Educational support for orphans and vulnerable children

The project aims to reduce the vulnerability of AIDS orphans, aged between 5 and 25, and their families, by providing them with access to education, healthcare and food in order for them to live healthy lives. These children face a greater risk of chronic malnutrition, are often stigmatized and do not have opportunities for education and skills training. They are sometimes forced to take on adult responsibilities at a very young age, such as becoming the head of the household and having to support their younger siblings. They tend to drop out of school, thereby increasing the number of young people who are inadequately educated and under-nourished. Furthermore, school fees consume nearly a quarter of a poor family's income, paying not only for tuition, but also indirect fees such as Parent-Teacher Associations and community contributions, textbook fees, compulsory uniforms and other charges.

By providing a regular supply of staple food in the households, children will stay in school since the whole family is nourished. This healthy diet will also help people to live with HIV, encourage adherence and response to anti-retroviral therapy and reduce the socioeconomic impact of the disease. Healthy nutrition can increase HIV-positive individuals' work capacity and productivity, thus ensuring continued income for their families. Furthermore, education has been positively associated with reduction in HIV risk.

Gede Foundation is a non-profit organisation established and registered in Washington, DC USA, in 2002 and in Nigeria in 2003. Its mission is to promote healthy communities by restoring individuals' rights to health through education and access to services. To achieve this, the Foundation has initiated three main programmes: Treatment and Care, Scholarship and Skills Acquisition for OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) and Training.

The Addax Foundation contributes to the following activities:

cover tuition fees and provide school material (books, uniforms and shoes) to 100 orphans enrolled in regular schools during one academic session;
cover training fees and training material (books, tools and basic equipment) for 50 orphans following the income generating skill programme during one year;
ensure school attendance of those following the scholarship programme by providing them and their immediate families with a sufficient and regular supply of staple food;
provide orphans and their families with access to basic healthcare;
develop and implement strategies that will involve the participation of the beneficiaries in improving their families' and communities' living and hygienic conditions

Location	3 communities in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Nigeria
Objective	Reduce the vulnerability of AIDS orphans by providing them with access to education, healthcare and food
How	By supporting the Gede Foundation