmarketing skills.

- Support cottage industries, small-scale community andfamily initiatives, cooperatives and self-help groups.

- Promote links with the private and business sector,including helping communities to market their products.

- Establish small-scale businesses, raising animals such aschickens, ducks or goats.

- Provide grants to buy equipment and tools for affectedfamilies who are setting up small-scale enterprises, orestablish a community ‘tools bank’ - a set of tools sharedand maintained by a number of community members.

•

A youth learns vocational skills


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In India, Project CHILD targets support forincome-generating activities tograndparents caring for orphaned children,as older people find it difficult to get a jobor to obtain credit, and often haveno savings to fallback on.Project CHILDalso providesdirect materialand financialassistance tothe poorestgrandparentsto help themcontinue to raisetheir grandchildren, sothey can grow up athome and not in anorphanage. - Memberof the developmentgroup for BuildingBlocks: Asia

The rural NGO,Homeland, in Cambodia recognisesthat supporting women to earn an incomeafter their husbands have died is essentialto keeping families together. Homelandsupports groups of HIV-positive andnegative widows to make and sell cloth andmats. This helps them economically,promotes integration and understandingbetween women with and without HIV, andgives children from affected families theopportunity to play with other children. Member of the development group forBuilding Blocks: Asia

In Thailand, Buddhist temples are providingpractical support for income generation. Forexample, the community is using landdonated by one temple to grow vegetablesand to farm fish, and uses profits from thesale of produce to help affected families.Another temple is providing training inincome-generating skills such as tailoringand traditional silver crafting. - Member ofthe development group for Building Blocks:Asia

Children can learn traditional skills from oldermembers of the community

•


Lessons learned about income-generating activities

• Target the whole community - This helps more people,increases contributions, shares the work, is more likely tosucceed and less likely to cause resentment than targetingspecific households.

• Involve households and children in identifying potentialprojects - This develops ownership and a sense of self-worth, as well as making sure that children can take over ifadults become sick or die.

• Have clear objectives - Decide whether the activities areintended to be a sustainable business or to provide mutualsupport with some material benefits.

• Plan carefully - Analyse the feasibility of any plannedactivity, and make sure people understand the time andresources required.


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• Avoid too narrow a focus - Many projects focus oncottage industry crafts instead of producing goods that areappropriate to the local situation and that people actuallywant to buy, such as soap, clothes and food products.Diversify income-generating sources so income is notbadly affected when returns from one source are poor.

• Ensure activities can be managed and maintained bythe community - Avoid activities that need ongoingexternal support or use equipment that is difficult orexpensive to repair.

• Provide adequate support - This includes training inbusiness and production skills, funds to secure premises,materials and equipment, and technical assistance withprocessing and marketing.

• Plan methods of dealing with problems - Establish clearrules about leadership, ownership and profit sharing. Planhow to deal with conflict, interference from local leadersand hostility from others in the community who chose notto or cannot be involved.

Improve access to micro-finance - savings, loans and credit -to help households to maintain income flow in times of crisisand to acquire savings. Possible actions include:

- Support community savings schemes.- Target start-up grants and low-interest loans

to families without securityand to the poorest

affected families.- Provide affected

families with information and support to help them obtain loans.

•

Providing financial advice to a manliving with HIV

In Cambodia, NAPA provides small loans toaffected families without capital or accessto credit, to enable them to start smallbusinesses. This has enabled the children inthese families to continue to go to school.Another NGO, Friends Mith Samlanh,provides affected families with credit tostart income-generating activities. - Member of the development group forBuilding Blocks: Asia

The Civil Community Project in a sub-district of Chiang Rai province set up anAIDS fund in 1995 using a special budgetallocated by the Ministry of Public Health tohelp people with HIV in northern Thailand. A sub-district AIDS committee wasestablished to develop criteria for the fund,which included the cost of transportation tohospital, expenses involved in home visits,and financial assistance and interest-freeloans to affected families. - Member of thedevelopment group for Building Blocks:Asia


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Help children to develop practical economic and livlihoodskills

Given skills and opportunities, children are capable of caringfor themselves and their siblings, and of making responsibleeconomic choices. Children need relevant education andtraining to enable them to earn a living in the community.Children themselves have identified vocational training andhousehold and business management skills as a priority.


Identify adults in the community who are willing to share theirskills with children without parents or whose parents are verysick.

Provide children with vocational skills so that they can, ifnecessary, generate income to enable them to stay at schooland can earn a living after they leave school. Possible actionsinclude:

- Develop vocational training schemes that are relevant tolocal livelihoods and employment needs.

- Integrate vocational and skills training into schools. - Establish links with institutions that provide vocational

training.- Establish apprenticeship programmes with local companies

or small community businesses, and encourage localbusinesses to provide skills training for young people.

