HIV/AIDS Partnership between The Carbondale Unitarian FELLOWSHIP and Hospice of Southern Illinois with Ranchhod Hospice and Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Kabwe, Zambia.

A History of the Partnership
Since spring of 2003, the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship has been involved in a joint partnership with Hospice of Southern Illinois in supporting Ranchhod Hospice and Orphan Care Program in Kabwe, Zambia.  The partnership started after Carla Feldhamer, a CUF member, visited Africa in 2002 on an AIDS seminar tour that was sponsored by the Foundation For Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in 1999, the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa supports organizations in their development and provision of hospice and palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa.    The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Palliative Care as "an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual."  It:

• provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms;
• affirms life and regards dying as a normal process;
• intends neither to hasten nor postpone death;
• integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care;
• offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death;
• offers a support system to help the family cope during the patient's illness and in their own bereavement;
• will enhance quality of life, and may also positively influence the course of illness

 When Carla returned from her African seminar, the CUF Social Action Committee listened to her stories and made a commitment to designate this as a major social action project. The committee put together a proposal that was accepted by Hospice of Southern Illinois and we were partnered with Ranchhod, a new program under the umbrella of Kara Counseling and Training Trust in Lusaka, Zambia.   Since that time CUF members have been involved in many ways.
   -  In November of 2003, collections of medical supplies were donated from church members, hospice, and the greater Carbondale Community and boxed by church members.  At least 20 boxes were picked up and loaded on a container sent to Kabwe by the Catholic Medical Missions Board.
    - In February 2004, forty-seven members and associates of the Fellowship added their signatures in support of a letter from Rev. Sasso to Senator Dick Durbin, encouraging him to continue his efforts to achieve full funding for global HIV/AIDS relief, as promised by President Bush in his 2003 State of the Union address.
    -Three Concerts/Silent Auctions of African Art and three Fellowship yard sales have been held raising a significant amount of money to help with the cost of medications and food for the program in Kabwe.
     -Several Fellowship members have donated boxes of yarn, fabric, and other art supplies, sent money for the purchase of a sewing machine, sold pottery, and sold quilt raffle tickets.   Coin jars have been set up at the Fellowship, the hospice office and in the Carbondale community.
     -In 2006, CUF applied for a grant from the UU Women’s Federation to build a permanent workshop for the Busy Bees.  This is a group of Women affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic through the loss of a spouse or child, their own infection, and/or the burden of care for the orphan children that they are now responsible for.  They meet at the hospice daily to do income-generating activities and to be a support to each other in a community where the “stigma of AIDS” can be isolating.    We try to show them all that we appreciate their continued dedication.  The home-based caregivers, the Busy Bees, so many people, teach us to sing, show us how to dance - how to enjoy being alive.  What a lesson!
    - Annual trips to Kabwe have been made by fellowship members and the staff of Hospice of Southern Illinois.  Prior to each of these visits, members of CUF and Hospice of Southern Illinois donate medications and other medical and school supplies which are delivered by the visitors.

