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Project: Working with children and young people affected by AIDS / HIV
Combating HIV/AIDS in Africa  The global threat of AIDS is particularly prevalent in Africa. Ethiopia is one of the most highly AIDS affected countries in the world, as well as one of the poorest - a devastating combination.The people most vulnerable to HIV / AIDS are commercial sex workers. All too often, women and children are forced into this trade by having no other means to support themselves. Kalkidan, pictured left, is one such example. For Kalkidan, prostitution was a last resort for a woman who desires a dignified livelihood, but had no other choice if she was to survive and support her child. Like so many women in her position, she lives in constant fear of contracting HIV, and desperately desires a way out of her situation. Kalkidan Kebede is a 21 year-old woman living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is a commercial sex worker. She is one of approximately 200 young women in the slums of Addis working as prostitutes. Many of the other girls are even younger than she is. This is not a community where you would expect to find much hope. HIV/AIDS is rampant, and many children have lost their parents. Poor housing, poor sanitation and insufficient social services characterize the community. Most of the community is poorly educated, and are unemployed or low-paid factory workers. Children who manage to attend school rarely complete high school, and many young women, such as Kalkidan, are forced to resort to the sex trade to survive. Many people here have the desire and drive to improve their community and to develop income-generating activities, but simply lack the resources they need. Shortage of capital is repeatedly indicated as an obstacle to employment and business sustainability. HOPE is working with Kalkidan and many more women like her. By offering education, training and resources, and empowering them to break out of poverty, they have a chance at a life that is safe and secure. HOPE aims to empower women and give them access to the resources they need to get out of the sex trade, or to avoid it completely. By abandoning commercial sex, these women leave behind a dangerous occupation and greatly reduce their risk of contracting HIV. They gain dignity and self-respect as they begin to earn income without degrading themselves.
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