changing Africa, part two

Today, I want to introduce you to Martin. Martin is HIV positive. He's lost most of his family due to violent conflict in the area or due to AIDS. At one time he was a compassionate care beneficiary. That means our staff would visit him weekly, bring him some food and help him with household chores. That seems like a benevolent and worthwhile project, right? Well, in my opinion it didn't go far enough to restore Martin and those like him. When the compassionate care program manager left we revamped the program to look more like the church mobilization project.

When I met Martin he was large and in charge at a community HIV testing event. He was ushering people here and there, inviting new comers to the site and explaining the process to them. That particular day, over 400 people had showed up to their local church to be tested for HIV. The testing is done in partnership with the local Ministry of Health (MOH) to ensure quality and sustainability.

We stopped Martin from working for a few minutes so he could talk with me. He told me the most compelling story of life change. It is stories like his that keep me going on the days when I feel overwhelmed or discouraged. In the newly designed project (the change was made January 2008), Martin became part of a community based volunteer team (those in the blue t-shirts). This team is made up of church and community leaders, HIV positive and HIV negative members. Talk about overcoming discrimination! These people are now working side-by-side, where previously they would not even be caught looking in the direction of someone like Martin because of his HIV status.

I asked Martin his opinion on the training and what he thinks about the program...when I'm in the field I want to get reports from those on the ground, spontaneously, not just from the program managers who report to me. Martin told me that he had appreciated the help that the previous project provided him, but that he still felt terrible shame from his illness and had no will to live. He longed for death and wished this dreadful disease were progressing faster in order to put him out of his misery. The training we offered changed his mindset. He saw that he still has a purpose. That God can use him in the days he has remaining on earth. According to Martin, he now believes that God wants him to help protect his community from his own fate. He is so glad to be a part of the program, now as a trainer himself and at events like this. He prays God gives him more days so he can help more people.

What a difference! He went from longing for death, to living, truly living with purpose. Everyone on his team regardless of position or HIV status told me a similar story. Through this project they realized they could do more, they are blessed with resources and they want to use these to impact their community.

This project is funded through the end of 2009. We may extend it to a couple of new communities in the district in 2010, but there will be a day when my organization no longer has a presence in this community. I believe we've left behind something lasting. I don't think the work will stop just because our presence is no longer there, Martin and his team have taken ownership of this project and we didn't create bondage or dependance on outsiders, we've mobilized a community to care for their orphans, widow and sick with or without us.