|
"The number of orphans is growing quicker than
had been projected and is
posing a problem that is taxing the coping strategies
of families and society at large," it
adds.
A preliminary report by National AIDS/STD/TB
and Leprosy Programme also says that more married
men in Zambia have died of AIDS than women. It
says 73 percent of the orphaned children
in urban areas have lost their fathers,
7 percent have lost their mothers while 20
percent are double orphans.
In the rural samples, 54.5 percent have
lost their fathers and 15.5 percent of the orphans
have lost their mothers, while 29.7 percent have
lost both parents."Both
parents were dead in 20.6 percent of the households,
while 79.4 percent of the households had a surviving
parent in the Lusaka sample," the report states.
Sympathisers say these orphans would not
only be hard pressed in meeting their day to day
needs single-handedly but would also have to nurse
themselves in case they got entangled in the 40
percent chance of mother to child transmission
of the incurable disease.They
say the few orphanages in the country can only
cater for a few hundred of the very young and
can do nothing for the hundreds of thousands of
older orphans who need help.
"The answer to this problem is disappointing
but familiar. It has become a moral issue on whether
to bear or not to bear children. This is the time
when couples have to practise family planning,"
gender activist Mable Milimo says.According
to her, the orphan crisis has contributed to the
street kids crisis.
She says as most boys are on the streets
trying to make ends meet, girls were also suffering
invisibly and in a different way such as engaging
in prostitution to earn a living.A
senior official at the Commonwealth Youth Programme,
Africa Centre, in Lusaka says HIV positive parents
should live positively by refraining from child
bearing as they would not only add on to the number
of orphans but would also weaken their immune
system.
"We have observed that if you are HIV
positive and you decide to have
children, you would not live as long as you would
if you did otherwise,"
the official says.
Reports say that since 70 percent of
Zambians live below the poverty line and are
burdened with the highest per capita foreign debt,
orphaned children may find little solace even
in the extended family network.A
sample of orphans interviewed say in most cases
they watch the day passing without a meal and
could not remember when they last held a pen.
Steward Zulu is the first born orphan
in a family of four and spends his time at the
University of Zambia carrying luggage and washing
clothes for students who in turn pay him between
100 and 150 kwacha. (1 US dollar = 2,400 kwacha).
"At the end of the day I make about 1,500
kwacha and I take the money home to my uncle in
N'gombe compound," he says.
Zulu has to compete with several other orphans
and knocks at the door of every student hostel
as early as 0300 gmt to find out if there were
any dirty linen for him to wash.
|
