In Zambia an intensive campaign is in progress to provide information on HIV and
AIDS. The goal is to communicate information to people in the places where they congregate,
and to invite ordinary people to take part in dialogue on AIDS issues.
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LUSAKA “The people working to combat AIDS at the Family Health Trust (FHT) used to be regarded as doomsday prophets, but as the epidemic has spread, they are increasingly being looked upon as harbingers of hope.” Rosemary Zulu is project manager of FHT, a Zambian NGO supported by NORAD.
She relates that when they initiated an outreach programme a few years ago they met with a great deal of opposition from local communities. People refused to accept that the HIV/AIDS epidemic was a reality right up until the time they saw children, parents, friends
and relations dying in large numbers.
“We have helped to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. The people working for NGOs are key
players in this effort,” says Ms Zulu. She begins her day at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka by reading documents and correspondence from the patient archives. She finds many people at the hospital whom she counsels and tries to help.
Then she looks in her pigeonhole to see if the staff have left any messages for her about people who need help. They may have learned that they are HIVpositive, or come to be tested.
Later, Rosemary Zulu visits patients who are either receiving treatment at UTH or other clinics, or recovering in their own homes. She encourages them not to lose hope.
Counselling gives hope
The outreach programme coordinated by Rosemary Zulu has about 700 clients, 75 per cent of whom are over the age of 20.
Commenting on her charitable work, Ms Zulu says: “The situation isn’t hopeless. People used to
be very scared, but counselling has given them hope.”
The FHT offers support, prevention and treatment. The organization provides practical assistance in the form of cornflour, soya beans, protein-rich supplements and cooking
oil for AIDS patients.
The preventive programme takes the form of awareness-raising seminars, where family members learn how to protect themselves from HIV infection when looking after sick patients, and where they are informed about and encouraged to use condoms.
The FHT also buys simple medicines, which it distributes to patients to relieve the symptoms.
300 volunteers
The FHT has divided the capital into six zones, each of which has a health clinic with a qualified nurse. The organization has also trained about three hundred volunteers to help the nurses.
The recruitment of volunteers in the local community has been highly successful and Ms Zulu believes that this is a promising sign that the programme will live on.
Local volunteers have helped to reduce the stigmatization associated with HIV and AIDS. “We have found that an increasing number of people come to be tested.
Many come to be reassured about their situation before they get married or travel abroad to
study,” says Rosemary Zulu, referring to the breakthrough they have achieved in their information activities.
Information
At weekends, the FHT coordinator spends her free time visiting towns and villages in a van full of special equipment.
Project Manager Prisca Chitomfwa relates that the van has become an important tool because it
has a loudspeaker system, video and TV.
First the FHT workers drive through the neighbourhood announcing over the loudspeakers
that they are going to show a film.
The people in these local communities are often starved of entertainment and quickly gather round. Then the film is shown, explaining how people become infected with HIV and AIDS
and how to avoid infection.
After that there is a talk-show and the audience is encouraged to participate by asking questions.
“The van, and the equipment it contains, is an excellent tool for mobilizing people. It attracts attention and lots of people come,” relates Prisca Chitomfwa.
“Our work is useful, too, because it encourages people to learn more about HIV.”
The FHT programme also includes the CINDI (Children in Distress) Project, which aims to improve the quality of life for orphans.
When CINDI was established a few years ago, the project looked after very few children.
Due to the epidemic, however, the project has grown to an almost unmanageable level.
Project Manager John Munsanje explains that the organization has been forced to focus
more and more on children who have lost their parents because of AIDS.
Can’t cope with everyone
The project is currently responsible for approximately 24,000 children all over the country. CINDI has limited its activities to youngsters below the age of 20.
“We can’t cope with everyone. More children have been orphaned than we have the resources to care for,” says Mr Munsanje.
According to the Central Statistical Organization, there were 961,344 orphans under the age of 20 in 1998 who had lost their mother, their father or both parents.
The statistics show that in the same year, 44 per cent of all Zambian households were caring
for orphans.
Thanks to the growing number of NGOs, the HIV/AIDS situation is not quite as gloomy as it may at first seem. Assistance for orphans, information activities and HIV testing
have helped to raise awareness of the disease.
NORAD is one of the organizations that has been supporting the fight against AIDS for more than ten years and now intends to focus more on helping orphans.
NORAD has been engaged in combating AIDS by cooperating with both the Zambian
government and non-governmental organizations such as the Family Health Trust, Kara Counselling, the Copperbelt Health Education Programme (CHEP) and the Human
Resources Trust.
Edusport
Edusport is a Zambian sports and lifestyle organization for children and young people that
combines participation in sporting activities with a holistic approach to the situation of children.
The organization aims to develop positive ethical attitudes and values among children by encouraging them to participate in sport.
Edusport also tries to change attitudes to HIV and AIDS. The organization communicates with the children at their own level and offers a variety of sports and personal development
programmes.
Edusport emphasizes that AIDS can be combated and seeks to counter the apathy that is
widespread among young Zambians.
The organization’s members come from poor population groups and it has helped many children to a better life by providing advice and support for their families. Edusport cooperates with the Norwegian Football Association and has sent a girl’s team to take part in the Norway Cup several times.
Norway contributed NOK 402,000 to Edusport in 2001.
Co -authored with Newton Sibanda for Sorvis in the 2001 NORAD annual report
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