Summer 2007 - Focus on Africa - Brethren in Christ Church

Brethren in Christ ChurchNon-profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDGrantham, PAPermit No. 21Return Service RequestedP.O. Box 390, Grantham, PA 17027MCC Supports HIV/AIDS Projects Among the Brethrenin Christ in Zambia and Zimbabwefrom the MCC web siteZambia• 1 in 6 adults live with HIV/AIDS.• 244 people a day died of AIDS in2003.• 630,000 children have lost one orboth parents to AIDS.As many as 85 percent of Zambianfamilies live in poverty, and more than 16percent of people have HIV/AIDS. TheHIV/AIDS epidemic is evidenced by largenumbers of orphaned children living oncity streets.Zambia is one of the countries insouthern Africa hardest hit by the AIDSepidemic. The country has also been asource of hope when it comes to fightingAIDS. The church in Zambia plays animportant role in stopping the spread ofAIDS and reducing the stigma surroundingthe disease. The Brethren in Christ(BIC) church in Zambia has an HIV/AIDScoordinator to oversee the implementationof AIDS programming for BIC churchesthroughout the country. The project isproviding general awareness information tochurch members, undertaking basic trainingin counseling and home-based care for<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 12congregations and providing support to orphansand AIDS patients and their families.• $357 Cdn./$313 U.S. provides astart-up grant for one church to implementan income-generation projectto benefi t HIV/AIDS patients in thesurrounding community.• $357 Cdn./$313 U.S. covers thecost of a training workshop on propernutrition for HIV/AIDS patients.Zimbabwe• 1 in 4 adults live with HIV/AIDS.• 466 people a day died of AIDS in2003.• 980,000 children have lost one orboth parents to AIDS.In Zimbabwe AIDS claims more than3,200 lives per week. The HIV infectionrate among adults is about 25percent. Hospitals have been unableto cope with the number of AIDSpatients.The BIC HIV/AIDS project cameabout in 1993 as a response to the fact thathospitals were no longer able to cope withthe number of AIDS patients and wereinstead sending them back home to die.The initial emphasis of the project was oninformation, education and prevention. Asthe AIDS pandemic intensifi ed over theyears, home-based care and orphan supporthave become priorities of the program. Thechurch has established counseling and testingcenters for those wishing to be testedfor HIV as well as programs to prevent thespread of HIV from mothers to children.• $13 Cdn./$10 U.S. per year providessupplemental support to one AIDSorphan.• $149 Cdn./$118 U.S. per monthprovides workshops and follow-up onHIV/AIDS related women’s developmentand gender issues within thechurch.For more information about what MCCis doing to support the ZimbabweBrethren in Christ Church, you canlisten to a podcast by Bruce Campbell-Janzen, MCC Africa co-director, athttp://www.podcastvillage.com/aff/MC-CRD/archive/340/ ❦