Caroline
is a pretty little girl of 13. When you see her dance with her
friends from the orchestra of Chisoko Community Child Care Centre,
you would almost think that she does not have a care in the
world. Yet in the beautiful region of Mwachongo Forest, near
Mwanza in southern Malawi, tragedy has struck her family.
Soon, as we stand before her home, a few metres from the Centre,
the sadness wells up in Caroline's eyes, especially when she
starts to tell us her story.
Caroline is one of the thousands of children in southern Africa
who are known as 'orphans due to AIDS'. "I am the youngest
of a family of four children", she explains. "I lost
my mother at the age of 7. Last month, my daddy died".
Caroline's older brothers and sisters are either studying at
a boarding school far from the village or have married. So Caroline
lives alone at home and has to look after herself.
Fortunately, the destitute teenager has found help at Chisoko
Community Child Care Centre, which is run by the Malawi Red
Cross with the support of the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The centre has places for 750 children. Those aged one to six
years attend kindergarden, where they learn the alphabet but
also engage in manual, sports and play activities. They also
receive hygiene and prevention tips as well as counselling.
The oldest, like Caroline, aged from seven to 18 years, also
have access to basic support even though primary schooling is
free in Malawi.
"Many of the children who attend the centre are living
with HIV", confides Taonga Nyekanyeka, the head of the
HIV and AIDS project in Mwanza region. "But there can be
no question for us of isolating them from the other children.
The community has to stay united in order to avoid rejection
and discrimination", he explains.
Fifty-five volunteers from the Malawi Red Cross take turns looking
after the young people, while 28 others visit people living
with AIDS within the framework of the home-based care programme.
"It is important that the children feel physically and
mentally better thanks to our work", says Peter Chammudzi,
one of the volunteers looking after the youngest children.
"Many of the children who attend the centre are orphans,
so we make sure that they have a well-balanced diet by giving
them a bowl of porridge every morning", he continues.
Owing to its limited means, the Malawi Red Cross cannot provide
for these children's future on its own. "I am going to
finish primary school soon but I have no money to pay for secondary
school", worries Caroline.
The Malawi Red Cross is gradually setting up a programme for
the payment of school fees for children orphaned by AIDS. Unfortunately,
Mwanza region is not yet covered, but the funding should come
in time to help Caroline.
When we ask the girl what she would like to do later on, she
answers that she would like to become a nun. It is clear that
above and beyond her faith, Caroline is also looking for protection
against a world she must face alone.
"Caroline is a courageous young lady and her day-to-day
struggle against adversity shows why the work of the Malawi
Red Cross is so crucial to the future of this country",
explains Dr Mukesh Kapila, the Federation's Special Representative
for HIV/AIDS, who also met Caroline during his visit to the
Chisoko centre.
"It also shows why we must accelerate and expand our efforts
to reduce HIV spread and manage its destructive impact on families
and communities in southern Africa", he concludes.
Caroline leaves us to go over to her music and dance group created
by the centre, the Chisungalalo Band, which means "The
orchestra of happiness" in Chechewa, the local language.
Today, this group has become her real family and one of her
few sources of joy.
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Caroline,
aged 13, has lost both her parents to AIDS. Now she is
alone in the village of Chisiki, in southern Malawi. (p14787)
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Teresia
Mawala, aged 2, is already learning how to be a good cook
at the centre. (p14791)
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The
Red Cross Children's Home takes in 750 persons from Monday
to Friday. (p14790)
Children aged 1 to 6, some of whom are living with HIV,
get together to play and receive a basic education. (p14789)
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