Cornerstone Foundation's Caring for Children Program: A self-sustaining community-based intervention to support children affected by and infected with HIV/AIDS in Belize

Issue: Belize is a country with a growing HIV/AIDS epidemic, nearly doubling from 2001 to 2004, with an estimated 3.78% of the adult population HIV positive. There are approximately 14,000 children made vulnerable by the disease, with many suffering from nutritional deficits, lack of schooling, stigma, and discrimination. The Cornerstone Foundation of Belize, a non-governmental organization (NGO), developed the Caring for Children program (CFC) to assist these children affected by and infected with HIV/AIDS. Description: CFC is a self-sustaining, community-based intervention, started with a seed fund awarded by UNICEF from 2004-2006. It is currently run by volunteers without external funding. CFC assesses the needs of children affected by and infected with HIV/AIDS and directly addresses these needs through community donations. A network of health professionals, churches, businesses, and schools was established, and communities have mobilized to assist in the program and address these needs of the community. Results: By December 2006, CFC was fully implemented in all of Belize. Over 220 children and 80 families were provided with support including social services, food, and school and medical supplies. Community participation in the program continues to grow. Recommendations: The Cornerstone Foundation's success in creating a self-sustaining network of partnerships provides a strong example of how community-based participatory programs can enable the community to actively administer support to its constituents. This type of community-based participatory approach affords three major benefits for which NGOs should strive; 1) increased community investment; 2) capacity building; and, 3) self-sustainability with decreased dependence on external aid.