Church and Business against HIV & AIDS
- Condom Dispenser in South Africa
HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa
Business enterprises and churches realise that the high infection rate of HIV/AIDS has also become a serious economic factor. Although churches in South Africa have been offering AIDS programmes for several years, there has not been any particular contact with industry. In 2002 the programme "Church and Business together against HIV & AIDS" was launched by the Evangelical churches and the local government of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This is an active contribution in fighting AIDS in South Africa as well as to inform and combat AIDS in South African enterprises. For more than six years particular assistance has been rendered by subsidiaries of German companies in South Africa – on the one hand through educational work against AIDS and on the other through the offer of HIV tests.
Religious AIDS Work
The AIDS work of the reformed churches in the Cape Province of South Africa has – for example – conducted consultations at the Falke company and thus provided the staff with information on their HIV status. The Lutheran Church is active in educating so-called peer educators on farms and in forestries in Mpumalanga, the South African partner province of North Rhine-Westphalia. Because of their work HIV and AIDS have become the topic of conversation and are no longer a taboo.
Successful Project Work
- Children in South Africa
In Namibia the partner church of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia – the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia – has launched its own AIDS and workplace programme and currently Namibia’s largest tourism provider is being advised about it. The counselling of staff members takes place in often far-distant locations and they also have their HIV tests taken there. The inclusion of staff members’ whole families provides a key element of the guidance programme as well as an increasing awareness and advisory approach. The project is currently leaving its pilot phase and is being extended throughout southern Africa. Reverend » Ute Hedrich from the MÖWe Institute will be pleased to give you further information on the project. The » flyer provides some basic information.