Just as in most parts of the world, the first case of HIV/AIDS in Zambia was reported during the 1980's. Today, close to a million people are infected and the illness claims about 94.000 lives every year. That means that 1% of the country's population dies every year as a direct cause of the virus. A great deal of these leave orphaned children behind. As a result of HIV/AIDS the average life expectancy age has fallen from 54 to 33 years of age in just 20 years time.

This epidemic has terrible consequences on a country that is already on its knees. The fact that most deaths occur amongst children and young adults, undermines the whole future and foundation of the country as the number of people reaching working age is steadily and heavily decreasing.