Community Based Care

Thousands od organisations here in Malawi have or at least pretend they have a HIV/AIDS programme, because to get funding for anything you must have one. Hundreds of millions have been spent, sending people to conferences and workshops, with more and more useless jargon from bureaucrats and on it goes.
This is some of what we do. These are part of a 50+ group that we support.
Here Mary and Alepher, in white, our newly qualified nurse,Alepher spends the day on individual consultations.
Some have died since last time and there are six new cases. As Mary spoke Alipher and I cried to see teenage mothers with babies presenting for the first time, then mothers with kids and more men.
Every child on the street knows all about AIDS and yet the money spending mantra remains the same. You can talk 'till the cows come home but only when men become responsible will anything change. Making a 14 year old pregnant knowing you are positive, should be manslaughter at least, well the equivalent.
We suppore the victims and the voluntary committee who work with them
Lusangazi Health Post
We have built and provide support to Lillian and the community here. It now attracts the Mzuzu Health Clinic for their monthly clinic for under fives, the St Johns Hospital Clinic supporting the sufferers of HIV and AIDS and it will soon support a Family Planning Clinic.
W4Z also supports a Home Based Care programme with regular clinics involving travelling doctors our nurse Alipher, and various specialists who regularly come to visit our projects.
Added to our medical support we provide seeds and fruit tree seedlings and beehives to enhance diet realising that a healthy diet and lifestyle provide a good supplement to their ARV treatment.

Note: There is a huge stigma, so many asked not to be photographed!!