Friday, March 29, 2024

Stop using HIV/AIDS pandemic as a source of livelihood, NGOs told.

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A Church leader in Kasama has taken a swipe against individuals and organizations using the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a source of livelihood.

Bread of Life Church Administrator Sylvia Bwalya says it is shameful and regrettable that some people were now involving themselves in HIV/AIDS programmes for the sole purpose of amassing wealth for themselves at the expense of those living with HIV/AIDS.

She said despite having many none governmental organizations receiving donor funds for HIV/AIDS programmes, the impact was not being felt by people living with the virus.

Mrs. Bwalya said as a result, the fight against HIV/AIDS would remain a pipedream if people do not change their bad attitude towards the pandemic.

She noted that the fight against HIV/AIDS requires men and women with compassion and love in order to win the battle.Mrs. Bwalya was speaking in Kasama during the commemoration to mark this year’s World Aids Day which fell on December 1.

She further urged people living with HIV not to despair but to look up to God for strength during their lifetime.And giving a moving testimony, Felitus Njovu, a Kasama resident who is living with AIDS positively, paid glowing tribute to the Government for enabling people with HIV to access Anti Retroviral Drugs (ARVs) freely in public health institutions.

Njovu said she does not feel ashamed to take the ARVs as they have helped to prolong her life. She urged people to undergo Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) in order to know their HIV status and take practical steps to combat the pandemic in their communities.

Currently, Northern Province boosts of having the least HIV prevalence rate in the country which now stands at 6.2 per cent from the initial eight (8) per cent.

ENDS/WS/PK/ZANIS.

34 COMMENTS

  1. good.most of the pipo pa Zed have taken advantage of the pandemic to earn their living.some of them have even built houses from the money meant for the ophanages.God is seeing you guys.

  2. the poor will always be exploited by those who can gain money from looking like they help them. especially in third world countries like zambia where there is no employment and the cost of living is so high.

    it takes a lot of guts to go for vct. thumbs up for those who have done so successfully!

  3. Its true we have too many NGOs, when donor money comes, 50% goes to workshops with the very donors, 45% goes to emoluments for NGO staff and only 5% tricles to beneficiaries if its also not intecepted to pay allowances for those delivering it…

  4. That advice is misplaced! I am sure most of us know that AIDS was developed in the labs for economic gain by the suppliers of ARVs, so what can we mortal beings do, if not surviving through HIV related NGOs etc!

  5. No 1 is very right. I actually live in london. My husband was interested in starting a charity for hiv orphans in the Copperbelt. We got a hold of a pastor through the internet, name withheld. It was all great in the beginning but somewhere he started sending us emails of his family budgets including tuition fees for his kids studying at the university in Lusaka. Its very sad but true! I love my country even though i was born on london, my father is Zambian and mom is english. It hurts me alot, and indeed they will be punished. Some innocent people out there really need the help.my heart is heavy!

  6. Government should scrutinise all these NGOs to see if they are really doing they job or we will be compelled to conclude that some gvt officials also benefit from the same. Why leave them scort free.

  7. I won’t stop! How do you think I’l pay for the house I’m building in Kabulonga? Where do you think I’l get money to maintain my VX Landcruiser?

  8. all the people are after money including the president, ministers and all of us.No one can they are working not because of money, lets get real and face reality. NGOs pliz continue hammering the money

  9. Baby C, dont you think even these ministers and the Nyama Soya of yours chew the money at your expense, the poor? This time everywhere you go, there is corruption because thus the mind set of Zambians now.

  10. First the Church should stop exploiting the poor. we all know what these pastors want and they act just like our politicians-hopping from one church to the other. Look at the Cars they drive and the life they aspire for? Equally people who work in NGOs aspire for the same good things!! World of hypocrites!!!!

  11. # 8

    am surprised that you are also a low thinker!! dalo head! AIDS came as a result of sin( esp. Ubuchende) sleeping aound here and there. Especially ladies, they are causers of AIDS. they never stop to open their legs

  12. Problem is that in Zambia anything goes! There is no regulation of mushrooming of fake and dubious street NGO’s by the authorities that be. I know of some pastor who has formed three NGO’s under three different names. Pa Zed che yaaa! Too many fake pastors, too many fake NGO’s, too many fake colleges, too many fake churches and too many bars and taverns. And the Registrar of Societies does know their role is as a regulatory body!

  13. Yesterday we were reading that North-western province has a lowest HIV/AIDS cases in the country because of circumcision and today, in this article we are told that “Currently Northern province boosts (actually boasts) of having the least HIV prevalence rate in the country which now stands at 6.2 per cent from the initial eight(8) per cent.” So which information is true? Or are these statistics just assumptions?

  14. What is National Aids Council, ZANARA and CRAIDS doing. We need some control mechanisms in place. But it seems these are even the greatest culprits. Abash mediocrity.

  15. #20 not much difference between you & # 8. Men are not forced by the women to have sex. By the way in African society it is the man that initiates, so in that case its the man to blame.

    It’s neither the man nor the woman to blame, but moral decline and lack of self control by men & women.

    Its attidudes like your which prevention difficult. Blame, Blame. People need to take responsibility and change their sexual behaviours.

  16. zambia must be privatised>>> it has no future,its in liquidation,its has no prudent gov’nt.

    sell zambia and aquire zimbabwe period.

  17. #26 Get real. No need to get angry. Teach love and not hatred. Take leaf from Christ’s teaching. You might not be an aldulterer but are you tellin gme you are completely right with the Lord? Think of the log in your eyes. By the way Christ came for the sick. Not for holy people like you!

    #27 You dont sell a going concern like Zambia to buy a bancrupty entity like Zimbambwe. Have you taken leave of your senses?

  18. If they are working full time in HIV/AIDS field then they should earn their livelihood from the same. How should we expect them to survive?

  19. But the fight against HIV/AIDS has received so much money at the expense of other pandamics like TB, and Malaria in tropical Africa. Can we also put so much money to serve the planet from the climatic catastrophe

  20. #30. If you have nothing to contribute just keep away. HIV/Aids is the greatest pandemic facing africa, affecting development and everything else. Hence the vast amounts being invested in this area. TB and malaria can notbe tackled in isolation or HIV/Aids on its own.

  21. #29 You are missing the point of the article. It’s not about peolpe working in HIV/Aids not getting paid, but about them not misappropriating the resources which are meant to help those in need.
    I work for an INGO, but that does not mean I do it for my benefit, but to ensure the resources reach those that are in need.

  22. its a crazy situation and little has tricked down to de affected. equally irresponsible are hiv positive persons spreading de virus carelessly, even pipo working in anti-aids orgs, including de national aids council. some have come out saying dey r positive just to access donor money n yet dey have neva been tested. churches are also on de queue for aids funds with their pastors and yet their flocks need attention. get bak to de pulpit guys and women, give us a break. u cant be everywhere- soccer in chipolopolo fans group, publizising condons and not abstinece just for money, especially bord again pastors. give us a break.

  23. even the chaps who are making the ARVs are earning a living,they are delaying the dicovery of the cure at all costs coz once the cure is publicised to the world many will have no jobs and no way of stealing.may God deliver his pipo from these scavengers

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