Villagers in remote Salo, India, learn what AIDS is and how it is spread during a community fair organized by MCC-supported Milan Project. Read more about the project in the September/October 2004 issue of "a Common Place" magazine. (photo by Matthew Lester) AIDS. Care Now. Donate NowIndia
About IndiaIndia is in third place after South Africa and Nigeria in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS. Labour migration of men to the cities contributes to the infection rate.
MCC Supports:The Emmanuel Hospital Association, ArunimaThis partner is located Kolkata, West Bengal. Government facilities in this location are already stretched to the limit and it is difficult for PLWHA to receive personal care in overcrowded out-patient clinics and emergency wards. Established in 2006 by the Church of North India to respond to the crisis, Arunima Hospital is the only hospice of its kind in Kolkata; it provides holistic support through emergency management, counselling, nutritional support, home based care, a bi-weekly outpatient clinic, social, legal, and rehabilitation support. Goals for FYE 2009 include continuing a reliable referral system that allows HIV patients and their families to access available government resources. $13 Cdn/$11 US covers food and care for one patient per day. $90 Cdn/$82 US provides a capacity building workshop for hospice staff. If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects. The Mennonite Service Fellowship of India (MCSFI)For 2009, MCC will be able to collaborate more with the Mennonite, Brethren in Christ, and United Missionary Society constituency. Through its constituency churches, MCSFI is intervening in 9 conference areas. The plan aims to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through building awareness in communities via trained church workers from 9 conference areas. Goals for this year are to train 350 church workers about HIV/AIDS. Each of those 350 will educate a minimum of 20 people in their locality. If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects.
Nazareth HospitalThe state of Bihar has a high rate of illiteracy, poverty, and migration, and thus urgently requires intervention. The Nazareth Hospital is a 200-bed general hospital in Mokama. A community care center is an extension of the hospital which cares specifically for people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA). This is the only center in Bihar where they are admitted and given care. Currently, the hospital has 830 inpatients. It is proposing an outreach campaign, with counselling and testing services provided for 20 surrounding villages. Goals for 2009 include educating people through school and community programs, and conducting meetings and workshops with family members of PLWHA If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects.
The Salvation ArmyThe Bihar state in northern India is one of the most economically poor states in the country. HIV/AIDS education in the state also lags behind efforts in other parts of the county, even though many men in the state are involved in migrant labour, putting them at an increased risk of HIV infection. The Salvation Army is carrying out HIV/AIDS education in 12 villages near the town of Simultala through a series of community workshops and home visits. The project will also offer counselling to those who suspect they may be HIV positive, refer all positive cases to care providers, and accompany community members to hospitals and testing centers to ensure their access to quality care. If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects.
West Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA)Siliguri and Darjeeling are border towns that serve as access points to Nepal and Bangladesh. Poverty levels in the area are high; sex trafficking and drug use are common problems. As an organization that works with community groups, West Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA) is training 30 leaders of local organizations to address the HIV/AIDS problem among their target beneficiaries more effectively; it also provides follow-up, home-based-care training for 70 people. If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects. |
|
|
