Our Children’s HIV/AIDS Network (CHAiN) project aims to provide children with their own voice, promoting and supporting child-focused HIV and AIDS service development and delivery.

There are many issues facing children in South Africa: poverty, child abuse, violence, family fragmentation and the loss of caregivers. Poor access to services combined with a lack of appropriate, child and youth-friendly services compound these issues. 

CHAiN was initiated at a public meeting in May 2000 because service providers saw the urgent need to develop a co-ordinated response to the specific needs of children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. The project brings together over 400 partners in the HIV/AIDS-affected children’s sector, including representatives from NGOs, CBOs, government departments, local communities, home based carers, faith groups, businesses, unions, academic institutions and hospitals.

CHAiN facilitates networking, information sharing and capacity building by:

• Providing mentoring and training to child-focused HIV and AIDS organisations
• Maintaining a database of organisations working specifically with children
• Keeping members informed of issues within the sector in a monthly email newsletter
• Running training workshops on sector-specific issues 
• Representing members on government structures like the Provincial AIDS Council and participating in advocacy issues such as the recent Children’s Bill
• Bringing organisations working with children together at special Imbizo meetings (conferences)
• Holding quarterly meetings for CHAiN members
• Training childcare forum facilitators in advocacy and lobbying

Over the past 3 years, CHAiN has played a critical role in facilitating a more co-ordinated service response: disseminating information and knowledge of other programmes and best practice models; creating a platform for discussion and development of ideas; and mobilising children’s service organisations in prioritising children’s issues.

Despite the statistics, children’s issues in the HIV and AIDS sector have not received the attention they deserve. We believe the CHAiN project’s networking, advocacy and capacity building work will slowly begin to address this.