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Canada
and Sweden donate US$220,000.00 for HIV/AIDS programmes in rural
communities
Swedish
International Development Co-operation Agency (Sida) and Canadian
International Development Agency (Cida)
May 20, 2004
Harare, Zimbabwe
– Canada and Sweden officially handed over up to US$60,000.00 per
hospital to four mission hospitals in Manicaland and Masvingo provinces.
The donation will enable the mission hospitals, with technical support
from Pact ZimAIDS, to carry out competitive community HIV/AIDS support
programmes targeted at rural communities.
The official
handover ceremony was held in Harare on May 20th, 2004.
The Ambassador of Canada, John Schram, and the Ambassador of Sweden,
Kristina Svensson, officially presented the grants to Musume Mission
Hospital (United Lutheran Church), Mutambara Mission Hospital (United
Methodist Church), Regina Coeli Mission Hospital (Roman Catholic)
and St. Theresa’s Mission Hospital (Roman Catholic).
The Canadian
International Development Agency (Cida) and the Swedish International
Development Co-operation Agency (Sida) jointly fund the project,
whose operational name is RUVHENEKO. In shona, Ruvheneko means a
bright, penetrating light. For rural communities across Zimbabwe,
the programme partners believe the Ruvheneko project will mean a
bright light of hope.
Ruvheneko consists
of a comprehensive community HIV and AIDS support programme proven
effective in promoting HIV testing and in fighting stigma. The programme
aims at offering services presently not available to rural people
and by involving the local communities to jointly step up the fight
against AIDS. In addition to Voluntary counselling and Testing (VCT),
other services include quality home-based care for people living
with HIV and AIDS, educational support for children affected by
HIV and AIDS, medical and legal referrals and activities that contribute
to economic self sustenance.
The Ruvheneko
project, through Pact ZimAIDS, will help 10 mission hospitals and
operate voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) centres for HIV
over the next two years. VCT is recognised globally as key to AIDS
prevention. Yet people, many of them poor women, who live in rural
areas, do not today have access to surrounding remote communities.
The Ministry
of Health and Child Welfare (MoH/CW) has approved and strongly endorses
the partnership with the proposed VCT centres.
Canada and Sweden
continue to provide development cooperation to Zimbabwe through
civic society organisations and United Nations bodies.
Pact ZimAIDS
is an international NGO headquartered in Washington, DC. It operates
programs in nine countries in Africa that focus on HIV and AIDS
and sustainable natural resources development. In the Ruvheneko
project, the organisation will provide grants management, technical
assistance and capacity building, monitoring and evaluation and
networking.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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