Dealing with HIV/AIDS among Children on the Streets



Street children are a population highly at risk of HIV/AIDS, which is becoming a prevailing concern.

Among the many reasons why children leave their homes only to end up on the streets is the death of their parents and guardians as a result of the HIV/AIDS scourge, chronic poverty and peer pressure from other children.

This exposes them to the risk as they often engage in precarious sexual behavior while living on the street in quest for survival yet they have little or no understanding of HIV/AIDS.

Regardless of whether they know their status, while on the street children develop negative attitude towards HIV treatment mainly for fear of being discriminated resulting in denial, failure to seek treatment thus contributing to the prolongation of the problem.



Having identified these problems facing street children, CRO runs numerous activities to address the challenge of HIV/AIDS among the children such as;

  • Establishing the status of child’s health and continued treatment through its health care program in partnership caring partners,
  •  Establishment and facilitation of Peer Education to support each other in difficult situations. Through these groups children acquire HIV awareness & prevention/life skills enabling them to cope with the multiple problems and traumatic experiences of HIV/AIDS.
  •  Provision of psychosocial care and support which is a core activity of the CRO. The children as well as their parents/guardians access counseling services to help them cope and endure within their environment in spite of their status. Individual, Group, peer and Family counseling, are carried out on a regular basis.

These activities have resulted in improved performance of children in school unlike before when they could stay in isolation and silence.

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