2 July 2007

KIDS CLUBS
A NEW APPROACH TO MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF HIV AND AIDS

By Caleb Odhiambo

The advent of HIV and AIDS came with an upsurge of cases of orphans and increase in children vulnerability. The rise of the orphans and vulnerable children in a society stretched with other issues like poverty and economic instability has greatly compounded the situation leaving a large number of children suffering and in the end getting tangled in the cycle of new HIV and AIDS infection due to lack of support from the overwhelmed adult caregivers. Children affected by HIV and AIDS often experience loss of family and identity, psychological distress, increased malnutrition, loss of healthcare, reduced educational opportunities and worst of all exposure to HIV infection. The truth of the matter is that even if a cure for HIV and AIDS is discovered today the devastating effects are going to be felt for the next 25 years or so. There is a need to respond appropriately if social stability and security is to be achieved. As illustrated in figure 1 below the case of individuals must therefore be addressed, including an area that has generally been neglected-the psychosocial well being of children who have been affected by HIV and AIDS through loss of one or both parents.

Becoming an orphan may further result in stunted growth and intellectual development and limited life skills in communication, negotiation and decision making. The extreme stress and trauma in their lives can lead to hopelessness, anxiety, aggression, depression and low self esteem. These consequences jeopardize not only personal development, but also the future foundation for strong families, communities and entire nations. Figure 2 demonstrates the potential impact of failing to address the need for psychosocial support among large population of children affected by HIV and AIDS during the coming decades.

The complexity of these problems call for community based multi-sectoral responses which holistically meets the needs of the children. Kids clubs are a synergic working strategy in mitigating the impact of HIV and AIDS on children and Youth. They are weekend clubs in which youth take up leadership roles in the provision of community based psychosocial support. Although kids are the main focus of kids clubs is to meet the psychological needs the physical, social and mental needs are also met indirectly and as these young lives are impacted the earlier challenges are met since the clubs meet the following objectives:

1. 1. Provide a platform to enjoy and have fun: HIV/AIDS has deprived children of an opportunity to enjoy, play and have fun because children are constantly experiencing loss, such as loss of childhood, education and loved ones. Therefore Kids Clubs have been designed to help children have fun, unwind and enjoy their childhood.
2. Destigmatization of orphanhood: Kids clubs help integrate the socially marginalized children such as orphans, disabled and Albino children back to the community by providing them an opportunity to make friends and identify with other community members.
3. Provide safety nets: Kids Clubs provide a platform for children and youth to share their problems in a non-threatening environment. Children know that they can always get support and assistance for each other from community members and they feel safe. This also helps promote a culture of care amongst the children and the entire community.
4. Creating awareness on children’s rights: Kids Clubs are centered around children’s rights by putting into practice the fundamentals rights of children such as rights to participate, belong, play, education and to identify.
5. Resource Mobilization: Through Kids clubs community is able to collectively mobilize resources and create a platform for identifying various specific need of the children and meet them.
6. Referral Center: They can be used as a referral center for children in difficult circumstances.
7. Create a platform for youth leadership: Direct youth participation will help in ensuring the provision of sustainable and applicable responses to youth and children’s issues. Youth participation also helps in enhancing young people’s ability to fully appreciate and understand community problems and different community power balances.

Kids Clubs Objectives

• To facilitate the provision of community based psychosocial support.
• To provide a platform for youth to be involved in supporting each other as well as children in their community.
• To mobilize community members to understand and assist in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on children.

The charts displayed are reproduced from a REPPSI (Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative) 2003 publication on psychosocial support for children affected by HIV and AIDS, poverty and violence.

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