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The arena of everyday life pp 23–34Cite as

Beyond the livelihood framework: aspirations and well-being in encounters with aids orphans in Mozambique

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Part of the book series: Mansholt Publication Series ((MAUSHOLT,volume 12))

Abstract

This chapter uses the resource profile approach as a framework to explore well-being and future aspirations among orphans and vulnerable children in Central Mozambique who took part in an AIDS mitigation project aimed at shoring up rural livelihoods. It is shown that participation in the project has altered the resource profile of participants, not least in terms of bolstering cultural resources and enhancing the capacity to aspire. This has wider implications for individuals’ resource profile dynamics more generally and strengthens the case for interventions into HIV/AIDS based on a holistic understanding of people’s well-being. It also shows that capital-asset-based livelihood approaches fall short in terms of providing a useful framework to understand people’s lived realities.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    While JFFLSs are officially conceptualised as an intervention into HIV/AIDS, in reality due to the accompanying stigma very few death certificates state AIDS-related illnesses as the actual cause of death. From the histories and backgrounds of the vast majority of participants it is highly likely that parents’ deaths were indeed related to opportunistic diseases brought on by HIV/AIDS. Orphan participants at the time of the research were not tested whether they were HIV positive themselves, something that was hoped to be introduced in the future in order to provide the best possible care.

  2. 2.

    Trangapasso is a rural outpost, a twenty minute drive from Chimoio, and Matica a rural community twelve kilometers from the district capital Sussundenga, one hour’s drive from Chimoio. Nhamagua is in a very rural setting one hour from the tarred road going to Tete, while Nhamawale is ten kilometers south of Catandica.

  3. 3.

    All names have been changed for reasons of confidentiality.

  4. 4.

    The traditional way of planting maize in the research area is scattered planting without attention to any form of order or to the distance between maize plants. An important part of the agricultural aspect of the JFFLS training is to teach participants about ideal distances and other measures of order that improve yields.

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Acknowledgements

This study was made possible by funding from The Nuffield Foundation under the Social Science Small Grant Scheme (reference number SGS/33575). I gratefully acknowledge this financial support. I also wish to thank staff at FAO offices in Rome and Chimoio for their support and initial information on the project, in particular Carol Djeddah and Mundie Salm. Special thanks to Francisca Raposo from the education office in Chimoio for her role in facilitating all field trips.

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  1. University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Tanja R. Müller

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  1. Tanja R. Müller
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Carja Butijn Johan van Ophem Gerda Casimir

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Müller, T.R. (2013). Beyond the livelihood framework: aspirations and well-being in encounters with aids orphans in Mozambique. In: Butijn, C., van Ophem, J., Casimir, G. (eds) The arena of everyday life. Mansholt Publication Series, vol 12. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-775-2_2

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