Worldwide there are an estimated 15 million children under the age of 18 that have been orphaned as a result of AIDS with 11.6 million of these children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Their life becomes a nightmare when they have to care for a sick and dying parent and explodes into a full blown tragedy when these children are left to fend for themselves.

As the number of parents dying of AIDS increases, fewer children have anyone to care for them when their parents are dead. Members of the extended families who traditionally would be the safety net for these newly orphaned children are taxed to the limit taking in orphaned relatives. More children are left on their own, the eldest being responsible for the wellbeing of younger siblings.

In addition to the emotional trauma of watching their parents die and becoming orphans, these children rarely have access to a reliable source of food, a home to live in, education and health care. It is not uncommon for them to be stigmatized because their parents have died of AIDS and consequently denied access to services that may be available to other children. Even those children who are left land or assets by their parents rarely get anything as relatives quickly step in and grab whatever is left behind.