08/24/2007
HIV/AIDS- What One Church Can Do
by Rev. Rachel Mash
"In Christ there is no difference between HIV+ and HIV-" "It is humbling when a potential foster parent says- I would like (an HIV) positive child, not a negative one, because I lost a family member to AIDS and I want to make a difference."
| HIV/AIDS - What One Church Can Do |
 At least one in five South Africans is HIV positive. That's nearly 10 million people. More than 31% of pregnant women in South Africa are HIV-positive. What Can One Church Do to support MDG #6 and reverse the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic? Plenty -- as one Anglican effort shows us. And you and your congregation can help.
Fikelela AIDS project is a Capetown-based project through which the Anglican Church is making a difference in the lives of those impacted by HIV. Fikelela (a Xhosa word meaning "reach out") has three main areas of ministry
Support for orphans and vulnerable children.
Fikelela runs two children's centres where abandoned and orphaned children (about two thirds of whom are HIV positive) are nursed back to health, placed on antiretrovirals if necessary, and placed back into the community in supported foster care homes.
Granny-headed and child-headed households are supported through local churches with accessing foster care grants, school uniforms and food parcels in partnership through the 'Care for Kids' programme.
Supporting HIV positive adults
Thirteen church-run support groups for HIV+ adults where they receive emotional and pastoral support as well-as treatment literacy regarding adherence to anti-retrovirals and positive living. Some groups run income generating projects and food gardens. We help members to access social grants and provide food parcels for those in need.
Preventing further infections
Research among Anglican teenagers shows more than 30% are sexually active and of those only 35% use condoms. Fifty-five percent of girls reported that they did not want their first sexual experience. Fikelela responds through a 26-church peer education program called 'Agents of Change.' Young people, selected by their peers are trained to become peer educators and run a 20 session life-skills program for the youth of their church and community.
Fikalela also runs parenting workshops, which help parents improve communication with their teenagers.
In addition, since research shows the majority of sexual activity takes places during the afternoon, when young people come home from school and before parents come back from work, churches have begun 'after school homework clubs'. Fikelela's philosophy is that behavior change doesn't come through education and information but through "inspiration and affirmation." Their ministries do both and help people not just deal with the tragedies of the pandemic, but build positive new lives for themselves and their communities. "At Fikelela, we don't believe that we can change the world," says the Rev. Rachel Mash, project coordinator. "But we do believe that we can make a world of difference in the lives of one or two or three." What One Can Do Fikelela needs your help. Do you or your congregation feel God calling you to address MDG #6? Supporting Fikelela is a great place to start. They are a Jubilee Ministry of the Episcopal Church through a link with the Diocese of Lexington and EGR Diocesan contact Austin Tuning and Bungee Bynum (email him here if you want more information about Fikelela). They also have partnerships through with several congregations in the Diocese of Washington through that diocese's partnership with the Province of the Church of Southern Africa. If you'd like to find out more about the work of Fikelela, check out their website, contact Bungee Bynum or Rachel Mash -- and if you'd like to receive their quarterly newsletter in your email box, email them at info@fikelela.org.za. |
| Thanks to the Rev. Rachel Mash for this article. |
