FBO?’S Out and About

February has been a busy month in the FBO sector, with a number of conferences, workshops and book launches. The PACSA (Pietermaritzburg Agency for Christian Social Awareness) Conference on HIV/AIDS, Gender and Poverty took place on 17 ?– 18th February. The conference gave voice to community-based practitioners, highlighted best practices, worked through challenges and called for a deeper commitment from Church and Government to the needs of those affect and infected in the province. A clear call was sounded to the Church to take a stand for HIV/AIDS.

On 25 ?– 26th February, the Diakonia Council of Churches Annual AIDS Conference took place in the Archbishop Denis E. Hurley Conference Hall. A minute of silence was observed to mark the passing, on Friday 13th February, of this great church and community leader. The Conference concentrated church attention on issues of ARV role out; the plight of affected and infected children; Gender; Stigma; effective partnerships for Home-Based Care; and the need for income generation to support affected families. Small group discussions produced a clear way forward for the Church in the above areas. This information will feed into the Diakonia evaluation in April and set the agenda for their AIDS programme for the foreseeable future. Delegates were also challenged to communicate the resolutions of the conference back to their Ministers and to actively participate in moving from ?“discussion?” to ?“action?” in their church and local community.

FBO RESOURCES

Bishop Purity Malinga of the Methodist Church challenged the Church in 2003, saying ?“God is calling us to do church differently?”. The church has risen to the challenge, launching two essential HIV/AIDS related texts in February 2003 which together assist the church to take an active stance in meeting the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS.

The KwaZulu-Natal church AIDS Network (KZNCAN), in partnership with PACSA (the Pietermaritzburg Agency for Christian Social Awareness), Diakonia Council of Churches, KZN-Christian Council and various other Christian based organisations, came together in Pietermaritzburg on 19 February 2004 for the South African launch of the World Council for Churches?’ HIV/AIDS Action Plan for Africa. Titled, ?“Plan of Action: The Ecumenical Response to HIV/AIDS in Africa?”, this booklet unites Christian leadership and resources in developing a plan of action against HIV. Churches have been called to own this plan and ensure that it is implemented in practical ways within their sphere of influence. Copies can be obtained from Email: [email protected].

The Minister of Health, the Honourable Zweli Mkhize, officiated at the launch of a practical handbook for Churches, titled, ?“The Church in an HIV+ World?”. Edited by Daniela Gennrich, Director of PACSA, this comprehensive handbook aims to challenge Christians and churches to look at HIV/AIDS in a new light and consider fresh ways of responding to this humanitarian and theological crisis in South Africa. Although aimed primarily at Christian churches, its applicability goes far beyond that. Almost half the handbook consists of appendices, offering practical guidelines that will help anyone to meet the real, lived needs of people living with HIV and AIDS. Copies can be obtained from PACSA Tel: (033) 345 0052 Email: [email protected]

The KZNCAN HIVAN KWAZULU-NATAL HIV/AIDS Directory for 2003 has been updated and a 2004 edition will soon be available. Copies can be obtained from: Tel: (031) 268 5809 Email: [email protected]

Since its formation in April 2002, the CINDI (Children in Distress-Network for children affected by AIDS) Nutrition Working Group has:

• computerised the details of faith based organisations and other philanthropic groups that offer emergency food relief in Pietermaritzburg (this information forms part of the City's AIDS Referral Data Base at Life Line/Rape Crisis)
• Printed and distributed two posters ie Healing Plants/Amakhambi okwelapha (buline and carporbrotus that are effective in the treatment of skin rashes associated with HIV/AIDS); and Vegetables for Health/Amaveji ayimpilo (promoting brightly coloured vegetables that are rich in micro-nutrients - especially yellow flesh sweet potatoes and squashes). These posters can be seen on the CINDI Website www.cindi.org.za
• Developed Nutrition Guidelines in isiZulu for people with a range of literacy skills - to promote healthy nutrition and cooking methods in the context of poverty and HIV/AIDS.
• Appointed a Co-ordinator for the African Roots Project. This is a joint initiative of CINDI, the Institute of Natural Resources and the Msunduzi Municipality that seeks to promote the co-ordination of urban food gardening projects, best practice and the growing of indigenous crops.


For further information please contact Yvonne Spain on: Tel: 033-3457994; Fax: 033-3457272; Web address : www.cindi.org.za.