Where do all the Orphans Come From?

I was recently asked, where do all the Orphans in Zambia come from? This an excellent question that deserves consideration.

In Zambia, and countries like Zambia, there are myriad of challenges that exist for the traditional family unit. In Zambia, 10% of the population, or 1.2 million, are Orphaned children. How has this happened.

ECONOMICS: Only about 500,000 people in Zambia have what we would consider full-time employment, with an officially stated unemployment rate of 50%. The 500,000 strong Zambia full-time workforce is equivalent to 12.3 million US citizens working full-time to support the rest of us. Even at a much lower standard of living this would not be an achievable situation for us.

When the basic necessities are not available to the family unit, everything suffers; health, relationships, and education. 2/3 of the people in Zambia survive on less than a dollar a day. The population in Zambia currently living below the poverty line is 86%.

HEALTH: According to the CIA World Factbook, the life expectancy is 38.44 years of age, only Angola and Swaziland are worse. 16.5% of the population is HIV/AIDS positive, of which 89,000 died in 2003.

Almost double is the amount of people that are HIV/AIDS positive, than those in society that have full-time employment.

The Healthcare system is also in shambles, or not existent in some areas. Many people die of malaria due to a lack of treatment. The lack of proper nutrition can also be an issue in some areas.

EDUCATION: Education is not something that is provided freely, and most families have to overcome great hardship just to provide their children a decent education. Attending school does cost the student; books, study materials, and uniforms, and are sometimes just too much for a family to bear.

With limited employment opportunities, and limited education options, there is a vicious cycle that is created within the population.

SOCIETY: As the family unit has broken down do to many obstacles it is reported that over 60% of the households in Zambia are somehow involved caring for an Orphan. In addition, there are 100,000 'street kids' that mostly go ignored or avoided all together.

Many of the homes that take in Orphans from deceased relatives create a second class of citizen as the Orphans do not have the same rights (equal) as the biological children. There just isn't enough to go around. These are the situations where the children are transitioned from a home to an Orphanage environment when a place in an Orphanage is available. The government wants to lift the living standard of the child. Usually at an Orphanage proper nutrition is provided, education is available and required, regular health care is more available, and 'more than' the basic necessities are available to the child.

I hope this gives a better explanation of the situation in many countries around the world.