摘要：Problems in families and children really begin when a member in the family becomes infected with the HI virus (Smit, 2007:8). According to Stine (2007:261), there does not appear to be an immediate end to either the spread of HIV infection or the devastation caused by AIDS. Africa, with about 10% of the world’s population, now accounts for 90% of all new HIV infections in the world, while it was predicted that at the end of 2008 about 5.8 million South Africans would be living with HIV and AIDS (Stine, 2007:285-287). According to the Department of Social Development (2003:4), HIV and AIDS are dramatically reshaping the South African population structure. The number of orphans as a result of AIDS-related deaths is expected to rise (Mason & Linsk, 2002:541). This situation places a heavier burden of care on grandmothers, female relatives, children and community members (Frohlich, in Abdool Karim & Abdool Karim, 2005:351-354).
