Mitigating impacts of HIV/AIDS on rural livelihoods: NGO experiences in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

HIV/AIDS is having profound impacts on livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa. These include the deaths of working-age adults, the diversion of resources to caring, and the rupture of traditional chains of knowledge transmission. NGOs are responding by providing assistance to communities affected by the epidemic in the fields of agriculture, skills training, and microfinance, as well as by offering home care and support. A key feature of such initiatives is the focus on previously neglected groups such as women, school dropouts, and orphans. Factors of success include the use of participatory processes to identify target groups, and the involvement of local political leaders and adults trusted by young people in project activities. Challenges include improving monitoring systems, effectively disseminating lessons learned, and persuading donors, whose responses to the epidemic are currently focused on preventive and curative health services, to support livelihoods interventions as a matter of urgency.

Acknowledgements

The project review detailed in this paper was funded by DFID under the Advisory and Support Services Commission for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of DFID. See White (2002) for details of the full report.

Notes

1. See www.livelihoods.org for further information concerning the diverse range of livelihood activities on which rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa rely.

2. This view was expressed by a number of government representatives who attended an FAO Technical Meeting, December 2001.

3. This is particularly important in an environment where there is limited medical support. At the time of writing, none of the projects reviewed was involved in facilitating access to ARV drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

4. Since the preparation of this paper, there have been several donor-supported meetings focused on HIV/AIDS, agriculture, and livelihoods. See, for example, www.sarpn.org.za/mitigation_of_HIV_AIDS, the webpage of a 2003 conference on the mitigation of the impacts of HIV/AIDS on agriculture and rural development.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanna White

Joanna White is a Research Associate with the Livelihoods and Institutions Group of the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich.

John Morton

John Morton is Reader in Development Anthropology and Associate Research Director of NRI.