Background | Welfare | Vocational Training | Small Business Start-Up
In Gantsi, like many other affected communities, HIV/AIDS has reduced the life expectancy of the adult population between the ages of 19 and 45, this constitutes the most infected age group. This generation has left behind many orphaned children whose future depends on the goodwill of their extended families or state care. Families are left to care and support those who are ill, this process can often lead to a loss of income which can be disastrous to those who are already living on the poverty line. The levels of infection still remain high, especially among vulnerable groups, and as stated by community members during focus group discussions, there is a real sense of helplessness.
The problem is further compounded within the Basarwa (Bushmen) communities due to the cultural changes which they are currently experiencing. While they lived their traditional nomadic lifestyle in the bush the impact of HIV/AIDS was very low due to the lack of interaction with other communities. Bridges of Hope works in and alongside the Basarwa communities as they make the transition into so-called modern life.
