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AIDS Awareness and Education for Rural School Children HIV/AIDS affects 40 million people worldwide. According to the latest predictions, 30-50 million people will die in the next 10 years in Africa. And there will be 25 million AIDS orphans worldwide by 2010, many of these in Africa.
In South Africa, 50% of all new infections are amongst teenagers. As a part of the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country, Matumaini Project Hope holds regular seminars for the students of many rural area schools around Durban.
The principals of these schools are quick to express their sincere gratitude to us for educating their pupils about the dangers of this deadly virus, and enlightening them on how to prevent it.
Through different educational activities, these young people grasp the importance of abstinence and the reasons behind it. The students enjoy the casual presentations and activities and thus are very receptive to the serious message we present.
Supporting the AIDS Orphanage Sector FCF project partner, Matumaini (“Hope”) in Durban, has been supporting the AIDS orphanage sector of society for a number of years. In South Africa, 50% of all new HIV/AIDS infections are amongst teenagers. And in rural areas, it is not surprising to hear of 7-8 year old girls already involved in sexual relationships with 14-15 year old boys, in exchange for a can of Coke or a hamburger! Among other programs, Matumaini hosts AIDS awareness seminars with senior primary school students in rural areas, educating them on the dangers of this deadly virus, how to avoid it & prevent it at all cost.
Matumaini also has programs in local AIDS orphanages, including enhancing the children’s nutritional needs by delivering food on a regular basis (fruit, vegetables, meat, and bread).
In many cases, school fees, uniforms, and shoes are also supplied for many of the orphans, enabling them to attend school.
Also in the educational arena, Matumaini seeks to bridge the digital divide by donating and installing computers and computer software in several of the orphanages they work with.
Matumaini delivering educational computer programs and books, to supplement the children's education.
Another initiative was to build a fully equipped basketball court at the Kulani Kahle (“Grow Well”) Children’s Home. A local company donated the asphalt and equipment for the foundation of the court, and the children watched on in amazement as their dream became a reality before their very eyes. (See story below)
Housing for Orphan Girls To accommodate the growing number of orphan girls at an orphanage, Matumaini undertook the construction of a housing unit for another 10 orphan girls. The project began with the dismantling of an old storage facility, and then building a concrete block structure off the same foundation, adding aluminum windows, plus a bathroom including a shower.
The 25 orphans who reside on the premises had never before taken a shower, only baths, so when they first tried the shower, it was a welcome novelty. After the official opening ceremony, Matumaini also supplied the beds for the orphans.
A Basketball Court for Orphans
A local asphalt company donated materials and their help to make a dream come true for these South African orphans--their own basketball court!
To highlight the fact that this was their very own basketball court, each orphan received a personalized basketball with his or her name printed on it. Now they can practice anytime they like, and remember with each hoop they shoot that they are not alone in their struggle for life, but that there are those out there who say, “I care!”
Distribution of basketballs to all the orphans at Kulani Kahle ("Grow Well") Children's Home.
Each of the children received their own ball, with their name on it, allowing them to be able to practice anytime they want.
Assisting Rural Schools in Becoming Self Sufficient
Since 2007 Matumaini has been assisting rural area schools in becoming self sufficient as far as food is concerned, by training them to grow vegetables in tunnels.
Food can be grown in these vegetable tunnels for 6 to 7 months ongoing. Additionally, vegetables grown in these tunnels are largely protected against climatic extremes, as well as free from insect attack and other destructive blight.
The tunnels are 9m x 4m in size and manufactured of plastic pipe and 40% density shade cloth, and come ready to assemble and begin. This includes all the necessary fertilizers and spinach plants. Furthermore, success is not determinate upon good soil or even running water. And the turnover yield is approximately 8 times more than it would be in an open garden.
