Care for AIDS orphans in Uganda: findings from focus group discussions

Abstract

A few studies have published findings on AIDS orphan care. Perhaps the pioneering study of orphans in Uganda was by Hunter (1990) who was alarmed by the high proportions of orphans in the population. She found that 23 per cent of the children in Rakai district did not have both parents in comparison to 12 per cent in Hoima; she predicted that the usual coping mechanism of the extended family would not be adequate to handle the problem. Another study, by Barnett and Blaikie (1992) in the Rakai district, narrated the experiences of different groups of orphans. Despite the existence of the extended family system in the area, Barnett and Blaikie found some of the orphans stunted and malnourished because they could not cope with orphanhood. The study concluded that most orphans were deprived of education, parental care, nutrition, shelter, clothing and the legal protection of their parents' property. However, these two studies were limited in the coverage of Uganda to the south and central regions and one district in the western region. This paper reports findings of a recent study of the care of AIDS orphans in several regions of Uganda. It is also the purpose of the paper to investigate how the various societies in Uganda have coped with the orphan problem since the onset of the AIDS epidemic. Changes in past and present coping mechanisms are discussed and recommendations for the future are made.