‘Once upon a time …’: Orphanhood, childhood studies and the depoliticisation of childhood poverty in southern Africa

Policy, interventions and research concerning southern African children remain dominated by a focus on AIDS-related orphanhood, although the association between orphanhood and disadvantage is highly questionable. I argue that the trope of the AIDS orphan serves a range of agendas, including for academic research. In particular, orphans represent the quintessential child-agent, celebrated in fairytales and fiction. Finally, I examine how this has led to a policy response – education bursaries – that cannot adequately address childhood poverty in the region.