The HIV/AIDS epidemic and effects of intergenerational poverty have left over 1 million children in Zambia to face the harsh realities of life on their own.

In Zambia, 1 in every 10 children has lost one or both parents — resulting in grandmothers raising many children and young children assuming the responsibilities of caring for their families. Thousands of households are headed by a child and 59.4% of children live in poverty.

 

In communities with high rates of orphaned and vulnerable children, it is common for children to drop out of school or turn to sex trafficking to earn money. 

 

These children, stuck in a cycle of poverty, are extremely vulnerable to abuse, food insecurity, sickness, and even death. Girls and women are especially affected, with high rates of early marriage, adolescent pregnancy, and barriers to education and economic opportunity.