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Patricia Watson
Regional Director, Panos [12132007]

AIDS is redefining the very meaning of childhood for millions, depriving children of many of their human rights – of the care, love and affection of their parents; of their teachers and other role models; of education and options for the future; of protection against exploitation and abuse. The world must act now, urgently and decisively, to ensure that the next generation of children is AIDS-free.
— UNICEF, A Call to Action: Children, the missing face of AIDS1

There are hundreds of children in Jamaica living with or affected by HIV. In January 2007, 5,125 children under the age of 15 were estimated to have been orphaned by AIDS. In 2006, 73 children aged 0 to 9 yaers old were diagnosed with HIV. Many of these children live in your neighbourhood, attend your church and your school. They however are forced to be silent about the disease they live with out of fear of how persons will react. Focus group discussions with many of these children reveal that

Despite the silence, these children have much to say about parenting, sexual and reproductive health issues, the church and AIDs and employment for people living with HIV.

Children and HIV/AIDS
Children living with HIV and AIDS in Jamaica have in general been silent about issues affecting them. Their opinions are rarely sought in the development of policy and even when they take part in consultations, they feel this is merely tokenistic. It is estimated that between 5,000 and 8,000 children in Jamaica have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Up to 20,000 children under the age of 18 are estimated to have been made vulnerable as a result of HIV. Overall, five to seven per cent of all orphans in Jamaica are orphaned by HIV and AIDS (Ministry of Health).
Anecdotal reports from newspaper articles and research carried out in Jamaica reveal “deep social, psychological and economic impact of HIV and AIDS on Jamaican children. The Rapid Assessment of the Situation of Orphans and Other Children living in Households Affected by HIV/AIDS in Jamaica (2002) report that children living with HIV were missing school, abandoned by relatives, involved in crime drug abuse or were suicidal. A significant number of parents in Jamaica continue to hide their illness from their children. This results in the children finding out from community members who abuse them by calling them names such ‘AIDS pickney’. Children of parents living with HIV are also discriminated against by some social services and public sector workers, particularly in the health and education sectors.

The Rapid Assessment of Orphans and other Vulnerable Children Living in Households in Jamaica (2002) highlights the many economic, social and emotional problems faced by children living with HIV. Among them are:

Concerns
Some concerns of note emerged from both groups in response to the following question. What are some of the things that adults and others do that make you unhappy?
General responses from the younger participants included the following:
• They call us names
• They scorn us
• They tell us that we are nobody and we won’t reach anywhere
• They call us AIDS victim
• They curse us
• They make us feel that we are not important
• They chase us out of the community
They were asked to list the two most distressing issues. They outlined them as follows:
1. Being called an “AIDS Victim”
2. Being made to feel that they were not important to society
General responses from the older participants included the following:
• Discrimination from persons who should know better
• Violence, insults and threats
• Stress
• Lack of access to services and medicines
• Shame and guilt
• Lack of family and community support
When asked to prioritise, they listed the following:
1. Discrimination from persons who should know better
2. Lack of access to services and medicine
Both groups were encouraged to develop role plays around their priority concerns and to emphasise the compelling elements they would use in an advocacy effort to convince persons in the wider society to change their attitude to persons infected/affected by HIV/AIDS. The role plays were soul searching and revolved around themes such as:
• The provision of greater public education, on the subject to persons at all levels
• Broadening the access to services like counselling and medication (they felt that children would do well and become productive citizens if medications and other services were always available without them feeling ashamed or guilty to access them)
• The protection from abuse and neglect like all other children
• Providing safe environments for them to share with each other, as well as to encourage and support each other
• Ensuring their access to education
• Issues related to rights and responsibilities

Conclusions
Children understand childhood best – they live it. Children infected/affected by HIV/AIDS know their situation best and can guide others to respond to their greatest needs. Providing them with the information and skills required to speak for themselves is an important component of the advocacy process. People will listen when children speak but they must not bring only the emotional elements but must speak from a position of information. They need to be confident and bold.

- Patricia Watson
Regional Director, Panos