Africaid News Blog

Happy Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Everyone at Africaid's Zvandiri Project in Harare wish you all a very happy Christmas and a successful and healthy 2011.

Everything is extremely busy here but we are happy to have had such a successful 2010. There is so much to do! And now we are getting a lot of recognition that gives us more opportunities to help the children to get on with their lives. We have over 2000 on our books now, and the number is growiong every month.

Again we thank you all, large organisations with whom we partner, and individuals who simply give us donations to help with our work. You are all wonderful, and we will always strive to make every penny of the money we are given count towards helping the children.

Happy Christmas!
The Zvandiri Team, and two thousand children!

It's nice to get a mention in the press!

2010-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Herald has reported our win in the Auxillia Chimusoro Awards, held annually to honour people and organisations who go out of their way to increase understanding of, and involvement in, the fight against HIV / AIDS: http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=19963&cat=1

World AIDS Day: Africaid exhibition at the National Gallery!

2010-12-01T04:23:00.000-08:00

A report from John Miller at the Exhibition:

Harare Zimbabwe. November 30^th 2010

The National Gallery, Harare

Last night in the National Gallery of Zimbabwe a remarkable exhibition opened. ‘The Audacity of Hope’ is an exhibition of art by children living with HIV, in commemoration of World AIDS Day December 1^st. The Exhibition will run for a month.

While it embodies the hopes of all Zimbabwe’s 152,000 children under 14 years of age living with HIV, the exhibition is the outcome of continuing work done over many years by Africaid. Africaid is based in Harare, directed by Nicola Willis, and has a team of devoted workers and volunteers. The creativity of the children themselves is at the heart of the Exhibition. For an hour last night the 250 invited guests experienced the powerful impact of these young people, whose dance and song and pictures expressed their gift of life.

Role of Africaid

First welcomed in strong, confident words by Africaid Child Representatives Alex and Alice, distinguished speakers paid tribute to the children and adolescents themselves, and to Africaid. Africaid, they said, are pioneering the vital support which Positive children need. Not simply the encouragement to adhere to treatment, but also the entire range of support, medical, spiritual, communal and emotional. Introduced by the evening’s MCAlbert Mpofu, designate to Dr Magure, CEO of Zimbabwe’s National AIDS Council, speakers from UNICEF and USAID were followed by the Guest of Honour, the Minister of Health and Child Welfare Dr Henry Madzorera. They all applauded the spirit of hope demonstrated by the young ones and by their Exhibition.

The Exhibition

On the walls of the Gallery are displayed more than seventy brightly-coloured, life-size, dancing figures – the silhouettes of the children themselves, painted by them. In addition there are ten photo-stories, designed by the children and created by a professional photographer, illustrating the young ones’ determination to live life with hope, and to live it to the full. While some of the young ones are featured in the photo-stories, no faces are visible – this simple fact a reminder of the fear the children still have of being stigmatised, known to be Positive.

In the centre of the Gallery floor stands a replica Baobab tree, three metres tall. Entitled ‘The Tree of Life’, it is covered with flowers, white on some branches, yellow on others. On closer inspection you see that each flower is made of strong plastic, the petals bearing printed words. The children and adolescents living with HIV have made these flowers out of their ARV bottles and other medication containers. This Tree of Life symbolises the fact that continued access to treatment will ensure that there is light and hope ahead for children in Zimbabwe.

The Meaning of World AIDS Day

Nothing could have brought this home more powerfully than the words of a young girl, Loyce, in her Vote of Thanks. ‘Thank you, ‘ she said, ‘to all of you who have worked to ensure that there has been treatment for us. Without ARVs I would not have been speaking to you tonight. I would not have been here.’ Spontaneous emotional applause greeted Loyce’s dramatic words.

The programme for the Exhibition bears on its final page some words of the song with which a choir of Africaid children brought the Gala Launch ceremony to a close. MC Dr Magure drew special attention to the words and urged people to take them to heart as the children’s song:

Something inside so strong (by Labi Siffre, 1987)

Something inside so strong

I know that I can make it

Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong

You thought that my pride was gone

Oh no, something inside so strong

Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong

Brothers and sisters

When they insist we’re just not good enough

When we know better

Just look ‘em in the eyes and say

I’m gonna do it anyway

Recognition comes to Africaid's Zvandiri Programme!

2010-11-26T14:40:00.000-08:00

For several reasons Africaid prefers to keep a fairly low profile on the internet. However that does not mean nothing is going on! Here is a quick update of some notable recent achievements:

1. Numbers of children: Numbers of children involved in the programme rise ever faster and there are now over 2000 on our computerised register!

2. The Auxillia Chimusoro Awards

Auxillia Chimusoro passed away in 1998 after being the first lady to publicly disclose her HIV status in Zimbabwe and to establish support programmes for people living with HIV.

Last week Africaid was nominated for the 10th annual Auxillia Chimusoro HIV and AIDS Awards on behalf of USAID and won the Social Investment category . The Auxillia Chimusoro awards honour individuals or organisations that have excelled in their involvement in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe.

The Awards ceremony will be held in Harare on Thursday 2 December 2010 from 10:00am. It will be attended by the US Ambassador, Charles Ray; the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr. Henry Madzorera; NGOs, people living with HIV and the media.

3. Graca Machel visits Zvandiri House

Graça Machel is a Mozambican politician and humanitarian. She is the third wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela and the widow of the late Mozambican president Samora Machel. She is an international advocate for women’s and children’s rights.

Two weeks ago Graca Machel visited UNICEF in Zimbabwe, and Africaid was asked to host her at its training and support centre, Zvandiri House. Children from Africaid and other organisations met with Graca and shared their testimonies and experiences. The day was a huge success and it was an incredible privilege to meet such an inspirational lady. Graca’s words to the children touched them deeply.

