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U.S. organization launches AIDS African mission
Black Voices (WWW)
Florida
03.19.02
NEW YORK -- Pernessa C. Seele, CEO and Founder of The Balm In Gilead, the leading
non-governmental organization dedicated exclusively to mobilizing African-American
churches in the United States in the fight against HIV/AIDS, will lead a delegation
to five African countries beginning April 7 as part of its transatlantic partnership
between African and African American religious leaders to effectively address
the AIDS pandemic among Black people worldwide.
The Balm In Gilead's Africa HIV/AIDS Faith Initiative is aimed at building
the capacity of faith organizations in Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya
and Zimbabwe to become effective forces in AIDS prevention, service delivery and
dismantling the stigma of AIDS. With initial funding from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, this mission, which includes planning, training and assessment,
advances The Balm In Gilead's five-year African HIV/AIDS Faith Initiative launched
in January with The African Diaspora Faith Leaders Historical Summit on HIV/AIDS
in Tarrytown, NY where more than 60 heads of communions from Africa, the Caribbean
and African American communities attended.
The Balm In Gilead has gained the respect and partnership endorsements of
the Catholic Conference and the Council of Churches in Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria,
Tanzania and Zimbabwe. "As in African-American communities, the church in
Africa is one of the most important institutions in the community and it is strategically
positioned to play a major role in the fight against HIV/AIDS," said Seele.
In Africa, the Caribbean, and here in the United States, Black people have the
highest rate of HIV infection. African people, regardless of which country or
island we live in today, must take immediate action to save ourselves."
The Balm In Gilead's delegation includes Dr. Joyce Moon Howard, assistant
professor at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Dr. Moon
Howard is providing expertise in evaluation research to the Balm In Gilead's Africa
Initiative. "The scientific world is making great advances in AIDS research.These
efforts, however, can be greatly strengthened by developing and increasing the
ties between the scientific and faith communities to work in concert to fight
HIV/AIDS", states Dr. Allan Rosenfield, Dean of the Mailman School of Public
Health.
Pastor Gabriel Kpokame Kouagia Kaya, Secretary of the Apostles, Eglise de
Pentecote du Cote d'Ivoire appeared excited about the partnership between The
Balm In Gilead and the Cote d'Ivoire's Christian Community. "We used to think
that we should not speak of AIDS in the church. Working with The Balm In
Gilead over these several weeks has changed my mind. We are now gathering our
leaders in Cote d'Ivoire, spreading the information and taking action."
In addition to heads of communion, The Balm In Gilead has received the support
of several African UN ambassadors for its Africa HIV/AIDS Faith Initiative. Daudi
Mwakawago, permanent representative of Tanzania to the United Nations states,
"When the AIDS pandemic hit the global scene twenty years ago, African governments
were already financially exhausted due to the competitive environment created
by shrinking economies and a basic health delivery system, making the ability
to develop an effective and timely response virtually non-existent. Today, the
church is the last sign of hope for the African Diaspora."
Program Objectives The ultimate goal of the Balm In Gilead's Africa HIV/AIDS
Faith Initiative is to improve the capacity of faith communities and to engage
and encourage the religious leadership and denominational structures in the participating
countries to:
* Speak out against the stigma of AIDS
* Support and provide interventions that prevent mother-to-child transmission
* Support and provide faith-based HIV voluntary counseling and testing
* Provide long-term care and support for orphans
The programs to be implemented by these African churches will be modeled after
some of The Balm In Gilead's successful programs such as The Black Church Week
of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS --the largest AIDS awareness campaign targeting
African Americans. Like this and other national programs organized by The Balm
In Gilead, resources will be culturally and ethnically designed for the five African
countries and their diverse ethnic communities.
About The Balm In Gilead The Balm In Gilead is a not-for-profit, non-governmental
organization with an international mission to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout
the African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities to provide
AIDS education and support networks for all people living with and affected by
HIV. Over the past thirteen years, The Balm In Gilead's pioneering achievements
have enabled thousands of churches to become leaders in preventing HIV by providing
comprehensive educational support to encourage those infected to seek and maintain
treatment.
Copyright(c)2002 BlackVoices.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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