Grandmothers in Maai Mahiu Kenya Defy HIV Stigma and Transform Their Community

Introduction

Since the onset of HIV and AIDS grandmothers have been in the forefront of providing care to their ailing and dying children and consequently to the grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. In most parts of the world, providing care and support to family members during times of need, is viewed as a women’s responsibility due to gender and social-cultural practices. Where two grandparents exist, the role of care giving is usually assumed by the grandmother (Winston, 2006). A number of studies have found that in sub-Saharan Africa the majority of orphans, whether orphaned as a result of AIDS or for other reasons, are cared for by older persons, particularly older women (Nhongo, 2004). HIV has definitely led to an increased level and new range of responsibilities for the older people but one of the rarely told stories from Sub Sahara Africa is that of the grandmothers taking care of children orphaned by AIDS (Kasedde et al, 2014). The grandmothers step in to raise orphans after their children die. In South Africa and Uganda 40% of orphaned children were living with their grandparents and in Zimbabwe, up to 60%. In Zambia, Uganda and Tanzania, grandparents made up the single largest category of caregivers of orphans after the surviving parent with 38, 32 and 43% respectively. A survey conducted in Zimbabwe found that 90% of those caring for orphans in most cases were elderly women (Jazdowska, 1992).

A qualitative study of grandparents raising grandchildren in the face of HIV and AIDS in South Africa showed that in resource deprived settings, grandmothers assumed caregiving roles (Nyasani, et al, 2009). To these grandmothers, raising grandchildren was stressful and overwhelming. HIV and AIDS is straining elderly people already struggling to make ends meet.

The grandparents face a lot of health challenges (Smith, 2005). Grandparents in Botswana live with health challenges resulting either from old age or the stress suffered as a result of their children dying from AIDS(Alpaslan & Mabutho,2005). Experiencing these health challenges may hinder the grandmothers’ ability to provide care to the grandchildren orphaned by AIDS (Mudavanhu & Fourie, 2008).

On top of the responsibilities and challenges, the grandmothers experience a lot of stigma due to their association with HIV and AIDS. Either because one of more of their children has died of AIDS or they are parenting grandchildren orphaned by AIDS or both. HIV-related stigma is negative attitudes and beliefs about people living with or affected by HIV. It is the prejudice that comes with labeling an individual as part of a group that is believed to be socially unacceptable. HIV-related stigma as a process of devaluing people living with HIV and those associated with the epidemic and it occurs in many settings (Patankar & Pandit, 2014). In many societies, HIV attracts stigmatization because it is highly associated with incurability, danger, immorality, punishment for sinful acts, and attribution of contagion (Kalichman & Simbayi, 2003; Fatoki, 2016).

The assumption that HIV results from sexual promiscuity is the number one cause of the HIV-related stigma faced by grandmothers parenting grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. This is because sexual promiscuity involves going against the particular taboos that relate to sexual behaviour in the context of a particular community and those who are assumed to have done so are always subject to stigma. This assumption resulted in greater stigma towards people living with HIV and those affected by the epidemic (Fatoki, 2016). This makes it difficult to disclose of one’s HIV status if positive, because living with HIV makes one’s morality to be questioned.

HIV-related stigma is greatly discrediting and overwhelming, it deprives people of their dignity. It is common among healthcare workers who perform HIV testing without consent, breach confidentiality, label, gossip, verbally harass, and treat people living with HIV differently (Feyissa et al., 2012). Stigma creates a gap between one’s perceived social identity and how they are perceived by others. Hence the stigmatized person feels cut off from the community which does not accept them.