From Andrew McDougall, BoH Executive Director

This past winter/spring has been a very exciting time for the campaign. As of March 31, the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has assumed full responsibility for the Tsepong HIV/AIDS Clinic! After just five years of administration and mentoring from the Canadian team at OHAfrica, the Basotho medical team is ready to manage the operation. And the ministry is taking over all costs associated with running the clinic.

Reports from the Lesotho High Commission office in Ottawa indicate that the clinic is functioning well since the transition, continuing to see a full daily patient load, testing, counselling and where necessary prescribing ARV’s. As well, during this same time, medical staff have completed the training of nurses at all 26 rural health care facilities in the district in how to test, care for and the treatment of at risk or infected individuals. This eliminates the need for costly and arduous travel for patients living in outlying areas surrounding Tsepong.

This is a very gratifying event for everyone at BoH, particularly for our donors. Everyone who has been involved in Bracelet of Hope has dreamed of this day – and now it has really happened.

So with the clinic now under "local management” in Lesotho, we paused to take a quick breath, then it’s on to "what’s next”.

And that’s a tough question – what is next? Should Bracelet of Hope simply wind the campaign down? Or do we look for other local projects in Lesotho that we could support? At a recent board meeting, Anne-Marie put the question to our board members and their answer was a resounding "Yes, let’s see if there are good projects in Lesotho that need funding.”

For starters, we have an ongoing relationship with Help Lesotho, the Ottawa-based NGO who provides so many services to the HIV/AIDS infected and affected. Help Lesotho operates in the same community in which the Tsepong Clinic is located. The services provided by Help Lesotho include grandmother support groups (for grandmothers raising grandchildren on their own, with the middle generation gone – all victims of the AIDS pandemic). They have an excellent sponsorship program for high school students – helping youth to stay in school beyond the seventh grade, drastically improving their chances to qualify for post secondary education or to enter the job market with increased likelihood of finding employment. And the leadership and gender programs that Help Lesotho provides to district youth are outstanding.

Other potential projects include partnerships with the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on new treatment programs, supporting the work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and an exciting new opportunity to support sibling headed households by providing for their education, feeding and community support so that they can stay together in the family homes.

Our "next steps” are something that we anticipate nailing down over the next six weeks and then we will get down to the business of making a difference.

We will keep you advised of our progress and activity in the coming months.

Thank you to all Bracelet of Hope supporters. We have achieved great things in Lesotho. And now it is time to move onto the next step along our path that leads ultimately to one country, AIDS-free. We hope you will make this journey with us.

HIV/AIDS PATIENTS TAKE LEAD TO FIGHT AGAINST PANDEMIC

Leribe April--Like battlefield commanders, people living with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho, a tiny mountainous country in the southern part of Africa, continue to lead the fight against the pandemic.

A living example is evident in Phelisanang Bophelong, an organization of people living with HIV and AIDS, which operates in the Leribe district, 96km north of the capital, Maseru. This organization is based out of the Motebang Hospital, which includes the Tsepong Clinic.

The organization’s activities include holding campaigns to extend support for people living with HIV/AIDS. So far, they have established 27 support groups since 2004. These support groups, based in different areas within the district, engage in home-based care, psychosocial support through counselling and care of orphaned children and people living with HIV and AIDS.

Some engage in activities such as prevention, treatment literacy campaigns and income generating activities to enhance their commitment to care for those infected and affected.

The Chairperson of the Phelisanang Bophelong, Miss ‘Mathapelo Rathebe says failure to adhere to treatment is dangerous, as it can hamper efforts taken to respond to the pandemic.

"This is why we actively engage in treatment literacy,” she explained. "We want people to reap the benefit of the treatment, which is living longer.”

Phelisanang Bophelong Vice Secretary, Mr. Stephen Moholisa, highlighted ignorance and fear of stigma as major reasons for failure to adhere to treatment.

"There is no pain compared to losing close friends, and the feeling of rejection from your relatives at the time when you need them most,” he said.

He added that some people do not disclose their status because they are afraid of being stigmatized and as a result, they fail to acquire the support they need in treatment.

Mrs. 'Manthabiseng Moshoeshoe, an active member of Ratanang Bophelong, one of the 27 support groups, said they engage in income generation activities to ensure that people eat properly.

Hunger is one of the factors that contribute to the failure to adhere to treatment. "It is difficult to encourage adherence to treatment without addressing the immediate challenges such as food and even transport fees to get to ART centres in some cases.”

Phelisanang Bophelong carries out education on Treatment literacy to support groups through Local Adherence Coordination, a programme, which has been made possible by the USAID's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that supported the organization over the last three years.

The three-year contract ended last December, but was renewed for another eight months starting in February this year.

PK