New HIV/AIDS Project in Mikolongwe

AIDS orphans and their care-givers will be taught skills like carpentry, metalwork and vegetable-growing through a new World Vision project. 'We want the children and their foster parents to lead fruitful and dignified lives despite the deaths of their loved ones,” said World Vision Malawi's Douglas Kulaisi.

Funded by World Vision New Zealand, the project also aims to slow the spread of the pandemic in Chiradzulu District, one of the most densely-populated districts in Malawi.

“The children are our biggest hope' Mr. Kulaisi said, because if they grow up without contracting HIV, Malawi will have a great future and we can greatly reduce our worrying infection rate that has at least one million people infected by HIV in this country,” he said.

Project coordinator Blessings Kachale was impressed by the commitment of the people of Chiradzulu District to tackling this difficult issue. “We are excited by the zeal the people have shown in making this programme a success," she said. "Such mutual commitment to saving lives is the best way of showing appreciation for the compassion shown by our donors in New Zealand in committing resources to fighting this scourge,”

Kadewere, a traditional leader present at the project's launch last week, said the programme had come at the right time. “In our graveyards these days, there are usually two or more burials taking place everyday –and, even if we do not announce the common cause of these deaths, it is an open secret that HIV/AIDS is responsible," he said.

By Samuel Chunga - Communications Manager