The HIV and AIDS Action Tank is a group of international colleagues who work in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECD) settings where young children are affected by HIV and AIDS. We share a passion for expanding the practice of ECD to respond to children whose lives have been impacted by HIV and AIDS either because they acquired it through perinatal transmission or because a close family member (e.g., parent, sibling, etc.) has the virus. Many of these children have lost one or more parents owing to the epidemic. These children are sometimes referred to as Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs).
The goal of our group is to build and exchange knowledge about caring for young children at the intersection of ECD and HIV and AIDS. We want to surface ‘practice-based’ experience and data, based on the day-to-day realities of caring for young children in countries all over the world. We believe in the power of information that derives from grassroots settings, and we hope that our voices will be heard by leaders, funders, and stakeholders who are shaping the next 10 years of response to HIV and AIDS.
This website is designed to be an inclusive hub of ‘knowledge exchange’ where we can learn from each other, and where we can share resources, ideas, best-practice, data, challenges, and dreams. Resources can be peer-reviewed articles, grant opportunities, pictures/diagrams related to HIV care, outreach for partnerships, an invitation to host volunteers, a call for paper submissions, a plan to meet during travel, or a proposal to swap staff. Knowledge can focus on ways to build HIV prevention into young children’s daily routines, ways to reduce the stigma and discrimination that may accompany HIV, recommendations for addressing the psychosocial needs of children and families, and suggestions for how to provide medical support within ECD settings.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our aim is to promote quality care for HIV-affected children in ways that “do no harm” and that promote health, development, dignity, and cultural respect. Our exchanges are meant to be honest, direct, and straightforward. By joining hands across the globe, we can make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children who have so much to bear.
Visit the Resources section of this website for a variety of knowledge exchange resources contributed by Voices of Hope members, such as links to other HIV and AIDS organizations, as well as useful tools and published, peer-reviewed articles