Orphans Against AIDS believes that education is one of the most sustainable, effective, and efficient means of confronting the HIV/AIDS crisis throughout the world. This is especially the case for children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, for whom education "is the means [for realizing] the possibility of productive employment, minimizing their risk of being exploited and of themselves becoming infected with HIV." [1]  By focusing our efforts on those children who cannot afford school because their parents have been afflicted with HIV/AIDS, OAA and its local partners ensure that future generations have the wherewithal - the personal and social resources that come with schooling - to capitalize on opportunities to escape the pandemic. Those children for whom OAA provides educational funding can escape low-wage, unstable, and exploitive labor, and instead access the skills and training that will enhance their employment opportunities, strengthen their commnal ties, and improve their self-image. By enableing their future success, the education of these children helps to break the cycle of HIV/AIDS.

The challenges we face are significant: in a joint 2004 report, UNAIDS, UNICEF, and USAID estimated that 12.3 million children in sub-Saharan Africa alone have been orphaned by AIDS; the region has the highest proportion of AIDS orphans in the world, at 12.3 percent of all children. [2]  The tools we employ are powerful, however, and are in line with the best practices identified and advocated by international experts: 

- UNAIDS, UNICEF, and USAID argue that, “Generally, the people who live in these communities are in the best position to determine which children are at greatest risk and what factors should be used to assess vulnerability and set priorities for local action." [3]  Therefore, OAA establishes partnerships with local organizations that can directly assess and meet the needs of local populations.  OAA develops the capacity of these organizations in myriad ways, not the least of which by funding them and connecting them with other international donors.  From building websites to assisting with long-term planning and program design, OAA volunteers complement the invaluable local knowledge and community trust that its carefully selected partners possess.

- UNAIDS, UNICEF, and USAID prioritize the necessity of ensuring orphans’ access to “essential services, including education and health care." [4]  Therefore, OAA monitors and evaluates the activities of its partners to ensure that all funds go toward meeting these needs for children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.  Furthermore, OAA commits to fully fund orphans throughout their primary and secondary schooling as long as they remain in good academic standing.

- UNAIDS, UNICEF, and USAID suggest that “strengthening the capacity of families to protect and care for orphans and vulnerable children” is a key element of any successful strategy. [5]  Therefore, OAA works with its local partners to keep vulnerable children within their own communities—after determining that they are safe and supportive—wherever possible. 

Finally, unique among peer organizations, OAA incurs no overhead costs in accomplishing its goals.  As a measure of OAA volunteers’ sense of personal responsibility for their efforts, they cover all administrative and travel expenses out of their own pockets.  Every dollar donated to OAA goes directly toward ensuring that children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS have access to education.
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[1] Matshalaga, Neddy Rita, and Powell, Greg.  “Mass Orphanhood in the Era of HIV/AIDS: Bold Support for Alleviation of Poverty and Education May Avert a Social Disaster.”  British Medical Journal.  324(7331).  January 26, 2002.  Pg. 185-186.
[2] "Children on the Brink 2004: A Joint Report of New Orphan Estimates and a Framework for Action.”  UNAIDS, UNICEF, and USAID.  July 2004.  Pg. 3, 8.
[3] Ibid pg. 3.

[4] Ibid pg. 5.
[5] Ibid pg. 5.