Summer Camp nurtures dreams for children affected by HIV/AIDS

Beijing, August 11, 2009 – "My sister is infected with HIV. I feel sorry for her suffering. Is the disease really so horrible?"

"My mother was infected and died of AIDS. Will the government increase living allowance for us orphans?"

"I dream of going to a college in Beijing."

As the 6th Annual UNICEF/China National Committee for the Care of Children (CNCCC) Summer Camp for Children Affected by AIDS came to a close, 72 children campers voiced their dreams and concerns at a closing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on August 9, in front of top level government leaders and national media.(Listen to their voices)

"They need strong and sustained external support to survive and thrive. As adults we have the duty to listen to and act on their needs." Dr. Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF Representative to China appealed to government partners and media at the event.

From August 5 to August 9, children from Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Anhui, Hubei, Henan and other provinces that are hit hard by the epidemic joined the five-day summer camp.

The children participated in cultural and sports activities at the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Beijing National Stadium and other cultural sites, and were also amazed to get tips from famous basketball players and a renowned magician.

Now the children are setting off for home with a gift – the belief that they can live their dreams as any other children.

Community-based foster care

"I will work hard to live my dream – go to the prestigious Shanghai Fudan University," said 17-year-old Xiaobo before returning to his foster home in Henan Province.

Xiaobo has lost both of his parents to AIDS and has been living in a UNICEF-supported community-based foster care family since one year ago.  Named a "Sunshine Family", the foster care family has two chaperons to act as mother and father to the children orphaned by AIDS.

Xiaobo was an elder brother for other orphans in the foster family. “They look fine as other kids but inside they are very lonely. If you give them a little care and love, they will treat you as their most intimate friends.” Xiaobo said.

According to Mr. He Deliu, an officer with the Xichuan County Bureau of Civil Affairs in Henan Province, each of the orphans receives 200 Yuan monthly living allowance and the government also supports their study. "The local government will continue support Xiaobo and other children if they enter university and if not, we will help them find a job." He said.

"I am an orphan myself so I understand how much they need family care. In 2007, I attended UNICEF-supported community-based foster care training in Beijing. After that, I have been supporting five orphans in our county." Mr. He said when flipping through a photo album of him going out with the children to zoos and theme parks.

"Over the years, I see how those children are bouncing back from the shadow. I will retire by the end of the year but I feel hard to say goodbye to them. I will continue my work as a volunteer when the day comes." He said.

More support needed

It took 13-year-old Taotao one day on the train to arrive in Beijing from his small village in Sichuan province. But in the first day at the summer camp, Taotao was worried about his parents back at home.

"My father has received free medicine and he is getting better now. But I am worried that his disease will relapse." He said. "Now my 10-year-old sister is taking care of my parents but she is just a kid."

Taotao's parents were HIV positive but he preferred to tell people that his father got sick by the toxic paint when labouring in a factory in Guangdong Province. "Back at home, my only playmate is my sister. I feel happier at school because I can play with classmates and the teachers are very funny too." He said.

The six-grader is tanned from harvesting corns in the field during this summer vacation. "I get up at around five in the morning and go to the field with my parents to carry the corns. We work until eight in the evening. After having dinner, I will help peel the corns till one or two in the morning." Taotao said. "I am relaxed in Beijing because I can finally have a good sleep and play all day with other children."

At the end of the summer camp, Taotao is beaming with smiles.  "I used to have the feeling that I won't have a chance to succeed nor can I change anything of my family. My feeling is always correct. For example, when I feel that the class is going to end, the bell will ring soon." Taotao said.

"But this time maybe my feeling is wrong." He said. "I am happiest when I stood at the top of the Great Wall. I used to see it in my textbook but this time it was real. It was like a dream came true. I think I deserve a dream too."

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has issued the policy on further enhancing support to children affected by AIDS, asking local governments to provide a 600 Yuan allowance per month to children affected by AIDS, and also encouraging family and community-based care for the orphans.

Keep Parents and Children Alive

In China, an estimated 700,000 are infection with HIV, and as adults develop AIDS and die, more and more children are affected. At the end of 2005, it was estimated by UNICEF there were approximately 140,000 children who had lost one or both parents to AIDS and around 500,000 children living in families with parents who were infected with HIV.

As part of the effort to mitigate the devastating impact of HIV on children and ensure children remain in loving caring families, UNICEF is working with government partners to promote treatment of people living with HIV to keep them alive, and provide comprehensive support and income generation opportunities to empower families to better care for their children.  Promoting care and treatment of children living with HIV has also been a priority area for UNICEF.

"We can't afford lagging behind the speed of the virus." Mr. Xiang Shibao, a project officer with Yingjiang County of Yunnan Province warned. "Almost every village in our County has new drug users. Now the disease is spreading from the high risk group to the general population through sex contact and mother-to-child transmission. If we don't curb the spread of the epidemic, more children will get infected or become orphaned by AIDS."