Extended familyʹs and womenʹs roles in safeguarding orphans’ education in AIDS-afflicted rural Zimbabwe

The extended family forms the basis for orphan care and education in sub-Saharan Africa. Initial absence followed by emergence of differentials in primary school enrolment between orphans and non-orphans have been attributed to the strength and subsequent HIV/AIDS-induced breakdown of extended family orphan care arrangements. Yet, few attempts have been made to describe how these arrangements are affected by HIV/AIDS or how they relate to observed patterns of childhood outcomes by sex and orphan status.