All these positive attributes have made these vegetable tunnels extremely effective in the fight against poverty, hunger and HIV/AIDS. Micro Enterprise for AIDS Hospice, widows & orphans
Volunteers, under the guiding eye of Mrs. Patience Mavata, essentially run the Home of Life Hospice. Sick people in the community are visited and taken care of, or if needs be, arrangements for hospitalization are made. The Home Base Care workers wash them, feed them, clean their homes and make sure that they take their medication regularly. These women volunteers sometimes have to travel as far as five kilometers between homes. Due to their rural traditions, none of these Home Base Care workers earn a salary for what they are doing. Their dedication and motivation comes from their heart. In the community, there are a lot of families who struggle for food, and suffer for the lack of it. These volunteer Home Base Care workers also distribute food. Generally, the widows and orphans get fed first. In order to provide enough funds for the above-mentioned programs, and with a seed grant from Family Care Foundation, hospice overseer Patience Mavata and her volunteers have undertaken to create beautiful handmade Zulu beaded crafts to market.
From the sales of these necklaces, bracelets and other handcrafts,
the women gained dignity, as they were able to start earning an income.
We have since helped them branch out so they also benefit from income
from seamstress and tailoring business. The profit is reinvested in their
micro enterprise, allowing them to grow into a thriving income-generating
operation. Sales help the needy in the community, while also covering
the running expenses of the Hospice.
Family Care Foundation provided the initial Seed Capital
for this micro enterprise in June 2003, in the value of $2,000. The average
monthly revenue derived from this program has been $3,358. With careful
budgeting, this income has also made it possible to purchase a 4x4 vehicle
for the Hospice, in addition to the regular medicine, equipment, food
and other supplies. The vehicle is large enough to carry the patients
between the Hospice and other Hospitals and it is also used as a pick-up
truck when large amounts of food need to be transported.
South Africa has amongst the highest number of HIV/AIDS victims in the world (5.5 million). One out of every four women between ages 20 and 29 is infected with the virus. Let's meet a few of these folks
Education and Support for AIDS-HIV Sufferers
A visit to the "Home of Life" AIDS Hospice
Among the institutions where Matumaini provides food, clothes and counseling is the Ikhaya Lebomi ('Home of Life') AIDS hospice in the Valley of the 1000 Hills.
Before the onset of her illness, 'Rose' (see sidebar above)
was a volunteer caregiver at Ikhaya Lebomi.
The Home of Life Hospice has three programs: Home Base Care & the AIDS Hospice; care for widows and orphans; and their volunteer ministry. Groups of woman visit the homes in their own neighborhood to evaluate the situation in every home, using evaluation sheets. If they find somebody sick, the case gets reported to the Hospice. These sick people are then visited and taken care of, or if needs be, arrangements for hospitalization are made. Due to their rural traditions, none of these Home Base Care workers earn a salary for what they are doing. Their dedication and motivation comes from their heart.
The Ikhaya Lebomi hospice also had "Open Days" which attract people from the surrounding area, many of them HIV positive, the majority of whom will likely end up back in this facility for a permanent stay. In an effort to offer hope and consolation, we put on a musical presentation for the Open Days.
A story that comes to mind is when we took some flowers to some patients as a special surprise: When Andras handed a bouquet of flowers to one of the older patients, curiously, he returned it to Andras after a short while. It turned out that this man had never been given flowers before. When he realized that he could keep the flowers by the side of the bed, he teared up at this simple gesture of kindness.
Matumaini's continuing goal is to offer as much physical relief and spiritual comfort as possible, through donations and Scripture, to the desperate and discouraged people of the Durban area.
We tested an experimental treatment (INOCHI) at the AIDS hospice, documenting the results. The tests cover a number of patients for a period of 12 months, with them getting a full viral load blood test every 2 months to see how their bodies are reacting to the treatment. Our goal in documenting this experiment was to introduce this herbal alternative to the conventional anti-retro viral drugs that have so many side-affects.
To donate to this Family Care Foundation Project, please note Project NAME and then click here. |
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