PHASE 4: SOCIAL SUPPORT
January 6, 2008 – 1:54 pm|
PHASE 4. SOCIAL SUPPORT |
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HIV/AIDS Awareness Creation |
Home Based Care of Terminally Ill |
Support for Orphans & Widows |
Use of Medical Herbs |
Coping Strategies |
| HIV/AIDS Awareness Creation: Many programmes in the past few years have been aimed at creating awareness of the transmission of HIV/AIDS in order to stop the rapid transmission of this disease. Knowledge on prevention of HIV/AIDS has increased in recent years and we are beginning to see a fall in new cases in some countries. However, whilst a high proportion of people are now aware of the causes of HIV/AIDS, there is little change in risky practices. The AHEAD Methodology provides for awareness creation of HIV/AIDS in the 1st phase of the programme alongside all other preventable diseases. Considerable time is spent discussing issues related to HIV/AIDS. The Health Club becomes one of the most proactive local institutions for providing information about AIDS and often practical assistance in the distribution of condoms. It also contributes towards breaking the taboos on the use of condoms, and the fallacy of local traditional cures for AIDS, and promotes understanding and empathy for those affected by staging street drama, songs and poems at many public gatherings and in schools.
HIV/AIDS Drama Performed by Health Club |
| Home Based Care of Terminally Ill: Traditionally those who are terminally ill tend to come back to their rural homes to die, and resort to dependency on their spouses for nursing. However many village women have no experience in caring for the many opportunistic diseases that make an immune deficient person’s life unbearable. Thus, palliative care is one of the major requirements for management of the social fall-out from the AIDS pandemic. Interestingly, HIV/AIDS is treated as one of many disabilities within the community alongside such conditions as frailty of the elderly and the mentally/physically challenged who are also supported. There is a Home-based Carer Trainer in each club who assists a care giver in each affected family. They counsel on the issues of HIV/AIDS and teach how to look after the bed-bound and how to minimize risks of transmission. Each People Living with AIDS (PLWA) household has its own protected family well and nutrition garden (to minimize physical exertion a ‘drip kit’ is donated to enable easy irrigation), and conservation of water. In addition to providing a ready supply of vitamins and thus a balanced diet, the sales from the garden can support the family even after the death of the breadwinner.
Home Based Carer in Zimbabwe |
| Support for Orphans and Widows: The overriding problem in many countries where infection rates have already peaked is now the increasing number of orphans and widows who are being left to fend for themselves when the family bread winner dies prematurely from AIDS. Premature deaths overburden surviving relatives financially, and as a result many orphans are rejected and are forced to live in child-headed families without support, or on the streets. The only resource they have may be to earn through sex work, making them doubly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection.The AHEAD approach nourishes a sense of responsibility within the health club for all those at risk health-wise. The club can become a key institution locally for the management of welfare issues. Health Clubs have identified those within their villages who are old, widowed, disadvantaged, orphaned or terminally ill and have provided relief for them in the form of food or clothes. They assist with school fees, harvesting, and building latrines for those in need. To engender this sense of social support is the ultimate aim of the AHEAD Methodology, but this is only feasible once there is a general sense of social security, allowing members to afford the luxury of altruism.
Recipient of a Feeding Program run by Health Club |
| Use of Medical Herbs: Medicinal herbs have been used throughout the ages to cure many complaints such as diarrhea, infected throat, skin diseases, urine infections, aching joints, headaches and toothaches, and many other common ailments. Those with immune deficiency suffer from many opportunistic diseases, which are now being treated by home based carers who have been trained by a herbalist in each health club to recognize and use traditional herbal remedies effectively. As these herbs can be readily propagated, grown and processed locally, this had been an immensely popular programme in Makoni, Zimbabwe where this approach is being pioneered. More research needs to be done to substantiate the many claims from those who have benefited from these cures, but to date there have been no adverse results and much relief from the discomfort of opportunistic infections. Herbal remedies have enabled people to live longer and more productively, thus enabling their children to benefit from a few more years of parental support and guidance. Although herbs cannot save those infected from this terminal illness they do substantially improve their quality of life.
Model Herb Garden in Zimbabwe |
| Counseling & Coping Strategies: The CHC provides a safety net for those faced with premature death and enables them to plan for their family’s future with the full support of their friends and neighbours who are unprejudiced due to their understanding of the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. Each club has a dedicated counsellor with registered clients who are helped to cope with issues beyond their own capacity. |
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