Several people have been asking about AED, the AIDS clinic where I have been volunteering, so I decided to give an overview on my blog. AED stands for Association Espoir pour Demain (French for Association Hope for Tomorrow.) Several years ago a group of people who were HIV+ began meeting together and formed a support group among themselves. There are so many myths and misunderstandings about HIV/AIDS, and people often face discrimination, misunderstanding, rejection by their family and society. Kevin Fiori was a Peace Corps worker at that time and was very impressed with what he saw in this group. After his time in Kara working with them, Kevin returned to the States with the idea to start an NGO that would help empower AED to reach more people and offer more services. That was the birth of Hope Through Health.
AED offers counseling and assists people in getting tested, then helps them get started on a treatment regiment. They have counseling, medical consultations, some medical supplies, and a limited amount of ARVs (Anti-Retrovirals, the drugs that inhibit the progression of HIV/AIDS.) They have a specific program geared towards AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children which provides ARVs, hospitalization, some school supplies, home visits, and a day camp held one Saturday a month called Club Espoir. There is a program for pregnant women who are infected which offers ARVs, medical consultations, hospitalization, education, a support group, and six months of formula if the mother chooses to bottle feed. They have also begun some small programs to help women find sustainable ways to help women make a living and several satellite clinics located in smaller cities and villages in the area surrounding Kara.
While the work there is making a great impact on many lives, the demand is overwhelming and there are not enough resources to meet all of the needs. Most of the funding comes from the US, through local chapters and through their Stand With Us campaign. The Stand With Us campaign is the easiest way to get involved as it asks only for a $20 a month commitment and will provide all of the services for a person living with HIV for a month. I am amazed considering that is just one small copay for a person living in the US with insurance. You can also pray as they try to procure enough ARVs to meet the demand, raise their funds, and as they try to facilitate the gradual shift of funding to local resources.
