Our partnership with Power of Love

Matero, one of the largest and poorest compounds in Lusaka, Zambia, has a population of 275,000 to 300,000 and is characterized by a high incidence of HIV (prevalence rate of 12% among adults aged 15-49), and unemployment rates upward of 60%. Most residents live on less than a $2 per day – defined as extreme poverty by the UN. There are 1.4 million orphans in a population of just 14 million in Zambia. Most orphans are cared for and live in households headed by an older sibling or a grandmother. Further, most caregivers are single moms/grandmothers caring for multiple orphaned children/grandchildren, a financial hardship exacerbated by the burden of HIV and other diseases. Power of Love’s vision is to strengthen communities by preventing new HIV infections, and reducing the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS on families.

Our second partnership with Power of Love Foundation supported their comprehensive pediatric care program for HIV positive children living in Lusaka, Zambia. This program provided 250 children residing in the Matero compound with weekly health check-ups, psycho-social counseling, and education on HIV prevention. The goal was to equip families with the right tools to take care of their children’s health. With better knowledge about HIV, community residents could take steps to prevent new HIV infections and the spread of HIV. A continued prevention of new HIV infections has led to a lower incidence of HIV, reduced stigma, more people coming forward for testing, and higher school attendance and performance.