PROJECT #209
Project #209 | Life-Saving Healthcare for HIV+ Children in Zambia
Our Partnership with Power of Love
Zambia is a country in Sub-Saharan Africa which is rich in natural resources, yet 60% of the population lives below the poverty line. Additionally, there is a high prevalence of HIV and over 1.4 million children have been orphaned, mostly due to parental deaths by AIDS. These orphaned children live with grandmothers, aunts, or in child-headed households with little or no source of income. Matero is one of the largest and poorest district in Lusaka, Zambia. It has a population of approximately 200,000, with approximately 11% of the adults aged living there, aged 15 – 49 being HIV positive. The unemployment rate is upwards of 60% and most residents live on less than $2 per day – which is defined as extreme poverty by the United Nations.
One Day’s Wages partnered with the Power of Love Foundation to provide life-saving health care services to 450 orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia. These children were provided with food, medicine, regular health check-ups, psycho-social counseling, training and monitoring in adherence to medication, and HIV education. Family members were also provided with training in basic nursing and in caring for an HIV+ child. After a few months, the health of the involved children significantly increased, they attended school regularly, and now know-how to prevent the spread of HIV. In addition, family members are now better educated on HIV, received counseling, regularly get tested for HIV, and have started prevention medication, all of which are critical to flattening the spread.
Our Collective Impact
Children Received Food
Care Givers Received HIV Training
People Received Personal Protective Equipment
Meet Tom*
Tom is seven years old and the fourth child in his family. He and his parents are all living with HIV, but the rest of his siblings are HIV-free. He tested positive and started medication in 2014, but since his parents had little knowledge on how to care for an HIV+ child, his mom enrolled him in the Power of Love pediatric care program in 2016. Since enrolling, Tom’s parents have received training in basic nursing, learned how to care for Tom appropriately, and now receive ongoing education and counseling. Tom also receives food, medicines, and regular health check-ups to ensure that he is healthy. He has recently reached undetectable viral load levels and loves the 1st grade.
*Name changed for privacy purposes
Thank you for making this possible!
Our movement is grassroots, to us that not only means the work on the ground is led by local leaders with the support of the community, but it also means that we raise the funds for our projects through everyday donors just like you. In addition to all the donors that gave $25, $100, or $250 and the campaigners that ran a race or donated their birthday to raise funds, we also want to thank our generous business, school, and faith sponsors who believed in our work and joined the movement.
If you want to support future projects like this you can make a donation to our clean water fund.
One Day's Wages is a grassroots movement of people, stories, and actions to alleviate extreme global poverty
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