Buddhists in Africa respond to the HIV/AIDS challenge

ROKPA is an international charity organisation based on the Buddhist faith, with its headquarters in Switzerland. It has active membership in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and is among the growing number of faith communities in the southern African region taking on the challenge of HIV/AIDS. "Help where help is needed" is the organisation's motto.

ROKPA's chief goals include providing quality of life in the developing world. Currently the most developed charity services in the region are in Johannesburg, where ROKPA has been serving the homeless community in the inner city since 1995, by establishing soup kitchens and counselling services for streetchildren.

The services have expanded and now support streetchildren and other destitute people at an annual cost of R25 000. The services include supplying needed food and other supplies to shelters where the workers talk to children on the street, counselling them on HIV/AIDS, health and hygiene, and exploring alternatives to their street lives.

Many on the streets are young boys and girls running away from dysfunctional families. The minors are exposed to crime, alcohol, drugs and sex. For this reason, life-threatening diseases are prevalent.

According to research done by the Johannesburg Alliance for Street Children, there are around 1007 boys and 329 girls living on the streets of Johannesburg. Without the assistance of charity organisations such as ROKPA, the street youth have little chance of continuing their formal education or finding meaningful employment.

ROKPA Buddhist communities in South Africa and Zimbabwe receive spiritual guidance from the Venerable Akong Tulku Rinpoche, a Tibetan lama (teacher) currently living in exile in Scotland at the Buddhist Centre Smaye Ling.

The three wings to the local Buddhist movement are spiritual practice, self-help therapy and charity. "The lama poses charitable activity as a challenge to his followers," said Philippa Cope, social worker, occupational therapist and Buddhist with the Zimbabwe ROKPA group. "HIV is a major cause of suffering today. The lama is concerned about terminal care, including AIDS in Africa, and cancer in Europe. He advocates for compassionate support without boundaries," said Ms Cope.

The Zimbabwe ROKPA group, based in Harare, first took on works of charity by supporting disadvantaged street children in the city centre with supplementary food. For the past two years, action has been based in urban "holiday camps" where the group offers supplementary support to destitute families with HIV-related problems. Rinpoche's challenge on a recent visit to Harare was for ROKPA charity activity to expand and for the group to do as much as possible within its means to support HIV/AIDS-related needs.

"Energy goes with the lama. If the lama suggests action, and his suggestions are followed, then things move," said Cope.

Many of the Harare ROKPA members in their personal capacity offer ongoing support to friends, colleagues and acquaintances in need. An example is that of Jessica Masamba who, through traditional dancing and drama activities, supports many streetchildren in Mufakose, a high density suburb in Harare.

Other members of ROKPA also engaged in feeding the destitute in the streets of Harare, until the Rinpoche's challenge that HIV/AIDS schemes were more important.

Through ROKPA, Cope is now spearheading a support project aimed at empowering a group of HIV-positive mothers of disabled children to live positively and plan for the future with the support of other HIV/AIDS charity organisations in Harare. This will include counselling, legal advice on family and inheritance rights, health and nutritional advice, including a scheme to bulk-buy and re-sell food supplies such as mealie-meal, dried fish and soya products.