The visit ended with Graca and the children dancing together to the Zvandiri song “With support we stand strong”.

4. The Gogo Dhlembeu Awards

On 2^nd November, Safaids held a 'Sharing and Learning from Good Practice' conference together with the National Action Plan for OVC. At this event, the first annual Gogo Dhlembeu Awards ceremony was held, with prizes awarded to organisations which demonstrated good practice in OVC programming. Members of the conference voted after attending presentations by 14 organisations who were part of the national Programme of Support. The scoring was based on SADC standards.

First prize went to Africaid, second to Mavambo and third to Family Support Trust. Children from Africaid were present at the event, including the dance group which performed its “Special Star” dance.

To quote UNICEF, “All organisations were delighted, but Africaid were especially exuberant”!!

These awards come on top of the Zvandiri Programme being selected as a national site of best practice in 2009. Of course it is nice for Africaid's work to be recognised nationally. It encourages everyone concerned, but more than that it encourages the children and tells them they are part of something important.

Thanks so much to all those who support us, be they government departments, international partners such as USAID and UNICEF, Maruva Trust, our computer system supplier EMIS, individual sponsors, or the families of the children. These awards reflect well on us all.

The Africaid Team in Harare

The story for Fungai Agatamwa

2010-03-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

Fungai is an orphan staying at Chitungwiza. He is 10 yrs old, sick on and off, and emaciated. I met him at a Sunday service and was touched by his physical state; I had compassion for him.

So I talked to his care givers about taking him for VCT (HIV test). They did that and phoned me for the results - which were positive. Fungai got depressed with the results such that he stopped going out to play with other children. He started spending his time sleeping in the house.

I had counselling sessions with him but this did not seem to give him much light. I referred him to Chitungwiza OI (clinic) where they checked his CD4 count - it was 94. I then invited him to attend Africaid's Chitungwiza Support Group where he met other children who are HIV +ve and living positively. They introduced themselves and explained how they are benefitiing from the Support Group and being on ARVs (Antiretroviral drugs). He went home and told his care-givers that he would like to learn by doing his home work with all his effort, as he hoped to go to university. He referred to one of the children he had met at Support Group who was waiting for his Advanced level exam results. This child told Fungai that once he had been ill and very thin too, but that he got strong by taking ARVs and that now he was attending school.

No one knew that this touched Fungai so much that it changed his attitude towards life. He played with other children and had a smile on his face. This touched his care-givers and they phoned me to take Fungai to all Support Group meetings. To them once a month is too long a gap, so now Fungai visits my home now and then as well.

The day he was commenced on ARVs he was very happy and couldn't wait to express his joy, so he came to my house to tell me the good news of him being on ARVs. He said that what he was taught in Support Group about how ARVs work will make him take his drugs well.

Tawanba
Chitungwiza Support Group Leader.

Boots

2010-02-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

Since 2005 when he joined the Zvandiri programme Patrick has always dreamt of being a soccer player. He definately has the height, energy, talent and now he has the BOOTS, thanks to Maruva.

Patrick is 16 years old. Both his parents passed away when he was a little boy and he has grown up in an orphanage. Its his dream to play football at a national level and has wanted it to be his career for a life time. Watching him play today made us realize that detemination and effort paired together with talent can take you far up your chosen ladder. Training has been part of his daily activities. He has no family to support him with the things most children have. Even though he had to go through the humiliation when borrowing a pair of boots for practise he still remained focused.

Today Patrick owns his own pair of BOOTS and this has put him at yet another level in life. Many thanks to Ryan and his Iron Man event last year for the generosity of giving hope to ths boy. Who knew that a pair of boots would bring change to someones life/career/ future?

By Eliza

Fund raiser coming up in Weston Favell, Northampton!

2010-02-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

Rosie Rushton and friends are putting on a Lent Lunch in aid of Africaid this Saturday - 20th February - in Weston Favell, UK. Many thanks, Rosie, and may the weather be kind! (currently snowing... Ed)
There is a fantastic 1st prize in the raffle of a free week's holiday in a self catering cottage this summer so someone is going to be happy!

The shipment of over 300 books for the library at Zvandiri House must be half way to Harare now. It is due there in 4 weeks time. Again - thank you Wellingborough School, and thank you Allan Leroy for having the idea of setting up the library over four years ago. It is much used - a great success.

As the article on the front page explains, specially trained Zvandiri kids are so good at counselling their peers with HIV that they have been asked to set up a service in one of Harare's biggest hospitals! That is good all round: good for the children at the hospital; good for recruitment to the Zvandiri programme; good for the counsellors' self-esteem (and remember that is part of our whole objective); and good for Africaid's expanding reputation.

There is a lot happening here. Every day our combi bus (thanks, UNICEF!) goes out to collect children from one or other of our 20 communities. Once they are safely delivered to Zvandiri House for a range of activities the combi sets off for one of the other communities with our Outreach team on board! So we work with at least two communities every day, apart from everything else we get up to.

And now we are cranking up our two blogs: this one for the administration joins the children's own one. Between them we hope the blogs will be a convenient way to keep you informed about Africaid and its Zvandiri Programme. Why not sign up to be a follower of them both?

Up and running at last!

2010-02-07T02:58:00.000-08:00

After careful thought we have decided to split our blog posts into two. From now on the children and youth will have their own blog, and the project itself will have this one. It will be useful to keep them separate, mainly because the Children's Blog really will be their own, and everything within it will come exclusively from them.
We hope the new blog format will prove helpful and interesting, so keep coming back to see what is happening in Harare!