Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has one of the highest rates of AIDS infection in the world: a quarter of all adults are HIV positive. 980,000 children have already lost a parent due to AIDS. This fatal illness and the current drought have left many families in a dire state. The education situation is catastrophic. The land reforms meant that many families have had to settle in regions without schools. Here teaching takes place in temporary shacks, churches or under trees. Poor families often cannot afford the high fees. Across the country one in three children does not attend school. In Zimbabwe UNICEF is concentrating on the 18 poorest districts. There are plans to build 80 new schools and renovate 50. In addition UNICEF is supplying 700 schools with books and other school materials. 50 schools are to receive drinking water and hygienic latrines. In addition, UNICEF is setting up 50 so-called children’s clubs. Here painting and other activities help orphans, in particular, to deal better with their difficult situation. The clubs also give information about AIDS prevention – vital for the survival of girls in particular.