HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly understood as a disease of poverty, inequality and marginalization.  In this conceptualization, some groups and individuals are more at risk for infection than others as a result of their place in an “environment of risk” that affects vulnerability beyond individual behavior.

This study assesses the impact of grassroots microeconomic development projects on reducing the environment of risk for adolescent orphans living in slum areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It looks at a group of HIV-affected adolescents who inhabit multiple vulnerabilities as a result of their age, socio-economic status, proximity to HIV/AIDS, and often their gender. Through the CAPAIDS Safe Livelihoods project, this group received vocational training and micro-finance to help reduce their vulnerability. This case study suggests that these types of projects can increase income and income security, provide alternatives to risky employment, decrease dependency, reduce community stigma, improve social networks, and raise self-esteem for participants. As a result, microeconomic empowerment is an important new tool in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

Link to full article based on my thesis research in Ethiopia here (6 pages).

Lately I’ve been getting really into how people are using Web 2.0 for global change.  I’ve been learning more about sites and projects from socially-conscious social networks (like TakingITGlobal, Change.org, and Razoo) to mashups for humanitarian crisis reporting (like Ushahidi and Sokwanele) to global blogging hubs (like Global Voices).

Today, while trying to find examples of international development academics who are using web 2.0 tools to gather research data, I came across this wikiproject on International Development.  At the moment, its more of an idea for a project than an actual project, but it aims to create “a powerful, practical and empowering resource which people everywhere can use to improve their own lives. Other people can also improve their understanding, whether they are involved in aid and development, or in politics, or in the broader public, thus raising awareness and understanding of the issues.”  The wiki nature of the project means that the template is there, but its still got to be filled in.  There’s a to-do list that users (ie, you and me) can take on parts of until the project is complete.  I’ve never contributed to a wiki but perhaps I might start.

In other news, I’m headed to the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City this August and will be posting here during and after.  I was able to attend the last conference’s periphery (the Global Village) but not the sessions, so I’m very excited!