A member of the ELCZ Mufakose parish self-help group shows her recently acquired skills-training certificate. © LWF/Stanley Kwenda
Zimbabwean Church Supports Efforts to Fight AIDS Stigma
(As World AIDS Day is marked globally on 1 December, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe shares some of its efforts to fight stigma and discrimination associated with HIV. The LWF member church encourages community group initiatives to provide alternative livelihoods for people living with HIV.)
“Mawuya, Mawuya, Mawuya ku Tariro” (welcome to Tariro) is the popular chorus that greets visitors to the Tariro HIV and AIDS support group of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ).
On a Thursday afternoon, eight people are gathered at the ELCZ Mufakose parish to receive an update on activities of the self-support group of people living with HIV. A review of their financial accounts reveals that this month, every member will be taking home at least USD 500 from the proceeds made by investing their money in the local financial markets.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) supports ELCZ AIDS response initiatives in the Eastern Diocese, which includes the Mufakose parish, which is located in one of the low-income suburbs of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare.
When the self-help group was started in 2009, it initially attracted many people who thought it was going to give hand-outs, but most them left after realizing the goal was to generate support from what members themselves could give.
The small membership of ten, mainly women, does not worry the members. “We are not worried about the numbers because we continue to grow in our minds and ideas,” says Fananai Mtengwa, coordinator of the group comprising mainly widowed and single mothers.
Investments from Small Contributions
Tariro’s long-term sustainability is currently dependent on investments from monthly contributions by each member to a central pool. Varying amounts are then loaned to individuals depending on their respective needs.
“We take some of the money to the money markets and earn a profit, which is distributed to members,” says Mtengwa.
In October, every member took home about USD 1,000 leaving a balance of USD 6,855 in the kitty, adds Future Mandondo, the group’s chairperson. The goal is to establish an income-generating project “to help us look after ourselves, and buy food for our families because many of us don’t work,” she adds.
“We are all lodgers [tenants]. We sometimes get kicked out of our rented accommodations and the children are chased away from school for failing to pay school fees but we are all getting assistance from the group,” says Kossam Mathe, Tariro’s vice-chairperson.
He hopes they can start a chicken rearing project as a new source of income. “We need help but we don’t want handouts,” Mathe adds.
Fighting Stigma
Despite widespread awareness-raising in Zimbabwean society about AIDS, stigmatization of people living with HIV remains critical. “We don’t have AIDS, we just have HIV. But unfortunately there are people who are not tested who continue stigmatizing us,” Mathe says.
Celine Mangena says the group has done a lot of work to fight stigma. “In the past it was very difficult for someone to drink Coca Cola next to an HIV-positive person, but now it is possible because of the widespread education,” she says.
Group members agree the church has an important role to play in addressing the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS.
Mergie Nyoni recalls the support she received from the church when she learned about her status. “When I discovered that I was HIV-positive, a lot of people in my neighborhood said I should be taken to Mberengwa, a dry and poor rural area located about 500 kilometers south of the capital, Harare, and wait for my death. But the church members helped me until I was able to take care of myself. Now I run a brick-making business which makes 10,000 bricks a month and I can look after myself,” she adds.
Church’s Role in Awareness Raising
Reflecting on ELCZ’s support to groups such as Tariro, the Mufakose parish pastor Rev. Lazarus Maposa notes that Bible teachings must be used to strengthen the role of the church in supporting people living with HIV. This includes seminars for pastors, who will then raise awareness in their respective congregations.
“The idea is to apply the Word of God with relevance. We should not be seen to be perpetuating stigma. When we get to the pulpit we should try and say things that are inclusive. We must destroy stereotyping within the church [and] build a state of mind which teaches people to accept people as they are,” he adds.
Despite its good work, Tariro is challenged by inadequate finances and staff, and Mtengwa hopes a fund can be created to assist with recreational activities for stigmatized children. The ELCZ has successful HIV and AIDS programs in some parts of the country, but funding has been an issue in other regions. A national meeting this December will look at how to support programs for people living with HIV.
Declining Rates
Over the past decade in Zimbabwe, vigorous educational campaigns with emphasis on protection against HIV transmission, and access to antiretrovirals have pushed down the prevalence rate from 26 percent to 14 percent between 1997 and 2010. An estimated 1.4 million people are living with HIV in the population of 12.6 million.
A five-year national AIDS strategic plan launched by the government last year prioritizes prevention of mother to child transmission with a goal to reduce the rate from 14 percent in 2010 to seven percent in 2013, and less than five percent by 2015.
According to the United Nations AIDS body UNAIDS, the expansion of HIV treatment globally has resulted in fewer people dying of AIDS-related causes. Declining death rates meant that there were more people living with HIV in 2011 than ever before: 34.2 million.
(Written for LWI by Stanley Kwenda)
