United States Launches $35 Million Programme To Support Orphans, Vulnerable Children

The United States through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched Pathways, a programme to support 250,000 HIV-affected orphans and vulnerable children, 59,500 households, and 15,000 vulnerable youth. The $35 million program will operate in 9 districts for the next five years. In a statement, The US Embassy Harare said,

…Operating in nine districts in Zimbabwe with high HIV burden, Pathways will put communities on a path to self-reliance by building capacity in local institutions to provide a comprehensive set of services that improve health, nutrition, and psychosocial wellbeing of HIV-affected and infected children.

Funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), through USAID, Pathways will be implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Health and Child Care, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Child Protection Services, communities, and others.

Although much progress has been made in the past decade, HIV remains one of the top health threats facing the people of Zimbabwe. Since 2000, over 1.2 million adults have died from AIDS, leaving 16 percent of Zimbabwean children orphaned by one or both of their parents.