Community Visit

Yesterday we went on a community outreach visit with the HIV Task Force. It is a community outreach program coordinated by a nurse. Me and Stacey got to ride along as they were already taking a another group from the Nazarene Church out to see a community HIV support group, a community garden that they funded for the group to develop, and a home visit on a young HIV+ women who recently had twins (They are one week old and very cute). We went only about 30 minutes outside of Manzini to the Western Manzini district. Swaziland is a country of contrast for sure. Only minutes outside the city and you step back 100 years it seems to a totally different time. It is rural and you can see the devastating symdemic effects of poverty and HIV. Where as in Manzini and Mbabane (the capital) there is obvious wealth (modern shopping malls, large grocery stores, a KFC, and a very lavish Casino and Spa). It feels like half of the country progressed and left the other half totally behind.

We got to bear witness to a community HIV+ support group that was conducted in a open field on a government owned agriculutural station. There were 13 women, and 4 men in the group and they were happy to see the HIV Task Force team. We all sat in this field under a tree and the group started with singing and a prayer. Those in the group talked about the stigma of living with HIV/AIDS in their community. They also talked about the challenges of getting their medications (ARV's)to treat their HIV from the hospital that was so far away. Many also talked about not having enough food to eat at times. One women talked about the death of 4 of her children from HIV which she now has as well. At the end of the group they sang again, prayed thanked us for coming and then the task force team handed out clothing and food to them. They were happy to get a new t-shirt as you can see in the picture and yes they are American Cancer Society t-shirts that they just loved.

After the group was over we took a short ride up the hill to their community garden. Its more like a farm (10 acres)where they are growing potatoes. The Nazarene church group that was with us today donated the money for them to set up this garden (It only cost about $5,000 dollars)and all the members of the HIV+ support group work and tend to the garden.

The home visit: After the garden we then went up a rahter rocky dirt road and hill to a homestead where we encountered a young HIV+ women who was caring for her one week old twins (1 boy and 1 girl). The mother had been positive since 2004 and was on medication for her HIV so it is a big chance the babies are HIV negative not positive, althhough she is breast feeding one of them and breast feeding can pass the HIV virus to the child. The conditions they live in are humbling. She had the babies wrapped up lying on a mat in the front room of this very small house. Again this mother talked about not having enough food to produce milk for both babies.

As you can imagine all of that took some time and I was exhausted by the end of day and very reflective. There is so much need here and I am so glad I am here doing a small bit to impact this pandemic.