1. Catering for scholastic needs for disadvantaged school going children.
   
2. Advocation for the rights of girl child.
   
3. Provision of vocational training for school drop outs and street children.
   
4. Community sensitization of the dangers of HIV/AIDS.
   
5. Involvement of the families of the disadvantaged children in income generating activities.

• Child sponorship: Primary, Secondary Education and vocational training for the disadvantaged.
• Women's Economic Empowerment: Involvement of women formed in groups in income generating activities to support their families e.g Piggery and Poultry projects.
• Reproductive Health: H.I.V /AIDS community sensitisation.

• H.I.V community sensitisation.
• Emphasis on education of girl child and protection of her rights.
• Emphasis on education and guidance of disadvantaged children.

• Child Development Foundation (CDF)'s child selection is done through its members (community mobilizers) who come from areas where children are selected
• Through members in liaison with local council leaders (LC1, LC11and LC111)
• Through religious leaders namely; Reverands, Pastors, Sheikhs and Clan Elders.
• Through school heads who are in direct contact with the disadvantaged children
• Frequent visits and interviews by volunteers of Child Development Foundation to families for verification purposes.

Child Development Foundation has so far 100 children under education sponsorship.

Out of these we have 61 Aids orphans, 29 are children whose parents died of other diseases or other calamities and 10 are those from poor or irresponsible families.

In Our sponsor A Kid Programme, we are looking for people concerned with education of disadvantaged children to join hands in supporting these children. We shall provide all the necessary information about these children, come join us in this noble cause.

In our budgets, we have accounted 240$ for secondary children, 120$ for primary and 400$ for higher institutions of learning annually. These amounts will enable children afford education.

HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign

Child Development Foundation has embarked on capacity building programmes to train community healthy workers and care givers in handling HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections.

This year's focus is mother to child transmission of HIV and preventative methods. Participants are to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to ensure that pregnant mothers do not transmit the virus to their babies. Mother transmission of HIV refers to a situation where HIV is passed from an infected mother to her child. Its sometimes referred to us vertical transmission of HIV positive mother to the baby during the following periods; During Pregnancy, sometimes the virus can pass from the mother to her baby during pregnancy.

Factors that increase the chances of the virus passing to the baby are: Having unprotected sex especially with multiple partners, having sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis or gonorrhoea, injury as a result of accidents, assaults and overworking, any untreated severe infection e.g. malaria. Any newly acquire HIV infection and pregnancy when the mother has advanced aids disease.

During labour and delivery
This is a period when the chances of passing the virus are higher. The following factors can increase the risk of a baby getting infected:

• The use of unsafe and unsterilised materials or instruments
• Cord contamination by infected mother's blood
• Trauma during delivery
• Prolonged labour Early or premature rapture of the membrane

During Breast-feeding
The virus can pass through breast milk to the baby through the following situations and practices:

• When the baby has sores in the mouth
• Infection of the mother's breasts and nipples
• Prolonged breast-feeding for more six months
• Practising mixed feeding (combining breast feeding and other feeds)
• Newly acquired HIV infection during breast-feeding
• Breast feeding when the mother already sickly (has AIDS)

Implications of pregnancy to an HIV Mother

• This may lead to deterioration of mother's health
• May lead to early onset of opportunistic infections
• Mothers are susceptible of miscarriages or even death

Measures aimed at preventing mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS

• Start attending antenatal clinic as early as 3 months of pregnancy and get care from a qualified health worker. Remember to keep all appointments.
• Know your HIV/AIDS status by going for voluntary HIV counseling and testing for self and partner.
• Have protected sex during pregnancy and while breast feeding.
• Seek early and proper treatment for all sexually transmitted diseases together with your partner.
• Deliver from a health unit to be attended to by a trained health worker.
• Avoid breast feeding when the breasts are infected or nipples are cracked.
• HIV/AIDS mothers can get anti-retroviral drugs for mother and child under the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV programme.