Building blocks: Africa-wide briefing notes: resources for communities working with orphans and vulnerable children

This is a set of locally adaptable resources for communities working with orphans and vulnerable children in Africa. They are based on the experience of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, its partners and other organisations. The briefing notes for working with children are organised into an overview and five sections: Education; Health and nutrition; Psychosocial support; Social inclusion; and Economic strengthening. Each briefing note provides issues and principles for guiding strategy, while drawing on best practice from programme experience. Each can be used alongside a Participatory Adaptation Guide, which will help organisations and community members, including children, to adapt these principles and strategies to their own local situation. These briefing notes have been developed through a highly participatory process, guided by an international advisory board (in collaboration with participants from Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, Mozambique, Angola etc.). These briefing notes are divided into four sections: Introduction, with an overview that explains why programmes need to strengthen the skills and resources of families and communities to cope with the impacts of HIV/AIDS; Issues, with an outline of the impact of HIV/AIDS on children; Principles, with guidelines for programmes aimed at strengthening the coping capacity of vulnerable children, families and communities; and Strategies, with possible ways of taking action to strengthen support for orphans and vulnerable children. The full text document can be found on http://www.aidsalliance.org/building_blocks.htm or http://www.eldis.org/ and is available in English, French and Portuguese children, Africa, HIV, AIDS, training manual, orphans, health, sexual health, child care, coping strategies