Children in Zimbabwe comprise one of the most vulnerable groups among those living with HIV/AIDS - the United Nations Children's Fund estimates that one in four children has been orphaned by the pandemic, and many carry the virus themselves.
Given this bleak picture, many private charitable organizations are targeting this very vulnerable population, among them the Zimbabwe AIDS Relief Organization launched by the Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, Calif.
For the past seven years the church has been helping about 500 people, including children at two clinics: the Center for AIDS Services in Harare, the capital, and the Mother of Peace AIDS Orphanage clinic in Mutoko, Mashonaland East.
Gloria Crowell, co-chairwoman of the church’s AIDS ministry, told reporter Ndimyake Mwakalyelye that the current environment in Zimbabwe calls for much more help for orphans and others living with HIV/AIDS.
More reports from VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe...