Children’s Town

Malambanyama Village, Zambia

Visit any community in Zambia today, and the story will be the same. You will meet grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and even children caring for those who have been left behind by the devastating AIDS epidemic. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), one out of every five people in Zambia is HIV-positive, and virtually everyone in the country either is "affected or infected by HIV/AIDS." UNAIDS reports that since 1997, the number of AIDS orphans in Zambia has risen from 360,000 to more than 500,000, representing approximately 13 percent of all children fifteen years of age and younger. With the erosion of the traditional family safety net and the diversion of resources to help the sick, Zambian children face a life of severe hardship.

In rural Chibombo District, the Children's Town community is helping to restore a safety net and secure brighter futures for more than 250 AIDS orphans and former street children. The program is structured around a family model, and the children — 100 boarders and more than 150 day students — are nurtured and encouraged to acquire the academic, vocational, and life skills needed to lead productive lives. Guided by an experienced and loving staff, the children participate in the operation of their community, including tending a fifty-hectare vegetable garden and a herd of goats that produce food for the Children's Town and generate income for its operation.

In 1999, the Global Fund for Children awarded Children's Town a $3,250 grant. A portion of that grant was used to build the community's first health clinic, which also serves as an outreach center to educate students and others in the area about HIV/AIDS.

Against considerable odds, Children's Town has created an environment for AIDS orphans and former street children in Zambia to live, learn, play, and flourish. In 2000, the Global Fund for Children increased its commitment to Children's Town with a grant made possible through a generous contribution from Danya International. This $10,000 grant has enabled Children's Town to build institutional capacity for its future growth.

Select Country Profiles:

Agastya International Foundation, India
Children’s Town, Zambia
Foundation For Development of Needy Communities, Uganda
Girls Education and Mentoring Services, United States
La Conscience, Togo
Sports and Life Schools (Escuelas Deporte y Vida), Peru
Train Platform Schools, India
Women Development Association, Cambodia