In Southern Africa, HIV/AIDS continues to thrive, devastating communities and leaving a young population without resources. The Sub-Saharan region of Africa has remained the most devastated region globally as a result of HIV/AIDS and it is estimated that over 25 million people are living with the virus. World Hope International (WHI) is addressing the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children and their communities through the Community Orphan Trust program.

Community Orphan Trust
The Community Orphan Trust (COT or Trust) brings together community members and families to care for and support orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) as well as people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Southern Africa. Children are suffering from emotional distress and health issues, and facing stigma and discrimination under the burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Volunteer caregivers are trained in the community to provide psychosocial support and counselling for OVC and families; promote community education for improved health and nutrition; and create awareness about HIV/AIDS. Trusts are designed to supplement the basic needs for children, including food, clothing, education and psychological needs. The children are cared for by trained and committed volunteer caregivers from their community who act as extended family to the children.

Core COT Support
The COT program provides the following key services:

Livelihood support to caregivers affected by HIV/AIDS to ensure food security through agricultural interventions. These caregivers are trained in agricultural skills, basic trade skills, water and irrigation, income generating skills (i.e. sewing), business and cash management and marketing skills. The community is provided with start-up funding to plant a garden, and one additional livelihood project selected by the members. The distributions from the livelihood projects cover 20 to 30 percent of caregivers’ monthly costs. Proceeds from these projects are shared at a monthly schedule, and funds organized to buy a ‘living package’ of food stuffs such as mealie - meal, beans, cooking oil, sugar and salt - for the OVC and participating caregivers in the projects. From these projects OVC and caregivers were not only trained in livelihood but also life skills for their future.

Psychosocial support for OVC and PLWHA through trained caregivers toprovide emotional care to OVC and to encourage positive living for PLWHA.

Health support including training of home based care (HBC) providers to provide palliative care for PLWHA and other COT members on safe motherhood, child growth monitoring, and community health education (immunization, malaria, nutrition, etc.). Other activities include community conversation groups to reduce stigma and discrimination against PLWHA and OVC.

Child Headed Household
Sosa and her two brothers lost both their parents to sickness. They live in the bush alone as a child headed household barely surviving. Those from the village that came by commonly yelled insults such as “go dig your own graves.” They hung on by a thread. As the COT entered the village they were identified for
support and today they have been given their own shelter and are regularly visited by the Trust's HBC volunteers who ensure they are well care for.

Find out more about Sponsoring an Orphan Trust Project