Supporting AIDS victims

The aim of the project was to enable 95 orphaned children, victims of AIDS and other diseases, to complete five years of secondary education, and 300 young heads of household to benefit from vocational training. Schoolchildren were to receive educational support, while households were to receive food, psychosocial and health assistance. The project was to take place in twelve communities located in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.

At the end of the five-year project, 105 orphans successfully completed their five years of secondary schooling with excellent results. More than three months after the end of the project, 83 of these students were in employment, continuing their higher education or looking for work. The favorable exchange rate enabled 390 orphans (300 expected) to obtain their vocational training diploma in fields such as tailoring, fashion design, IT, laundry, mechanics or welding. In some cases, former students have continued their education thanks to the income generated by their employment. Throughout the program, the households of the 495 beneficiaries received food aid, which encouraged the young people to attend the courses.

Founded in 2002, the Gede Foundation, an American association, is developing programs, particularly in Nigeria, focusing on people living with stigmatized or neglected diseases (mainly AIDS).

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