- Set up loan schemes to support young people to getapprenticeships, attend vocational training schools, and setup small businesses.

Develop children’s household budgeting and financialmanagement skills.

The Savings for Life Network operates withthe support of the Institute for theDevelopment of Strong Community inPhayao province, Thailand. Starting in 1993,savings groups were established, with onewoman from each household participatingin the group. The amount of moneydeposited each month is not limited or fixedbut kept flexible according to the earningcapacity of each household. Each memberis allowed to take a loan of up to threetimes the amount they had deposited, anda small amount of interest is charged. Aportion of the interest earned was used as awelfare fund for people with HIV and othervulnerable households. In 1999, ten savingsgroups came together to form the Savingsfor Life Network, and the Network is nowproviding significant dividends for membersand financial support to the needy.Member of the development group forBuilding Blocks: Asia

Help Age International is working withNGOs in Thailand to strengthen olderpeople’s associations and support income-generating activities by older people. Usingfunds from NGOs, government grants andtheir own fundraising activities, theassociations offer loans at low interest ratesto older carers. One 79-year-old womanused the loan to expand her business,which enabled her to pay hergranddaughter’s school fees and reducedher constant worry about making endsmeet.Help Age International, 2002.‘HIV/AIDS andolder people’, Ageways, Issue 61,December.

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Some NGOs in Cambodia are linkingvulnerable children to governmentvocational training schemes. One girl froman affected family living in severe povertyattended a six-month hairdressing coursethrough the provincial women’sorganisation, and now has a job and is ableto help support her family. Other NGOs areproviding vocational training directly. Forexample, Friends runs a training centre forchildren living on the streets of PhnomPenh. CARE trains orphans and childrenwho are heads of households in skills suchas tailoring, also providing them withsewing machines and materials. SFODAconducts vocational training for orphans,affected and other vulnerable children incommunities. Member of the development group forBuilding Blocks: Asia

In Thailand, some primary schools areteaching livelihood skills, both to motivatechildren to remain in school and to enablethem to earn a living while they are in schooland after they leave. Member of the development group forBuilding Blocks: Asia

In India, the NGO Committed CommunitiesDevelopment Trust encourages HIV-positiveparents to start putting aside some of theirearnings for their children and to ensurethat funds from sale of assets such as landgo into an account for their children.Member of the development group forBuilding Blocks: Asia

Support future planning for children

Families and communities need to plan for the future ofchildren whose parents are sick or who may die. This shouldbe done while the parents are still alive and well, and with theinvolvement of children themselves.


Help families to plan for their children’s future. Possibleactions include:

- Encourage parents and grandparents to pass on skills andknowledge before they become too ill to do so.

- Help parents to establish a bank account or savings fortheir children.

Review savings and credit schemes. Possible actions include:

- Encourage orphans and child-headed households toparticipate in community savings schemes.

- Ensure that children receive parental shares in any savingsschemes.

Establish insurance and other financial security schemes forwidows and orphans, including providing for sickness ordeath insurance in micro-finance services.

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Developing children’s household budgeting skills


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Help Age International, 2002.HIV/AIDS and older people, Ageways, Issue 61, December.

Im-Em, W. and Phuangsaachai, S., 1999.Household resources allocation and responses toward AIDS-related illnesses, Mahidol University and CARE,Bangkok.

KHANA, 2000.Children affected by HIV/AIDS: appraisal of needs andresources in Cambodia.

References


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Useful resources

Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud, 2000.Orphan alert: international perspectives on children leftbehind by HIV/AIDS.

Donahue, J. and Williamson J., 1999. Community mobilization to mitigate the impacts of HIV/AIDS.

Donahue, J. et al., 2001. Economic strengthening activities to mitigate the impact ofHIV/AIDS: finding the right tool for the job.

Donahue, J., 1999.A supplemental report on community mobilisation andmicrofinance services as HIV/AIDS mitigation tools.

Donahue, J., 2000.Economic strengthening of household and community safetynets to mitigate the impacts of AIDS: Annex 3: economiccoping strategies.

Donahue, J., Ott, D., Larson, D. and Parker, J.Economic strengthening activities to mitigate the impact ofHIV/AIDS: finding the right tool for the job.

Donahue, J., 1998.Community-based economic support for households affectedby HIV/AIDS, USAID.

International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2003. Building blocks: Africa-wide briefing notes. Economic strengthening.

Miamidian, E., Sykes, A. and Bery, R., 2004.Economic strengthening to improve the well-being of orphansand vulnerable children, AED and USAID.

Wilkinson, B., 1999.Fieldnotes for considering microfinance services in thecontext of AIDS orphans, USAID Zambia.

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