In coping with the results of AIDS many best practices have been documented and implemented. Orphaned children better cope with the trauma of AIDS when they are cared for in extended family environments instead of institutionalized care. The extended family best provides the essential nurture and socialization for orphaned children. Orphans cared for in family environments are less vulnerable and are also less susceptible to stigmitization as a result of the disease, which often results in human rights abuses and social isolation. But extended family networks, though often willing, are increasingly strained as care for orphans further reduces the income of already impoverished households.
Poverty makes an entire family vulnerable.
Though AIDS may kill people, it does not have to kill families. The most effective AIDS orphan programs combine support for the entire family coupled with specific interventions for orphans. Income generation programs such as micro-enterprise loans and agriculture extension services targeted at families supporting AIDS orphans can empower households to cope with the pandemic without destroying the family structure. Programs which also integrate education for orphans including tuition waivers, vocational training, and AIDS prevention education are effective in limiting the spread of AIDS among youth while broadening future economic opportunities. The cornerstone of solutions is in the commitment of our leaders to definitively act on behalf of the innocent.