Home-Based Care - Helping Hands Africa

AIDS
Prevention & Care

It takes but one thought, one hand reaching out, or one light shining in the dark... that is what makes the difference after all.

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Home-Based Care

Unfortunately, in most of the communities, people living with AIDS carry a terrible stigma with them. This often results in people infected being avoided, abandoned and outcast by their family, friends, neighbours and community. This becomes especially tragic as those carrying the virus reach a terminal stage, and they are just left alone to die.

Helping Hands Africa trains partner churches, community leaders and communities as a whole to break down the prejudice and stigma and engage in a home-based care programme. This will involve visitation to the sick, spending time talking to the infected person, sharing a time of devotion and prayer, running errands on behalf of the individual, feeding them and showing genuine care and love. For those who were abandoned, these actions are like a spring morning after a long winter or the first ray of sunshine after a heavy thunderstorm. It restores dignity, hope and joy... and it often drastically improves their health status to such an extent that they will go on living a contented and fulfilled life for many more years to come.