Caregiver Kit Initiative - Community Pages
ZAMBIANS THANK CAREGIVERS IN NATIONWIDE CELEBRATION
More than 18,000 volunteers honored for caring for the sick, orphaned and vulnerable
Ceremonies are held in Lusaka and across the nation before World AIDS Day (Dec. 1st).
Lusaka, Zambia, Nov. 25, 2008—Thousands of Zambians are being honored this week across the country in “thanksgiving” celebrations for their role in addressing the twin epidemics of HIV and malaria in this African nation, and helping their neighbors in need lead healthier, fuller lives.
The first-ever “Zambian Caregivers Day” celebrates the 18,500 volunteers who provide home-based care to vulnerable children and to people living with AIDS. Each week, they visit local households to tend to patients, widows and orphans, help with chores, urge people to be tested for HIV and help them get needed treatments and medications. These caregivers are trained and equipped through RAPIDS, a World Vision-led project funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and supported by the Zambian government.
“The women and men who work as caregivers, many of whom struggle with the impact of AIDS in their own homes, are heroic. This celebration is a well-deserved moment to thank and honor them for their service,” said World Vision’s Bruce Wilkinson, who is chief of the RAPIDS coalition. “These volunteers are the heart and soul of Zambia’s response to AIDS and malaria, and they show what can be done to transform millions of lives when dedicated people are empowered to help their neighbors.”
Patients and other clients who have been helped by caregivers will present their thanks publicly at a kick-off event in Lusaka on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 9 a.m. at the National Sports Development Complex. Speakers will include H. E. Dr. K. Kaunda, Zambia’s first President; the Honorable Donald Booth, U.S. Ambassador to Zambia; and Dr Ben Chirwa, Director General of the National AIDS Council.
Local celebrations will be held through the week in 52 districts across the country, coinciding with the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving and leading up to World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. At these events, caregivers will be presented with certificates of appreciation, special clothing, and supplies to be given to their clients such as clothing, backpacks, games and personal care items from corporate donors.
Caregivers help save lives and improve overall health by teaching clients and other vulnerable community members how to prevent disease, referring people for HIV testing and anti-retroviral treatment, and helping patients adhere to treatment regimens. They provide material aid such as clothing and food, and refer clients for counseling and livelihood skills training that also help people recover and rebuild their lives. Last year, they also helped distribute to Zambia’s most vulnerable households nearly 500,000 mosquito bed nets supplied by the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and the Global Business Coalition.
“Each caregiver relationship helps build the critical links to government health services and treatments at the community level,” Wilkinson said. “Each one plays a key role in a broad partnership that also includes governments, corporations, private donors and faith-based groups to reduce the suffering caused by AIDS and malaria and help millions of people live healthier lives."
Since its start in 2004, RAPIDS (Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support) has become a model of how home-based care is revolutionizing the HIV and AIDS response in rural Africa. The program is funded by a $57 million grant from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and also leverages donations from corporations and private donors to help Africans more effectively serve their neighbors in need. The coalition includes World Vision, Africare, CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Expanded Church Response and the Salvation Army.
Ceremonies are held in Lusaka and across the nation before World AIDS Day (Dec. 1st).
Lusaka, Zambia, Nov. 25, 2008—Thousands of Zambians are being honored this week across the country in “thanksgiving” celebrations for their role in addressing the twin epidemics of HIV and malaria in this African nation, and helping their neighbors in need lead healthier, fuller lives.
The first-ever “Zambian Caregivers Day” celebrates the 18,500 volunteers who provide home-based care to vulnerable children and to people living with AIDS. Each week, they visit local households to tend to patients, widows and orphans, help with chores, urge people to be tested for HIV and help them get needed treatments and medications. These caregivers are trained and equipped through RAPIDS, a World Vision-led project funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and supported by the Zambian government.
“The women and men who work as caregivers, many of whom struggle with the impact of AIDS in their own homes, are heroic. This celebration is a well-deserved moment to thank and honor them for their service,” said World Vision’s Bruce Wilkinson, who is chief of the RAPIDS coalition. “These volunteers are the heart and soul of Zambia’s response to AIDS and malaria, and they show what can be done to transform millions of lives when dedicated people are empowered to help their neighbors.”
