Swaziland Swaziland is a small country in southern Africa, bordered by Mozambique to the east and South Africa to the north, west and south. Nearly 97 percent of its population is from the Bantu-speaking Swazi tribe. Swaziland was a British protectorate until its independence in 1968. Today it is one of the world’s few remaining absolute monarchies,with an economy based on agriculture and subsistence farming. |
| Children Affected by HIV and AIDS World Vision works in Swaziland with orphaned and vulnerable children, whose lives are impacted by HIV and AIDS. In addition to its focus on prevention and care, World Vision is involved in community-based activities and national networks to advocate for: • quality home-based care for chronically-ill adults and children. (with community volunteers trained to provide home care.
• access to education for children who are vulnerable to HIV and AIDS or not attending school (primarily through payment of fees and school uniforms).
• more resources to be available for HIV and AIDS activities |
AIDS and drought lead to food shortages
Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the highest known HIV infection rates in the world. More than one quarter of all adults in Swaziland are HIV-positive, with some estimates putting the rates among pregnant women at 40 – 50 percent.
Already, more than 50,000 children have lost one or both parents to AIDS, which has put immense pressure on communities to care for orphans, the sick and the elderly. With so many lives lost to AIDS, and others of working age too ill to work the land, fields lie fallow and families go hungry. Drought and extreme weather in recent years have also contributed to acute food shortages -- increasing malnutrition and putting nearly 300,000 people in need of emergency food aid.
World Vision in Swaziland
World Vision officially began its work in Swaziland in 1992, initially as a relief programme. This was during one of the worst droughts in Swaziland which resulted in the loss of livestock.
In 1996, World Vision introduced Area Development Programmes (ADPs). Today, 38 890 children are sponsored through 21 ADPs across the country in areas hardest hit by drought and extreme poverty. Today, World Vision is:
• providing emergency food aid to the most vulnerable, and helping families increase longer-term food security by training farmers, introducing drought-resistant crops, supporting market gardening, livestock farming and income-generating activities.
• particularly focusing on orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS, by promoting age-appropriate, values-based education and skills training on HIV and AIDS in schools; involving young people through drama, music and dance to help teach their peers about HIV and AIDS; supporting children who are caregivers to chronically-ill parents, including preparing them emotionally, spiritually and materially for the loss of a parent.
• supporting community-based care coalitions focused on all aspects of improving children’s lives in their communities.
• improving access to clean water to prevent waterborne diseases, as well as training local people in hygiene and sanitation.
• helping build resilience, so that communities are better prepared when disasters occur .
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