ABSTRACT

The study is aimed at finding out the effects of HIV/AIDS in social development of children aged 4 - 6 years in Kiviu Primary School, Mutomo zone, Mutomo District, Eastern Province of Kenya. Most of the African communities have not accepted HIV/AIDs as a disease but it is associated with witchcraft and curses. This has led to a lot of deaths in our societies hence leaving many children in our societies affected and others infected. In most African societies, the effects of HIV/AIDS have caused a lot of harm in both the affected and the infected children. Stigmatization has made millions of the affected and the infected children to develop anti-social behaviuor. The research has shown this kind of behaviuor especially with street children and in children home. The holistic growth and development of children and especially the already affected and infected children should however be considered equally important to avoid poor social development. The challenge goes to the caregivers, relatives of the orphaned children and teachers to identify these children early enough so as to accept them in their status and find ways of staying and dealing with such children. The study intends to give an insight to people staying with children, working with children and handling children's affairs to enable them to understand the acceptable and unacceptable social practices found within the African communities and how they influence children's social development. These people include pre-school teachers, Sunday school teachers, parents and other care givers. It also intends to equip these people with suitable information and knowledge on the importance of social growth and development and how to monitor its sub sequential progress. By acquiring the knowledge, the affected and infected children will receive the required social support which will enable them cope with the problems surrounding the world today.