The Children of Africa Confront AIDS: From Vulnerability to Possibility (review)

This timely book comprises fifteen articles, which are subdivided into four broad sections titled "Vulnerability," "Coping," "Courage," and "Possibility."

The four articles under "Vulnerability" give an excellent foundation of the AIDS-related issues that confront children in different parts of Africa. Noteworthy among these articles are chapters 2 and 3. Chapter 2, titled "Civil Conflict, Sexual Violence, and HIV/AIDS: Challenges for Children in Sierra Leone," uses personal accounts to illustrate how young girls in Sierra Leone are abducted and raped by members of the military and some NGOs. The authors make several recommendations to alleviate this problem, including changing the legal age of sexual consent from sixteen to eighteen. One recommendation that would have strengthened this otherwise excellent chapter would have been practical ways on how to prosecute the members of the military and NGOs involved in these rapes. Chapter 3, "The Vulnerability of Children and Orphaned Youth in Zimbabwe," gives some startling HIV/AIDS statistics in Zimbabwe, such as the fact that 66 percent of those between fifteen and thirty-nine years of age are HIV positive. The chapter highlights the difference between the loss of a mother compared to a father, implying the death of the former is usually more devastating to children. This same theme is discussed in chapter 4, "Reducing the Vulnerability of Africa's Children to HIV/AIDS," which explores several factors that compromise African children's health.

The three articles under the section "Coping" discuss the devastation faced by African AIDS orphans and give some practical strategies on how to cope. Noteworthy among these are chapters 6 and 7. Chapter 6, "Storytelling as a Psychological Intervention for AIDS Orphans in Africa," explores the role of oral storytelling in Africa and recommends that counselors use storytelling to help AIDS orphans reauthor their favorite stories by adding information about their departed parents. This chapter clearly demonstrates the need for utilizing cultural-relevant tools in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Similarly, chapter 7, "HIV/AIDS, Children, and Sub-Saharan Africa: Dealing with Bereavement," gives practical strategies and life skills for helping AIDS orphans. These include encouraging AIDS-infected parents to talk to their children about AIDS before their death, helping AIDS orphans share their stories in schools, using structured play for stress management, and permitting children to be involved in decision-making processes.

The three articles under the section "Courage" discuss the efforts specific organizations have used to help AIDS orphans. Specifically, chapter 8, "For the Sake of the Children: Community-based Youth Projects in Kenya," explores the efforts of three Kenyan community-based youth projects. Noteworthy among these is the Mathare Youth Sports Association, which uses soccer as a gateway to spread information about preventing HIV/AIDS, and the Nyumbani Orphanage, which supports abandoned Kenyan children with HIV/AIDS. The author highlights how the Nyumbani Orphanage fought until it convinced the Kenyan government, the pharmaceutical companies, and the world that, despite patent laws, medication to treat AIDS patients should be provided to poor families to save lives. This excellent chapter clearly illustrates how simple efforts that cost relatively little can educate large numbers of children about AIDS and how local efforts can overcome major national and international laws that hinder the treatment of AIDS Orphans. Chapter 9, "Participatory HIV Intervention with Ghanaian Youth," discusses the implementation of an HIV/AIDS educational intervention program in Ghana targeted at twelve- to twenty-one-year-olds. It shows how peer-based support helped students discuss sexual relationships, fears regarding HIV/AIDS, and the support systems available to them. This chapter would have been strengthened by an inclusion of the questions used during the field study. Chapter 10, "How Communities Help Families Cope with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe," discusses various resources that are available to orphans, and those who take care of them, to help cope with the challenges associated with HIV/AIDS. It highlights the work of an organization...