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Giving us hope - McCord Hospital's Sinikithemba Choir tours the US
Judith King. HIVAN Media Office
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Audiences on the east coast of the US will soon be inspired by the beauty and talent of McCord Hospital's Sinikithemba Choir, which will perform during a three-week sponsored concert tour in order to raise funds for the HIV/AIDS programme of the Church World Services in Africa.
The Choir, comprised of 21 singers affected by HIV/AIDS, will perform with four musicians in New York City, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Philadelphia and Washington DC. "This tour follows the hugely successful 'Symphony of Hope' fundraising concert held in Durban earlier this year", says Dr Helga Holst, Medical Superintendent of McCord Hospital. "We hope that this exciting project will help to put a human face to the HIV/AIDS crisis in our country, and show how those affected by the epidemic can be empowered by the healing energy of love and acceptance."
The Sinikithemba HIV/AIDS Christian Care Centre, established in 1996, is based at McCord Hospital's premises in Overport, Durban, and offers a comprehensive, holistic programme of health service for HIV/AIDS patients, including social work services, counselling, training, pastoral care, income generation projects and medical care including anti-retroviral treatment as appropriate. The Centre's Director, Mrs Nonhlanhla Mhlongo, explains that people living with HIV/AIDS are an underserved community who need help in all facets of their lives.
"We therefore offer our clients pre- and post-test as well as bereavement counselling, support groups, assistance with community awareness and welfare-related matters, physical monitoring and prophylactic as well as symptomatic treatment", she says. "Our skills training project affords destitute patients the opportunity to become productive through beadwork, sewing and wirework, although finding suitable markets for their wares is an ongoing challenge."
However, there is growing demand for Sinikithemba's work, not only in terms of patient and community care - which also involves the running of feeding schemes for impoverished households affected by HIV/AIDS - but also by churches and industries who benefit from its counselling training programme.
There is also a considerable groundswell of support being offered to the Centre by ordinary citizens and different sectors in KZN, more recently in order to facilitate the upcoming concert tour. The Choir's trip to the US is being sponsored by the Church World Services and a Swiss funder, and East Coast Radio promoted a clothing drive to ensure that the singers would have enough winter woollies for their journey through the US. "The response was wonderful," says Dr Holst. "The public donated so much clothing that we were able to fulfill all the Choir members' needs and provide the remainder of the items collected to destitute patients and their families." The radio station reports having received over 400 e-mail messages from members of the public offering help.
Dr Holst will be accompanying the group on the tour, not only to provide medical care if necessary, but also to establish links with AIDS-care centres at Harvard University in Boston and Yale University in New Haven. Her trip is being funded by HIVAN, the Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, as part of its Job Shadow Programme.
"Once these links are formally forged," explains Dr Holst, "we will be able to twin our Sinikithemba Centre with those at Yale and Harvard in order to share expertise, resources and materials through regular exchange programmes."
Understandably, there is great joy and excitement surrounding the upcoming concert tour. Grammy Award-winning performer Tim Janis, who with his ensemble joined the Choir for the "Symphony of Hope" concert, will feature with them again during their US tour, and the CD of the 'Symphony of Hope' concert will be released.
But for some of the Choir members, their personal achievements cannot be shared with their families and communities because of the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. "For this reason, in many instances, it is not appropriate for them to be photographed or filmed by the media," says Dr Holst. "However, were they to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, whose show is screened here in South Africa, this might make it easier for them to disclose their status and live openly and positively - which in turn will aid their healing process."
So, hope prevails at many levels in the work of Sinikithemba. KwaZulu-Natal's prayers for and pride in the Choir's mission, which commences with their departure today (22nd November), will soar with them. Says Dr Holst: "We say to each member - go out and sing from your heart, so that the people of the world will hear and respond with their hearts."
For more information about HIVAN's Job Shadow Programme, go to: https://hivan.org.za/arttemp.asp?id=1019 |
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