The Affects of AIDS in Africa : The Children Left Behind.
             As AIDS continues to claim lives, it leaves the children of its victims not only without parents, but in some cases without a future. Children born to parents having contracted the H I Virus have a very bleak future, according to the research done in Africa as well as in Southeast Asia. Many, unfortunately, stumble upon the same fate as their parents. These orphans are left to be reared by extended family members, who, in most cases, are their grandparents. Elderly men and women between the ages of fifty-six and eighty-four are to be responsible for feeding, clothing, and sheltering their orphaned grandchildren. This, however, poses a severe financial burden on these grandparents in nearly all cases studied. This research paper will discuss how these orphans and their caretakers are affected medically, socially, economically, and psychologically by the adverse affects of the H I Virus.
             AIDS orphans often have to migrate to new homes and communities, these migrations can be emotionally damaging to the orphans depending on the new caregivers willingness to help the orphan adapt to his/her environment. In a qualitive study conducted by N. Ansell and L Young, many Southern African AIDS orphans reported being ill treated by their new caregivers. Ill treatment consists of: overworking the children, treating the children unfairly compared to the way the discipline their biological children, not feeding the children and being resentful of the child's presence in their home. Migration can prove to be a very traumatic experience, especially when a child is forced to migrate several times due to their caregiver's economic or domestic situation. Many children complained of leaving schools and were very unhappy that they had to leave friends and their home town. "Policy intervention to reduce disruption and trauma for young AIDS migrants should aim at facilitati...