Bringing health care to remote villages
ONE member Kim Dixon Perez recounts her experience traveling with a mobile HIV-testing clinic with the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance in Malawi.
Five-year-old Charles was warming himself by the fire when his shirt caught the flames and most of his back was burned. His mother had to carry him -– on foot -– four miles for help.
Charles’ family lives in a remote village in Malawi. Because most Malawians lack transportation to medical care, the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance (GAIA) brings care to them. “Mobile clinics” offer HIV testing, prenatal care, family planning and care for acute illnesses. Separately, 250 caregivers visit homes in 60 villages.
On a listening tour in August, I visited a mobile clinic near the Mozambique border.
After a 90-minute drive on pockmarked roads, our group was greeted by 100 women and children singing and enveloping us. They reached their hands out for a chance to squeeze ours. Their hands were rough but their grasp was warm. Their music and smiles practically carried us on air the 200 yards to the clinic.
I hugged and smiled and locked eyes, hoping to superglue those sights and sounds inside my mind so I would never forget.
Twenty minutes later, we were inside a small brick building usually used as a church. A clinical officer sat on a cement bench. I claimed a chair next to him. In his lap were test strips.
The women we met outside entered individually and sat next to him on the cement. Their faces turned serious. One by one they reached out a hand, palm up, and he pricked a finger. He dabbed blood onto the paper-thin test strip.
He was testing them for HIV.
Soon, there were a few dozen tests lined up. Good news: only one woman tested positive that day.
Here’s more good news. This year, through GAIA:
• 13,139 children under 5 were treated for malaria
• 307 pregnant women received prenatal care
• More than 1,500 women received family planning
• 21,986 children received growth monitoring to track nutrition
These statistics are counting people who otherwise would have to walk many miles for even the most basic care.
And when I met Charles, he was all smiles, recovering in a hospital.
That’s proof worth celebrating.
Kim Dixon Perez is a ONE member and freelance writer based in Pasadena, Calif.
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December 23, 2010 at 12:54 am
Im very touched,and i couldn’t stop my tears from flowing,but this are tears of joy.you are indeed making difference in our life’s.we thank you for your hard work & dedication.may the GOOD,MERCiful,KIND,LOVING GOD BLESS YOU.
December 25, 2010 at 4:39 pm
I work with HIV/AIDS/STI in developing countries have been doing this type of work for many years. Just back from Mozambique where I worked in remote areas with farmers and their families. Will include my resume for your review. Flo
December 26, 2010 at 4:41 am
heres a thought…y not spend the time and effort here in the states b4 goin to other countries ..dont fail to realise that if we dont take care of ourselves we wont be able to take care of others…we have not fixed our issues yet
December 26, 2010 at 5:31 am
Mike, what you said is honorable, but the major difference is there is no government subsidy in most of these developing nations like Malawi. There is no welfare, no unemployment benefits, no food stamps, no WIC program, etc.which are available to all eligible people here in the USA. We are talking about the bare necessities here! I totally commend ONE, Global Aids Interfaith Alliance, and other organizations like them. Please keep up the good, life saving work you are doing in these remote areas of the world. God bless you.
December 29, 2010 at 12:43 am
You are truely an inspiration, thankyou for what you are doing! It is good to know that there are ppl like u out there:)
God bless you!
January 6, 2011 at 1:09 am
may God bless You all, as u have blessed others. I wish there was something more that I could do to help in your effort to save lives. Which I must proudly say you are doing such a great job at. Thankyou for making a differece
January 8, 2011 at 6:04 am
Its truly great that yal do this 4 them im happy there is help 4 those less fortunate! i do not have the disease but i have lost the majority of my family 2 AIDS including my lil sister lakiesha who was born with it and i know how truly sad and painful it is 2 c a baby in a coffin she died at the age of about 1 and a half….
February 7, 2011 at 9:24 pm
In just a few words you have captured the enormously important acccomplishments that the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance and other compassionate organizations are providing for the courageous, gentle people of Malawi.
I am very grateful to you for your gift of storytelling, Kim.
February 7, 2011 at 9:39 pm
The work that GAIA has been doing and continues to do in Malawi is critical to the health and well being of this “warm heart of Africa.” Malawians are gracious and wonderful people who live at a subsistence level and are an inspiration to all of us. It is a pleasure to be supportive of the good work GAIA is dong and my heart goes out to the Malawi care-givers and to all who provide medical and compassionate care to those in need.
Thank you, Kim, for sharing your experience.
March 22, 2011 at 8:55 am
This is a very noble effort is encouraged and expected to have more non- government institutions or other parties to conduct such business. good <a href="http://hubpages.com/hub/kinesiology"health should be emphasized, especially people who live at rural area or isolated because they are difficult to get treatment.