Project Managers: Alka Subramanian
The Power of Love Foundation (POL) is a California-based non-profit organization whose mission is "to turn back the tide of the global AIDS epidemic through innovative community responses that increase the effectiveness of prevention and care efforts." Its efforts are anchored in the belief that the battle against the AIDS epidemic, the greatest humanitarian crisis in the history of man, can be won.
Women and children comprise the majority of the direct beneficiaries, as the HIV/AIDS epidemic has impacted women and children disproportionately. POL believes that empowering women by teaching them self-reliance is a key component in solving the global HIV/AIDS crisis. At POL, women are empowered (many of them are grandmothers caring for multiple orphaned grandchildren) through the following multi-pronged approach:
- by providing food, medicines and a package of life saving health care services to their HIV positive children,
- by training mothers/grandmothers/extended family members in caring for their HIV- infected children and orphans,
- by providing micro loans and business training to start a small business, and
- by providing long lasting insecticide treated nets to children and families vulnerable to malaria.
Life expectancy of an HIV+ child in Zambia is just five years at birth. However, as a result of this comprehensive approach, over the last eight years only 11 children have succumbed to AIDS out of the 323 children that have gone through POL’s program. Statistically, this represents a 72% decrease in the average mortality rates. More importantly, most of the children are back in school and learning.
Pediatric HIV/AIDS Care: Arms Reach Care (ARC) ProgramThe pediatric HIV/AIDS care program is an innovative project focused on strengthening home-based care. A network of family care givers, community health workers, and nurses provide HIV+ children with high quality, lower cost care at home, resulting in increased survival rates, reduced malnutrition and lowered frequency of opportunistic infection.
Key Benefits and Results of the ARC ModelThe Arms Reach Care (ARC) model gives the Family Care Giver a deeper understanding of the components of care for their patient and of the important role in providing that care. By training FCGs and CCAs, the ARC model creates a broad base of trained caregivers in the community, facilitating the management of AIDS-related infections. With the assistance of CCAs, the Project Nurse is able to focus on the more serious cases requiring his/her advanced skills, and to make decisions on referrals to government clinics.
Meet some of the children assisted through Arms Reach Care (ARC)Amon Mukenga lost both his parents to AIDS and related infections. He lives with his grandmother who looks after 5 other orphans. She took him to get tested for HIV at the University Teaching Hospital in September 2011, as he was suffering from prolonged ear discharge and diarrhea. Amon tested positive for HIV and since his CD4 count was only 44, he started ARV medication soon after.
Micro Finance for Women (MF)The HIV/AIDS epidemic has destroyed the fabric of the African community and many of the households are headed by grandmothers caring for 5 or more orphans, with no permanent income and struggling against odds to provide regular food or support to the family. In 2005, POL launched a specially-tailored micro loans program to empower these women with the skills and opportunities to better care for their families.
Impacts of Women’s EmpowermentThe micro-finance program has provided 450 loans to women caregivers of HIV+ children in Zambia and has improved the lives of over 5000 people in the community through better nutrition, health, school attendance and increased life expectancy. Most women have become financially independent and are now on the road to self-reliance.
Some of the women assisted through Micro Finance programSharon is 50 years old and cares for her six grandchildren and three other dependents. Five years ago her husband became unemployed and they were suddenly unable to provide for their family. Sharon learnt about Power of Love's micro loans program from a friend who is a beneficiary of the program. Her friend encouraged her to join, especially because one of her grandchildren was not well.
