The HIV/AIDS Project |
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SUPPORTED PROJECTS
Since 2003, the Church of Scotland HIV/AIDS Project has been able to grant over £700,000 to a range of projects, both here in Scotland and around the world. Overseas we support projects run by our partner churches there. We are currently funding the work of 26 partner projects in 15 countries. Find out more about these projects below.
| These projects tackle a number of issues surrounding HIV. Many are involved with giving practical care and support to people living with HIV (PLWH), helping them to access the vital antiretroviral medication (ARV) they need, |
Projects around the world are supported by the
Church's HIV/AIDS Project
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supplying nutritional supplements (as in order for ARVs to work properly, the patient needs to take food regularly), giving treatment for opportunistic infections. Psychosocial and spiritual needs are also met through support groups.
Income-generation programmes enable PLWH to learn new skills and make a living for themselves, building up self-esteem in the process. We also support projects working with orphans and vulnerable children.
Prevention is also an important aspect of our partners' work. Awareness-raising within communities, especially with those who are most at risk (e.g. migrant workers, commercial sex workers) goes hand in hand with voluntary counselling and testing at special centres. Peer education projects train young people and women so that they can share their knowledge with others. Challenging the stigma and discrimination which so often accompanies an HIV+ diagnosis is an on-going task of all our projects.
Peer educators during a rally in Abakaliki, Nigeria Churches have an important role to play in their own communities, raising awareness, encouraging people to 'know their status', providing care and support for those infected and affected by HIV, and challenging the stigma and discrimination.
We are helping to fund a number of training programmes for pastors and lay people so that they are better equipped to respond to situations in their own parishes. The aim is to create 'HIV competent churches', churches with 'friendly feet and warm hearts', who will accompany those living with HIV on their journey. The Church of Scotland, through the HIV/AIDS Project, is able to play a part in the realisation of this vision.
Find out more details about individual projects in each of these countries below.
For statistics and an overview of the HIV situation in any particular country, visit the UNAIDS 2009 report on the Global AIDS Epidemic at www.unaids.org.
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