La prise en charge des orphelins du sida âgés de 0 à 15 ans au Tchad : cas de la ville de Pala

Abstract

The theme of our research is "The care of AIDS orphans aged 0 to 15 years in Chad: the case of the city of Pala". The choice of this theme was motivated by the real difficulty of access for AIDS orphans to care institutions and the management of resources allocated to them. Furthermore, despite the efforts made by the Chadian government and partners (NGOs), and despite the multiple supports offered to AIDS orphans, we observe a real difficulty of access to care institutions and the management of resources for them. Faced with these real disparities in care, AIDS orphans are left to their fate and abandoned in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest without support. The question that guided our analysis was formulated as follows: What are the reasons that prevent AIDS orphans from accessing care institutions in the city of Pala? To answer this question, we formulated the following hypothesis: The reasons that prevent access for AIDS orphans to these institutions are linked to the admission criteria held by the reception centers and poverty, which truly limits their well-being in the city of Pala. Our methodological approach was particularly inspired by two main theoretical frameworks of analysis: Denise Jodelet's theory of social representations and Anselm Strauss's interactionist approach. The first seemed interesting to us insofar as it allowed us to understand the collective interpretation of the social realities of AIDS orphans (OEAV) in their practices and the dimensions of their social environment, living environment, perception of situations, and development of responses. The second, on the other hand, allowed us to realize that social reality is revealed in the exchanges between different actors, notably those responsible for care, guardians, and the AIDS orphans themselves. To gather field materials, we used group discussions and interviews. The results of this study show that the difficulties of access for AIDS orphans to care institutions are linked to the criteria and requirements held by CEDIAM (presumably the name of a specific institution). This criterion eliminates many AIDS orphans, and they find themselves abandoned again, without support in the neighborhoods, engaging in arduous activities, and suffering exploitation. Also, the irresponsibility of parents makes life very difficult for AIDS orphans, characterized by abandonment. This means that many of them remain unschooled and are excluded from the support program at CEDIAM because the absence of parents in the follow-up of children is not tolerated. The government's negligence in the care of AIDS orphans in the city of Pala prevents them from attending school, receiving health care, and nutritional support. This means that many AIDS orphans are schooled by themselves, care for themselves with their own means, and remain homeless.