Rapid results give renewed hope in Mozambique
Mozambique Red Cross Report, 13 May 2005
“Having HIV or AIDS is not the end of life but a new beginning,” says André Julai, a 42-year-old father-of-four, from the Catembe district of the Mozambican capital, Maputo.
For the past fours years, Julai has been living with HIV. “I was living without hope because I was afraid that I would die soon. But so far I have managed to look after my children and my wife,” he says.
In 2002, he left his job due to deteriorating health, a major blow to his family: “By that time, I had lost a lot of weight and there was no choice but to leave work. That was the most difficult period in my life as I thought I was going to die. I was also worried about my children.”
It was indeed a difficult time for his family: apart from having to helplessly watch their bedridden father, there was no source of income.
He could no longer afford to pay for his medical bills, yet his situation required him to visit the doctor regularly. The family that used to produce enough food now survived on handouts from neighbours who themselves did not have enough, as the country was experiencing a severe drought.
Julai thought all hope was lost. But the Mozambique Red Cross Society had other ideas. In response to the needs of people like Julai, it introduced a Rapid Results income-generating and nutritional support project in 2004, and Andre Julai was one of the first beneficiaries.
Julai was one of 100 clients who received 100 chickens, poultry feed and had a chicken-run constructed. By then he was able to get out of bed and do some light duties.
“This was a big boost to my morale because for all these years, I was wondering how my family was going to survive given my health situation,” Julai explains.
A few months later, Julai was selling chickens to neighbours. “The first time I sold the chickens, I got about six million metical (US$ 270) and life started improving,” he added.
“I am now able to have good diet, pay my medical bills and there is enough money to continue with my poultry business,” says Julai, who adds that he is now self-sufficient. He suggests that this kind of support should be provided to other people living with HIV and AIDS so that they can support themselves.
Julai is feeling much better now and he remembers very well the time when his skin was pale, rashes covered his body, and his lips were cracked and reddish in colour.
Today, despite the stigma associated with his condition, he resilient enough to always go out in his garden or look after his poultry project.
“The support I got from the Red Cross has given me more energy to continue working for my family and my hope has been renewed,” said Julai.
“When people knew that I had HIV, they thought I was going to die, but here I am, taking care of my life,” says Julai. He expresses anger towards those in his community who discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS. At the same time, he applauds the efforts of the local Mozambique Red Cross volunteers who regularly visit clients in his area.
“Knowing my status has given me strength. I have now learnt to live with the condition and can talk to other HIV/AIDS-affected people, encouraging them to follow proper guidelines on how to live positively,” he says.
The poultry and gardening projects that were introduced by the local Red Cross have helped many clients to have an improved diet for their conditions. The gardening project uses simple technology that does not need too much water for irrigation but yields good harvest of vegetables all year round.
“The results of the project are positive and the volunteers have done a lot in teaching our clients how to run these small projects and they have assisted many families,” said Bernardino Abel, HIV and AIDS coordinator for the Mozambique Red Cross, who also thanked the World Bank for funding the project.
José Tomás
Information Officer,
Mozambique Red Cross
Source: Pass It On eForum: join-passiton@eforums.healthdev.org
“Having HIV or AIDS is not the end of life but a new beginning,” says André Julai, a 42-year-old father-of-four, from the Catembe district of the Mozambican capital, Maputo.
For the past fours years, Julai has been living with HIV. “I was living without hope because I was afraid that I would die soon. But so far I have managed to look after my children and my wife,” he says.
In 2002, he left his job due to deteriorating health, a major blow to his family: “By that time, I had lost a lot of weight and there was no choice but to leave work. That was the most difficult period in my life as I thought I was going to die. I was also worried about my children.”
It was indeed a difficult time for his family: apart from having to helplessly watch their bedridden father, there was no source of income.
He could no longer afford to pay for his medical bills, yet his situation required him to visit the doctor regularly. The family that used to produce enough food now survived on handouts from neighbours who themselves did not have enough, as the country was experiencing a severe drought.
Julai thought all hope was lost. But the Mozambique Red Cross Society had other ideas. In response to the needs of people like Julai, it introduced a Rapid Results income-generating and nutritional support project in 2004, and Andre Julai was one of the first beneficiaries.
Julai was one of 100 clients who received 100 chickens, poultry feed and had a chicken-run constructed. By then he was able to get out of bed and do some light duties.
“This was a big boost to my morale because for all these years, I was wondering how my family was going to survive given my health situation,” Julai explains.
A few months later, Julai was selling chickens to neighbours. “The first time I sold the chickens, I got about six million metical (US$ 270) and life started improving,” he added.
“I am now able to have good diet, pay my medical bills and there is enough money to continue with my poultry business,” says Julai, who adds that he is now self-sufficient. He suggests that this kind of support should be provided to other people living with HIV and AIDS so that they can support themselves.
Julai is feeling much better now and he remembers very well the time when his skin was pale, rashes covered his body, and his lips were cracked and reddish in colour.
Today, despite the stigma associated with his condition, he resilient enough to always go out in his garden or look after his poultry project.
“The support I got from the Red Cross has given me more energy to continue working for my family and my hope has been renewed,” said Julai.
“When people knew that I had HIV, they thought I was going to die, but here I am, taking care of my life,” says Julai. He expresses anger towards those in his community who discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS. At the same time, he applauds the efforts of the local Mozambique Red Cross volunteers who regularly visit clients in his area.
“Knowing my status has given me strength. I have now learnt to live with the condition and can talk to other HIV/AIDS-affected people, encouraging them to follow proper guidelines on how to live positively,” he says.
The poultry and gardening projects that were introduced by the local Red Cross have helped many clients to have an improved diet for their conditions. The gardening project uses simple technology that does not need too much water for irrigation but yields good harvest of vegetables all year round.
“The results of the project are positive and the volunteers have done a lot in teaching our clients how to run these small projects and they have assisted many families,” said Bernardino Abel, HIV and AIDS coordinator for the Mozambique Red Cross, who also thanked the World Bank for funding the project.
José Tomás
Information Officer,
Mozambique Red Cross
Source: Pass It On eForum: join-passiton@eforums.healthdev.org
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