AEGiS-IFRC: A ray of light for AIDS patients in Zimbabwe

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

A ray of light for AIDS patients in Zimbabwe

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 23 March 2001
Marie-Francoise Borel, in Zvimba

Lying on a simple straw mat on the floor of her house, her wizened body protected by a blanket, 25-year-old Maidei is dying. When she lost her husband in 1999, and fell sick that same year, she was rejected by her in-laws, and came to live with her parents, in Zvimba, near Chihoyi, some 100 kilometres north west of Harare. Her mother and father are now also caring for Hazvinei, her three-year-old daughter.

Maidei coughs, has difficulty breathing, and puss is forming in her ears. She cannot keep down the little food she eats. Her father Warren desperately would like to be able to afford medicine for Maidei and good food, like chicken, on a regular basis. In spite of his daughter's desperate state, he welcomes the visiting Red Cross party into his house, and describes just how difficult life is. He smiles wearily as he thanks the visitors for the food basket they have brought.

In the midst of the palpable despair one feels in this household, there is a ray of hope and comfort when the Red Cross home care facilitator visits, regularly, bringing some food and basic medical supplies such as bandages and disinfectant. In this rural area of Zimbabwe, 32 home care workers - all of them volunteers - visit some 500 people who are dying of HIV/AIDS and their families. During these visits, which can last up to three or four hours, depending on the condition of the "client", as the home care workers call the people they care for, they teach the families how to care for the ill - this is why they are called "facilitators". They also fulfill an essential counselling role, bringing their clients comfort and support. In Zvimba alone, there are 70 "clients".

Each group of home care facilitators has a supervisor; in Zvimba, his name is Dimbo Kindman. Dimbo is exceptional not only in his commitment to this difficult mission, but he is the first man to become a home care worker supervisor. In Zvimba, only two men have volunteered and completed the month-long training course. The Zimbabwe Red Cross is trying to recruit more men to become home care workers since it is sometimes easier for a man to talk to another man about the sensitive issues which concern the transmission of the HIV virus. Prevention is a key message in the information the home care workers give to the families they visit. A high proportion of the women who become home care facilitators are themselves HIV-positive but they continue to care for those who are most feeble as long as their health permits.

Maidei tries to smile as Dimbo speaks to her softly. In a whisper, she asks Hazvinei to bring her some water. Since she is too weak to sit up by herself, her mother helps her. The scene is poignant as the two women and the little girl, representing three generations, share a loving gesture. The middle generation is about to disappear.

Begun in 1996, Zvimba is the largest of the ten home care projects for people living with HIV/AIDS run by the Zimbabwe Red Cross, and the first one to be set up in a rural area. Nationally, 250 home care workers are caring for some 3,000 people and their families. Because the number of AIDS cases is increasing so rapidly, the Zimbabwe Red Cross is planning to open 14 new home care projects, over the next few months.

Federation Secretary General Didier Cherpitel travelled to Southern Africa to discuss the scaling up of activities in the battle against HIV/AIDS with the National Societies in the region. The Ouagadougou Declaration, signed by all 53 African Red Cross Red Crescent Societies in September 2000, recognized AIDS as a "humanitarian disaster." By mobilizing nearly 2 million volunteers across Africa, such as Dimbo in Zimbabwe, through the African Red Cross Red Crescent Health Initiative (ARCHI 2010), the National Societies hope to make a real difference in the battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
010323
IF010301

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2001. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2001. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .