|
Intercordia Canada Launches On Line Newsletter
The mission of Intercordia is to build bridges between people. Intercordia is a Latin word meaning “Between Hearts!” Our new Online Newsletter “Voices” is one more way to encourage us to stay connected and share our stories. It is fitting that in our first issue we can announce our newest international partner in Swaziland and share with you about some of the people I met during a recent trip.
Swaziland is a small, agrarian, landlocked country located in the northern part of the Republic of South Africa. It is ruled by the last absolute monarch in Africa. It has a population of about 1.2 million people. The tragedy is that more than a quarter of the adults in this country are HIV positive or have AIDS. Our partnership is with Swaziland for Positive Living, (www.SWAPOL.net) a very dedicated and dynamic group that is supporting people who live with HIV/AIDS. Their mission is to: “Provide a holistic approach for improving the quality of life for the infected and affected people in rural communities in an effective and efficient manner.” I was particularly struck by the phrase “infected and affected” which captures the devastating impact that HIV/AIDS has on communities. If 25% are infected than likely 100% are affected!
The picture above is of a small family I met while I accompanied one of the SWAPOL community care workers to visit some families close to where I was staying. The husband, wife and baby in the picture live in a small adobe house on a family compound. The husband and wife are infected with AIDS and the father is also suffering with TB. They will soon be having their 2 month old baby tested but it is highly likely that she too is HIV positive. I was troubled, challenged and inspired to meet this family and witness how the care worker responded. There was no judgement in her attitude. She spoke strongly with the father, advising him to wear a condom to prevent more children being born. She spoke compassionately, as one mother to another, about the concerns for the baby and what the mother could do to keep her healthy. She encouraged them to stay on their drug regimes and eat healthy so
that they would stay strong to look after their child.
With their permission I took this picture, which for me captures the reality of so many in Swaziland. The father is troubled and confused, angry and embarrassed by what he and his family are living. The mother is so proud of her little baby, only wanting what is best but she has so few resources to help her. She needs to stay strong to do all the work expected of her just for the family to survive. She is so beautiful and brave. The little baby is so sweet and innocent. And sitting with them is the SWAPOL care worker who supports them to face their many challenges. I have heard Stephen Lewis speak several times about what is needed to fight the AIDS pandemic in Africa and here I witnessed what can and needs to be done. With a little money drugs can be made available that allow people to live productive lives. Good nutrition is essential for the drug regimes to be effective. And most
importantly, people need to know they are part of a caring community and not facing this crisis alone.
While I was sitting with this family I thought how important it will be for future Intercordia students to have the bittersweet privilege to live in this community and learn the meaning of solidarity and compassion. I wondered at the strange paradox that in the midst of so much suffering and hardship the sense of neighborhood is so strong. I was again confronted, to embarrassingly admit, that we in North America, who have so much, live life with a minimum of gratitude.
Intercordia hopes with this regular newsletter and our web site to keep you informed of our program and share the stories of our student’s experiences in Swaziland and other international placement communities. We wish you to continue your connection with us and “See the World Through the Eyes of Your Heart!”
Peace, Joe
|
