A Census of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Two Zimbabwean Districts

In 2002, the Human Sciences Research Council was commissioned by the WK Kellogg Foundation to develop and implement a five-year intervention project focusing on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in southern Africa. In collaboration with several partner organizations, the project currently focuses on how children, families and communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to develop models of best practise so as to enhance and improve support structures for OVC in the southern African region as a whole.

The contributors to this original volume use case studies to explore community-based psychology practice. The book emphasises the importance of a thorough understanding of context for community work and shows how change in others cannot happen without change in ourselves.

Mother-to-child transmission is by far the largest source of HIV infection in children below the age of 15. This report presents the results of research conducted at a pilot site in the Eastern Cape into the use of resources associated with the implementation of a PMTCT (prevention of mother-to-child transmission) programme.

The role of indigenous knowledges in development has not been examined enough. Indigenous knowledge systems tend to mean different things to different people, so does culture. Culture is undoubtedly critical for development but often underplayed or misunderstood. Development in Africa remains elusive.