HIV/AIDS: Taking Up the Struggle

“Beware of sharing the razor blade!” sings a Tanzanian woman in a traditional call-and-response song circle. “Beware of needles in the village!” To which the other women sing in reply, “AIDS kills!” This sort of community education is helping to stem the steadily rising tide of HIV/AIDS cases that threatens to literally wipe out whole populations of sub-Saharan Africans. At the current rate of infection and death, there will be 20 million AIDS orphans in this region of the world by the year 2010. HIV/AIDS: Taking Up the Struggle documents the various community programs that have been spearheaded by World Vision Canada, then taken over by local volunteers. Using the acronym H.O.P.E., villages focus on “helping” HIV/AIDS victims, taking care of “orphans,” emphasizing “prevention,” and most importantly, “educating” their friends and neighbors about HIV, often using traditional means such as the song circle. Not only does indigenous involvement make people more responsive, but it also gives the community a sense of responsibility for what is happening. While the rest of the world has only begun to understand the enormity of the African AIDS pandemic, grassroots efforts are making a difference already, offering hope for the future. Aud: H, C, P. (E. Gieschen)