Frustration quickly bubbled to the surface at Wednesday's session on the plight of orphans. Both speakers and audience members spoke out vehemently against funders and governments that continue to bury their organisational heads in the sand when approached for funds to cope with the problem.

"Children of just eight years old are looking after dying parents as well as one, two or three younger siblings," explained Charles Thumi of Nairobi. His presentation and the others from Brazil and Kenya underscored that children are often "orphaned" long before parents die, becoming caregivers – and breadwinners – for the entire family.

Speakers and participants spoke out against complacency in efforts to focus attention on AIDS. Several mentioned their attempt to convene a satellite meeting on orphans at this Conference, which was scuttled due to lack of interest from funding agencies.

Despite these frustrations, some innovative research has taken place. Stefan Germann and Judith Mthombeni of Zimbabwe presented a groundbreaking study in which orphans over the age of 10 were interviewed about their needs and problems – "let the children speak!" was their motto. Following the interviews, community members set up a series of action-oriented committees to implement the changes indicated by the research. The committees included rural and urban representatives of NGOs, churches, and governments. The speakers said even Zimbabwe's business community has expressed an interest in the orphan issue "as they try to protect their future work force."

Germann concluded that while these same discussions took place two years ago at the last world AIDS conference, nothing much had been accomplished in the meantime. "We have to wake up and face the future, and that's our children."

Miquel Fontes from Brazil also presented a study illustrating the scope of the problem in his country. The 10,400 children already orphaned by AIDS are the tip of the iceberg: 34,600 children have mothers living with AIDS, and 137,000 have mothers living with HIV. Fontes concluded by expressing his disappointment that the first lady of Brazil didn't mention the word "child" or "children" at the opening ceremony.

"Children of just eight years old are looking after dying parents as well as one, two or three younger siblings"

this story can also be found in  The Bridge, the onsite print newspaper

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