The Context

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is scourging Botswana, where approximately 37% of adults are HIV positive. Young adults are the hardest hit by the epidemic and are dying in appalling numbers. In villages throughout Botswana, funerals are an every-weekend event. Young mothers and fathers leave behind their children who must now be cared for by aging grandparents. The statistics are shocking: Life expectancy has dropped from a high of 61 years in 1987 to just 31 years in 2000; Infant mortality has risen sharply and some 70% of pediatric deaths are attributable to AIDS; An estimated 69,000 AIDS orphans rely on increasingly strained family networks and it is estimated that by 2010, 1 in 5 children in Botswana will be orphans.

In recent years there has been some cause for hope, in large part due to the extensive network of Non-Governmental Organizations working tirelessly to extend services to those hardest to reach. Recent statistics provide some evidence of a stabilization of new HIV infections. Additionally, the introduction of free ARV therapy has meant healthier and longer lives for many people living with AIDS. Yet despite the progress Botswana has made against HIV/AIDS, the country still carries an enormous burden of caring for the infected, raising those orphaned, and educating those not yet infected on how to stay healthy.

Since the late 1990's there has been a flowering of NGOs in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Some of the NGOs were created specifically for HIV/AIDS prevention, while others have dedicated themselves to community development efforts, with the belief that poverty reduction is a necessary precursor to a healthy nation. Whether focused on community development or HIV/AIDS, these NGOs are vital to the communities in which they work. Yet, in many cases, they are struggling to stay afloat on very limited resources, often relying heavily upon volunteer staff.