A Chance for the Living - Targeting micro-credit loans to people living with HIV/AIDS in Accra, Ghana

In a few parts of Africa, HIV/AIDS is becoming less a death sentence and more of a debt sentence. As subsidized drug treatment plans make it possible to live longer with HIV, increasing numbers of people living with HIV and AIDS want to support themselves and lead productive lives. They want to keep their households from falling into debt and send their children to school. However, in most of Africa those infected with HIV are particularly vulnerable to poverty and stigma. This case study, set in Accra, Ghana, follows a group of people who are HIV positive and examines The Almond Tree, a micro-credit program designed to help them start businesses and regain a measure of self-confidence and independence. The program and its participants struggle with discrimination, poor literacy levels, persistent infections, and funding shortages. Their experiences offer some initial insights into the potential benefits and difficulties of micro-credit programs for people living with HIV and AIDS in Africa.