HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS Support

BACKGROUND

Save Orphans Ministries was formed and exists to empower orphans, Youths and caregivers to meet their spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical needs in order for them to live a productive life in their communities. SOM helps in equipping the orphans, caregivers for home based care patients and the Youths with skills that address the whole life of a person so that in turn they have a normal share and equal opportunities that improve their living in the community.

HIV/AIDS program came into existence in SOM after a baseline survey was conducted in the areas of Songa in Mangochi and Tsangano in Ntcheu Districts. However, before the survey, an incident happened in Songa area whereby a family lost three family members consecutively who were all seriously sick and left six children with an old woman aged 65 weak and helplessly. This incident prompted SOM to conduct the survey and collect the National HIV/AIDS data from Ministry of Health and Population through National Aids Control Programme which is now called National Aids Commission. HIV/AIDS problem has reached devastating proportions; the scale of impact is large and getting worse.

INTERVENTION AREAS

Home Based Care

  • Provision of farm inputs to caregivers
  • Training of HBC caregivers on their roles and responsibilities
  • Provision of care and support to the infected and affected in form of food e.g. fortified rice to the infected
  • Provision of counseling to the guardians
  • Provision of HBC kits per village that assist the chronically ill patients
  • Introduction of Drug Revolving Fund at cluster level that also assists individuals who show Opportunistic Infections (OI)

Orphan And Vulnerable Children (OVC)

  • Provision of care and support to the malnourished children in form of food, material, distribution of clothes, school fees
  • Provision of care and support in the Community Based Child Care Centres with food and psycho-social support
  • Training of psycho- social support caregivers
  • Construction of houses for grandparents who are fostering orphans
  • Provision of farm inputs to caregivers

Youth

  • Training of youths in leadership and club management skills
  • Training of youths in vocational skills
  • Training of youths in peer education
  • Making the youths busy with sports activities by providing them with sporting materials
  • Provision of farm inputs to them

Behavior Change Intervention

  • Conduct awareness HIV/AIDS campaigns
  • Training of cultural custodians on BCI issues using National BCI strategies
  • Training of community drama groups on participatory drama skills
  • Mobilization of churches and assisting them to take active roles in the implementation of HIV/AIDS activities

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Over 50 HBC committees have been formed and are operating well
  • Over 35 HBC patients are on ARV therapy and also on nutrition using fortified rice and other locally available food.
  • Four houses for grandparents who foster the orphans have been built
  • Over 10,000 people have been reached with message on HIV/AIDS and VCT
  • Over 500 people have undergone VCT and they know their sero–status since SOM started VCT mobile clinics.
  • Over 1500 volunteers have been identified and oriented on their roles and responsibilities
  • Over 2000 orphans have been assisted with various supports ranging from food to material needs
  • 47 drug dispensers have been trained in drug administration
  • 25 Community Based Child Care Centres have been formed and are in operation

SUCCESS STORY

There was no hope for two children after both their parents died of HIV/AIDS. The young girl did not know what to with her little brother who was also found to be HIV positive. During this time of despair and doom SOM came to their rescue. The little boy is now on ARVs while the girl and her other small relatives are being taken care of by SOM. They all receive nutritious food, clothing and good shelter, all these through SOM’s timely intervention. Glory to God!

PROJECT PLANS

  • Construction of a Training and Feeding Therapy Centre whereby HIV positive orphans will be cared for, be put on nutrition therapy and be given ARVs until they recover well, then graduate to give chance to others to undergo the same process. This activity will be done in every six months
  • Training more volunteers on Psycho–social counseling, HBC, VCT and many more interventions that may assist in reducing the pandemic. SOM needs to reach over 3000 volunteers in both areas of operations
  • Open up two static VCT centres in its areas of operations by training the volunteers on VCT
  • Training reputable drama groups on participatory drama skills
  • Training more youths on vocational skills

 

 

 

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