Agency launches ‘miracle’ initiative in fight against HIV
-14/11/06
Christian relief
Agency launches ‘miracle’ initiative in fight against HIV
-14/11/06
Christian relief and development agency Tearfund is launching a ‘Work a Miracle’ appeal this autumn as part of a major strategy in the fight against the AIDS pandemic.
The illness has claimed more than 20 million lives in the last 25 years. Every day another 14,000 people are infected with HIV, most of them in countries already crippled by poverty.
A new film produced for Tearfund features Esther, from Malawi, who ten years ago gave birth to a daughter on Christmas Day. Esther is living with HIV. She named her daughter Alinafe, which means God is with us. Esther knows there is a risk that she may have transmitted HIV to her child whilst Alinafe remains unaware of the danger. She doesnít know why her mother is sick sometimes. ìI donít want to tell her that I have HIV,î says Esther. ìWhen Iím ill, I tell her I might not get better. But it makes her so sad.î
Esther hopes she will live long enough to see Alinafe get married, but although it is perfectly possible to live for decades with HIV, it is unlikely that Esther will get that chance. Her poverty means she can not afford to eat meat and vegetables. And she depends on a varied diet to make her course of medicines effective. Esther looks to the support from Tearfund in the battle against HIV. ìThe church should play a role in stopping HIV,î says Esther. ìChristians should care for people and pray.î
Tearfundís plan to help stop the spread of HIV includes helping women like Esther get access to medicines and information that will prevent their babies being born with HIV. A few simple measures can prevent a mother transmitting HIV to her child. Two doses of medicine ñ one for the mother during labour and one for the baby after birth, can dramatically reduce the chances of HIV passing through the blood. That is the reason why babies are rarely born with HIV in the UK, or in the other rich countries of the world. However, in poor countries it remains a very different and stark statistic with a baby being born with HIV every minute of every day.
ìMoney canít buy miracles ñ we know that,î says Veena OíSullivan, Tearfund HIV and AIDS Advisor. ìBut it can buy clinics. It can buy education, orphan care and training for the volunteers to provide counselling and testing. And a few measures can go a long way to try and prevent a mother passing HIV to her child.î
Through its partner agencies Tearfund is also caring for children whose parents have already died from AIDS related illnesses ñ and supporting them as they raise siblings. Across the AIDS belt of East and Southern Africa there are some 12 million orphans. Children vastly out number adults in many African villages and there is an increasing number of child headed households.
Tearfund recognises the daunting – if not seemingly impossible challenge. The Work a Miracle appeal hopes to raise £2 million ñ in the first year of a nine year strategy to turn vision into practical action.
Veena explains: “Itís a big goal but we are not acting alone. By working together churches across the world have an incredibly powerful and positive role to play. And churches and individuals here in the UK can share this vision, helping us respond to this crisis as we believe Jesus would ñ with love, acceptance, practical help and prayer.”
Agency launches ‘miracle’ initiative in fight against HIV
-14/11/06
Christian relief and development agency Tearfund is launching a ‘Work a Miracle’ appeal this autumn as part of a major strategy in the fight against the AIDS pandemic.
The illness has claimed more than 20 million lives in the last 25 years. Every day another 14,000 people are infected with HIV, most of them in countries already crippled by poverty.
A new film produced for Tearfund features Esther, from Malawi, who ten years ago gave birth to a daughter on Christmas Day. Esther is living with HIV. She named her daughter Alinafe, which means God is with us. Esther knows there is a risk that she may have transmitted HIV to her child whilst Alinafe remains unaware of the danger. She doesnít know why her mother is sick sometimes. ìI donít want to tell her that I have HIV,î says Esther. ìWhen Iím ill, I tell her I might not get better. But it makes her so sad.î
Esther hopes she will live long enough to see Alinafe get married, but although it is perfectly possible to live for decades with HIV, it is unlikely that Esther will get that chance. Her poverty means she can not afford to eat meat and vegetables. And she depends on a varied diet to make her course of medicines effective. Esther looks to the support from Tearfund in the battle against HIV. ìThe church should play a role in stopping HIV,î says Esther. ìChristians should care for people and pray.î
Tearfundís plan to help stop the spread of HIV includes helping women like Esther get access to medicines and information that will prevent their babies being born with HIV. A few simple measures can prevent a mother transmitting HIV to her child. Two doses of medicine ñ one for the mother during labour and one for the baby after birth, can dramatically reduce the chances of HIV passing through the blood. That is the reason why babies are rarely born with HIV in the UK, or in the other rich countries of the world. However, in poor countries it remains a very different and stark statistic with a baby being born with HIV every minute of every day.
ìMoney canít buy miracles ñ we know that,î says Veena OíSullivan, Tearfund HIV and AIDS Advisor. ìBut it can buy clinics. It can buy education, orphan care and training for the volunteers to provide counselling and testing. And a few measures can go a long way to try and prevent a mother passing HIV to her child.î
Through its partner agencies Tearfund is also caring for children whose parents have already died from AIDS related illnesses ñ and supporting them as they raise siblings. Across the AIDS belt of East and Southern Africa there are some 12 million orphans. Children vastly out number adults in many African villages and there is an increasing number of child headed households.
Tearfund recognises the daunting – if not seemingly impossible challenge. The Work a Miracle appeal hopes to raise £2 million ñ in the first year of a nine year strategy to turn vision into practical action.
Veena explains: “Itís a big goal but we are not acting alone. By working together churches across the world have an incredibly powerful and positive role to play. And churches and individuals here in the UK can share this vision, helping us respond to this crisis as we believe Jesus would ñ with love, acceptance, practical help and prayer.”