HIV/AIDS is preventable but apathy is fatal!

Hello all my friends!!!

I am here in Mozambique writing from my office with the TCE in Dondo, Mozambique. It has been 4 weeks since I have left San Francisco and feels like 4 months. As always with development work sooo much has happened in so little time, and then I think it is about time I write you all and say hello.

First a little about our project. TCE Mozambique is currently in 6 areas, one area is actually only ½ with 25 Field Officers instead of 50. In total we are reaching out to 505,000 people. 4 of the Areas are made possible with a partnership with the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) maybe you have seen this short film???

The partnership works this way. The USDA is giving 9,000 metric tons of soybean oil to us to support the TCE program. World Vision, (another NGO) will monetize, (sell) the soybean oil and proceeds going towards the TCE Sofala program. Another part is that we have a Direct Feeding program where 2900 beneficiaries receive soy products each month to help improve the nutrition conditions.

To be a beneficiary the criteria is that at least one person in the household is HIV positive. I think it is a good system as it also helps to take the stigma when so many are involved and it promotes that all should know their status, not to mention it helps improve the health of People Living With HIV/AIDS. This soy is also donated to 50 soy restaurants that the Field Officers and Special Forces have started with the Passionates (local volunteers). The Soy Restaurants feed for free 35 people per day and have a goal of selling another 35 delicious, nutritious soy meals. The free meals are given to selected orphans, pregnant woman and PLWHA. So as you can see there are many activities involved in this project which make it possible for us to reach out to many people with education about HIV/AIDS. The TCE program here is about half way through, it started in March 2005. When I arrived it was at the same moment we were about to have a visit from the USDA representatives to see how the things were developing here.

My second day was my first glimpse of the soy restaurants and I have to admit the soy is damn tasty, these Passionates really know how to cook! It was everything cooked with soy, bread, veggie burgers, little doughnuts, (bolinhas) soy milk, and even chima pretty impressive! The visit was very good and the visitors from the USDA were very happy with the results, it also gave me a great opportunity for a look around.

The following week was the Direct Feeding Distribution week. We have the soy in the main warehouse in the port city of Beira and we take out the monthly amounts in one big truck and store in the local warehouse until the following day when we do the actual distribution, due to the distance and logistics it is impossible to do it all in one day and so it is possible to do over 2 days with the mobilization of the Special Forces, Troop Commanders and the Field Officers. For such a large operation it is very well organized, of course there have been the ups and downs of getting the system in place, but it seems that we have a good one now.

Right now we are in the winter season here, but summer is fast approaching with the temperatures ranging from 23 – 28 Celsius I think that is about 75-80 farenheit for my friends in the US. The mornings are foggy, and it is so thick that you actually can feel the drops on your face and after 20 minutes you notice your hair getting wet. Our offices are located in Dondo, 30 km east of the 2nd largest city in Mozambique, Beira. Beira is actually quite small comparatively, but next to Dondo is a metropolis. The local transport is Chapa, which is a small Japanese (I think) minibus that crams as many people as possible for a low price. There is also the regularly scheduled bus which goes to Beira and East to other areas. We are in what is known as the "Beira Corridor" which means the main (only paved) road goes from Beira all the way to Zimbabwe and all the goods in from the port pass by either by truck or train, the train tracks run alongside the road in Dondo. I live on this main road and the train arrives at 4:30am and departs at about 10:30pm, I know this because there is a very loud train whistle that blows when the train arrives and departs. Who needs an alarm clock? Most people in Dondo proper live in brick buildings with tin or grass roofs. Once you go just a little outside the main village area it is much less developed, people live in huts. Not everyone has running water so in the morning I see many women getting water at the local pumps and wells conveniently located in the neighborhood. At our apartment we have running water…ok let me elaborate. We have taps and the water usually comes between 9 and 10pm and stops precisely at 6:15am. Some days it chooses not to come at all. Yes cold water only, and the showerhead is really just a display item, so we have a reservoir outside the door where we store water so that we can have water whenever we need it. We need to boil the water before we drink it, but we are lucky and have a fridge to cool the water and store the food, so I would say that life here is very good. The interesting thing about Mozambique is that there are always so many people around. There are many unemployed with nothing to do as there are no jobs. People also walk a lot! Not many cars, and believe me, everyone carpools, I have yet to see a car or truck for that matter go by with only one person in it, very GAIA like!

In almost all of the TCE areas we have finished the first time registration, which means our Field Officers have met and registered everyone possible in their field. The next step is to mobilize each person to make a PES plan and to want to get tested. PES means Perpendicular Estimate System. When you can say YES to the 4 demands of the PES system, then you can declare yourself TCE compliant. When all people are TCE compliant, we are in Total Control of the Epidemic! If you cannot answer YES to all 4 demands then the Field Officer will help you make a personal PES plan so you can decide yourself how to get in control of HIV/AIDS.

The 4 demands of the PES are:

1. Know all about it

You have thorough knowledge of the HIV virus, how it works and spreads, and of the AIDS disease

2. Know how to avoid being infected

You have general knowledge of sexual life, sexually transmitted diseases, the strategy for abstinence and the use of condoms

3. Get Tested

You are tested in order to know your status and act accordingly – or if you are not tested you behave in all relations as if you are HIV positive

4. Make sure not to spread the virus

You either do not engage in sexual intercourse or only do so when using a condom

The PES plan is not only for us here in African countries, but for all of you in every country around the world. It cannot work is only some are TCE compliant, we need to involve everyone if we want to make a difference, and that means YOU!

We here in Mozambique look forward to meeting all the future DIs and hearing news of the activities of the DRH movement.

Ate logo!

Michelle Wallace

Deputy Corps Commander

TCE Mozambique