The number of South African children made especially vulnerable by HIV and AIDS is now 1.2 million and growing.

Vhutshilo (Life), a joint venture between CSPE and selected service providers, seeks to help vulnerable children create sustainable community-based socio-educational support systems. The project has developed, field tested, and has developed a curriculum and training and technical assistance packages. The Vhutshilo curriculum also contains monitoring and evaluation protocols for peer-led, structured, time-limited groups for 10-13 year olds at drop-in centres.

Each activity provides fun, teaches coping skills, promotes safe expression of emotion and demonstrates children’s abilities to help and support one another. Currently being implemented by 5 NGOs in 10 sites, the 10-13 year old programme will expand in 2008 to new partners and sites, and a similar package has been developed for 14-16 year olds. Funding is provided by USAID/PEPFAR.