Life4life Foundation preaches against discrimination against HIV-related orphans

Life4Life Foundation, a non-governmental organization focused on Child, Adolescent and Youth development is advocating concrete strategies that draws orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS into social protection schemes and programmes.

The foundation after a visit to the motherly love orphanage at Kwabena bemoaned the lack of programmes to properly integrate these children into the society.

"The effects of HIV-related stigma on children made orphans by AIDS is very devastating. These children are either ostracized or isolated by their peers and this goes a long way to affect their general wellbeing, growth and development", President of the Foundation, Daniel Lartey noted.

According to him, stigmatization towards such minority groups if not curbed could make less the strides and success chalked in ending the diseases. The Sustainable Development Goal, SDG goal 3 targets ending the HIVAIDS epidemic by 2030

The AIDS epidemic cannot be ended without the needs of people living with and affected by HIV and their vulnerabilities being addressed.

these issues must rest at the forefront of Ghana's sustainable development efforts.

he indicated that the focus on policy for children development ( like that of Ghana's National HIV and AIDS policy) should not end at the formulation phase but more focus should be placed on its implementation to the latter.

We cannot just have things written in a form of a policy on paper but in reality less action is being taken.

He says the phenomenon is making it more difficult to protect the basic rights of these children.

"We cannot close our eyes while the basic human rights of children affected by HIV are trampled upon. Children world over are battling this challenge and it's time we take drastic measures to protect something as basic as right to life".

Studies have shown that many of these children are at a higher risk Of being exploited by criminal gangs or becoming victims of abuse, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

The project Director, Kenneth Parku for his part called on policy makers to shift attention to children affected by the diseases and work with CSOs and NGOs to collate data on the situation and initiate appropriate interventions to end the stigma.

Leadership of the foundation donated food and non food items to the orphans and children at the Orphanage as part of their corporate social responsibility and desire to take steps in life for the betterment of others.