     What else do we do on these visits? The HIV/AIDS pandemic has already claimed more than 25.8 million lives and another 39.5 million people are currently estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, 2.6 million more than in 2004.  95% of these persons reside in low and middle-income countries, where most new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths occur.  The nations of sub-Saharan Africa have been hardest hit.  These countries are home to 2/3 of all HIV/AIDS cases.  The region is also home to most (91%) of the 2.3 million children living with HIV globally.  Women in this region represent 59% of all adults living with HIV/AIDS.  There are 12 million orphans living in Sub-Saharan Africa.  In Zambia there are 1,100,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS  ….57% of these are women.      98,000 AIDS deaths have been reported leaving behind close to 800,000 orphans.  Orphans are persons under18 who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. … … overwhelming….devastating…desperate…bleak….hopeless…distant…shocking?
      39.5 million people!!!!  How can anyone relate to that number-- Or any of the other “statistics”?  We get overwhelmed with statistical overload---losing site of the fact that each of these numbers represent an individual.  A son or a daughter, mother or father, sister or brother, baby….lost dreams, lost childhood, lost futures, a lost generation.
                Over the past 5 years we have been blessed with the chance to put faces and names with these numbers.  We have seen hope replace hopelessness.   We have seen tremendous strength and dedication…We have seen compassion and caring beyond words. We have met Mary Chidgey, a nurse from Ireland, who moved to Kabwe with her husband, David, a farmer.  She and Winstone Zulu, a Zambian AIDS activist, with the help of Father Michael Kelly started Ranchhod Hospice and Orphan Care program.  Mary works from dawn to dusk 6 days a week, driving children from the village to the day care, caring for patients, managing the budget, seeking funds, educating caregivers, visiting home care patients, driving to outreach clinics….
     Betty Kafula, a home-based caregiver who is HIV positive.  She lives in the outreach village of Kangoma…organizing the building of a school, setting up a clinic, looking out for persons in her village that are ill as well as caring for her children and the children of her deceased sister.  The side effects of the AIDS medication that she takes leaves her feeling exhausted but she pushes on.
     -Nurse Janet is one of the most dedicated persons we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.  She works in the hospice wards; she goes on outreach and patiently listens to the long lists of illnesses that the villagers share with her.  She gives them her full attention and the medicine to help them feel better - at least for a little while - until next time.  She is instrumental now in helping with family planning, providing counseling and actively working with families to help maintain and not increase the family unit and control the spreading of sickness.
Cherry Matimuna…the very gifted nurse with a huge smile and loving spirit. Nurse Janet who was unable to read the medicine bottles until she put on my reading glasses…I was glad that I brought an extra pair to Zambia.
     Towela-----a special friend from the beginning---housekeeper, caregiver, mother, grandmother of Kundwani, proud and strong, fun and full of life and laughter despite her HIV positive status and the multiple family members that she is responsible for.
     Chisomo, Devoter, Jenny, Mathilda, Media, and Sandra, who care for, feed, play with, love and teach the orphans who come daily.
      Davey Zimba.  A beautiful man with a bright future, loving family and kind soul.  His family due to severe dehydration brought Davey to the hospice from AIDS.  He went back home after receiving IV fluids and medication…he reached out to us in friendship and we reached back to him.   A week after we returned home, we  received an e-mail from his friend informing us that Davey had died.  He will never be just a statistic to us.  Neither will Annie Banda who died while we were there leaving behind her grieving mother.  She came in to the hospice very ill, rallied for a while asking for yarn so she cold knit along with the other women.  The disease had weakened her body so that she could not gain her strength back.  She quickly declined and joined the other “statistics” of the AIDS pandemic. Her face is indelibly etched in our minds.
     15-year-old Mary who loved to paint and grew stronger each day, she looked beautiful in her nightgown donated by a fellowship member.
We wonder about Petronella, Winfreda, Miriam, Smart, Samson, Patson, Mathilda, Naomi, Baby Gomed and his mother, and all of the other patients that touched our hearts in Kabwe.
We picture the beautiful children in their blue shorts and checked shirts made by the BUSY BEES.  Peter and Kundwani and Carol who are diagnosed HIV positive and have started on Anti -retroviral treatment.
We’ve met little Sarah, an 11-year-old who is HIV-positive and has a liver disorder.  She needs to have an uncomfortable procedure done every few days because of this.  We formed a bond - Sharing some small gifts and smiles.  Her prognosis is not good but she will be cared for with the deepest compassion. 
Mikey, who was brought to the hospice when his grandmother could no longer care for him.  His mother had died in childbirth.  When Mickey arrived at age 2 he was emaciated, could not walk, belly swollen, scared.  The staff at the hospice nurtured and loved him.   Last May he was walking, laughing, eating, hugging and playing.  His grandmother is now able to care for him and lovingly brings him and picks him up from day care each day.  What about little Ian and Moses and Patson and Doreen and Lucy?
On and on and on….the wide-eyed and hopeful faces of the future of Zambia. 

     -The Fellowship has also helped sponsor public events to educate the greater Southern Illinois community regarding the AIDS pandemic.  In November of 2003, a symposium was held at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute featuring Stephen Lewis, the U.N. Special Envoy to HIV/AIDS in Africa.  Senator Simon had been on the International Advisory Board of the Foundation For Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa.  He met with members of the Fellowship and Hospice and was tremendously supportive of the Zambian partnership.   His successor, Mike Lawrence, moved forward with planning the very successful symposium.
     Rainbow Café, which provides a supportive environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth from all over southern Illinois, also plays a role in our local HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. A joint ministry of CUF and Carbondale’s Church of the Good Shepherd, U.C.C., Rainbow Café has included HIV prevention as part of its’ programming since March, 2003.