The Choma district HIV/AIDS task force Southern Province says it is worried and saddened by news of the looming closure of office for the Non Governnmental Organisation Afya Mzuri.
District AIDS Coordination Advisor, Clement Moonga, told ZANIS in Choma today the decision by Afya Mzuri to wind up operations is ill-timed as it will impact negatively on the current implementation of HIV and AIDS activities saying the NGO was a key stakeholder.
Mr Moonga said the NGO was the only institution specialised in the implementation of HIV and AIDS work place programmes in the district and so far there is no other organisation that will fill up the vacuum.
He said the NGO was also being running a well stocked HIV and AIDS resource centre which was providing valuable assistance to various organisations in their research work.
Mr Moonga said stakeholder coordination would suffer a major setback once the NGO closes.
Afya Mzuri Executive Director Alison Matutu confirmed this to ZANIS in Choma today the impending closure of the organisation’s office in Choma.
Dr Matutu said the office is expected to close this month end (february), citing phasing out of foreign donor financial support for running the district office.
Dr Matutu explained that the Choma office was being funded through foreign donor support whose funding came to an end in December 2008.
He said the NGO has no money to continue financing the cost of running the Choma office, hence the decision to close at the end of this month, unless another donor is able to come on board to assist.
Dr Matutu could not however, indicate the fate of workers employed by Afya Mzuri in Choma.
ZANIS/ENDS/CM/CLM
ok let me read first
Kambongolo
How are you today?Congrats on two threads.Let me eat akabwali first then I will comment.
Really sad indeed 🙁
That is why we should not be dependant on foreign aid.
4. Nine Chale
We cant even manufacture a spoon, how can we survive without foreign aid. Zambia will need foreign Aid for as long as we keep using recycled old politicians like VJ, Ronnie et al and the electorate remains largly illitarete. If FJT was to bribe the vigilatees and chiefs with chibuku and chitege, they would vote him in.
We are behind! we cant even clean up our cities
Very sad. Choma has about 300,000 inhabitants. This is a sad development citing the continued harvest of lives by this AIDS monster.
We shouldnt depend on foreign donations if the Zambian NGO’s have to survive.In this case the Ministry of Health (Choma DHMT) have got the mandate to take over.That is their job. HIV/AIDS is among the top Ten Health problems in Choma,so Choma DHMT should be responsible.
Let the NGO go because it lacks sustainability.
True
Dr. Matutu, just finished constructing his house and bought 15 heads of cows from the NGOs money. Congratulations. People are getting rich from HIV
#7, did you that there 21 registered HIV/AIDS NGOs in Choma for a population of that 300,000? People spend 7 hours a day attending meetings and singing instead of going for farming. I think the government should be a law to close NGOs from November-March, people need to use time in gardens and not in clubs. HIV NGOs ar just adding poverty to Africa.
Morning Bloggers :)>-
This is expected. NGOs must have a sustainability program. Donor funding will always come to an end. Sivamuyayaya!
Dont despair, another NGO will appear. Impiya sha AIDS shingi!
yaba
Is it the NGO that supervises unprotected sex. Each one for himself God for us all !
Ya shani iyo ba kaaamba! Let me finish eating my shawama before I start reading.
365
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