Community-based support for orphaned children in rural Lesotho

GROW is an indigenous NGO operating in the Mokhotlong district of Lesotho. The focus of their programmes have shifted in recent years to address the issue surrounding HIV/AIDS. This article presents a participatory, community-based approach to possible strategies of alleviating the burdens faced by orphaned children. Members of the GROW health and nutrition team initially met with 27 people identified as caregivers of orphaned children to discuss needs and possible solutions. The article looks at how a support network was developed and how this empowered both the children and the communities in the challenges they faced.