Patients and other clients who have been helped by caregivers will present their thanks publicly at a kick-off event in Lusaka on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 9 a.m. at the National Sports Development Complex. Speakers will include H. E. Dr. K. Kaunda, Zambia’s first President; the Honorable Donald Booth, U.S. Ambassador to Zambia; and Dr Ben Chirwa, Director General of the National AIDS Council.
Local celebrations will be held through the week in 52 districts across the country, coinciding with the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving and leading up to World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. At these events, caregivers will be presented with certificates of appreciation, special clothing, and supplies to be given to their clients such as clothing, backpacks, games and personal care items from corporate donors.
Caregivers help save lives and improve overall health by teaching clients and other vulnerable community members how to prevent disease, referring people for HIV testing and anti-retroviral treatment, and helping patients adhere to treatment regimens. They provide material aid such as clothing and food, and refer clients for counseling and livelihood skills training that also help people recover and rebuild their lives. Last year, they also helped distribute to Zambia’s most vulnerable households nearly 500,000 mosquito bed nets supplied by the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and the Global Business Coalition.
“Each caregiver relationship helps build the critical links to government health services and treatments at the community level,” Wilkinson said. “Each one plays a key role in a broad partnership that also includes governments, corporations, private donors and faith-based groups to reduce the suffering caused by AIDS and malaria and help millions of people live healthier lives."
Since its start in 2004, RAPIDS (Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support) has become a model of how home-based care is revolutionizing the HIV and AIDS response in rural Africa. The program is funded by a $57 million grant from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and also leverages donations from corporations and private donors to help Africans more effectively serve their neighbors in need. The coalition includes World Vision, Africare, CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Expanded Church Response and the Salvation Army.
Comment
About
We're on Facebook!
Latest World Vision Headlines
PUR packets fight cholera in Zimbabwe
A life-saving partnership between World Vision and Procter and Gamble is providing millions of liters of clean water, and saving countless lives.Girl orphaned by AIDS aspires to become a teacher
Both of Buoy Ly’s parents died of AIDS-related causes. For many years, she was abused because of the stigma and fear surrounding the disease. Now, thanks to an AIDS education and support program led by World Vision in her community, Buoy Ly no longer suffers from discrimination.Beekeeping in Bethlehem
In a group of villages in rural Bethlehem, World Vision is training women to become beekeepers. This unique skill gives women in need a new way to provide for their families by selling the honey they harvest for extra income. Through beekeeping, women are finding a new sense of purpose and hope for the future.Latest World Vision Radio Stories
Rickshaw Ambivalence
For the past three years, reporter Peter Aronson has lived in India, where rickshaws are a common sight. He says he recoiled at the idea of using another human being to get around. But after speaking with some drivers, he has a different perspective.Muzzling Journalists
Journalist Roxana Saberi was released from an Iranian prison a couple of weeks ago. Her case highlights the dangers journalists face in many parts of the world: censorship, beatings, imprisonment, even death. The Committee to Protect Journalists estimates that some 125 journalists are in jail around the world at any given time. Most of them are local reporters without the clout to secure a quick release. Leda Hartman spoke with Robert Mahoney, deputy director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, and asked him to explain how the safety of journalists was a human rights issue.Modest Needs
Many people these days are finding they just don't have enough money to pay the bills. Sometimes a medical emergency or car trouble can use up the money meant for the rent. Keith Taylor faced exactly this problem when he was in graduate school. His car had broken down, and after he repaired it, there was nothing left in the bank. But a friend helped him out. Taylor was so touched, he wanted to find a way to keep helping others. So he set up a Web site for people who just need a few hundred dollars worth of help. The first day the Web site was up, he got 1,700 emails -- 80% of them from people wanting to contribute to the fund. The fund has grown dramatically since then. Keith Taylor talks with host Peggy Wehmeyer about his website, called Modest Needs.Domestic Worker Abuse
There are about 50,000 foreign domestic workers in Beirut, Lebanon. Most come from Ethiopia, in search of a better life and a well-paying job. But some of these women end up in a nightmare of abuse. Will Everett has this report.Badge
© 2009 Created by Jason Miles on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
You need to be a member of Caregiver Kit Initiative - Community Pages to add comments!
Join this Ning Network