'The Lideta neighborhood in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is like many others in the city. The physical needs are obvious. Houses are made of mud and tin, there is no clean water supply, sanitation is sorely lacking, and people are desperately poor. The medical needs are clear. AIDS engulfs the health and livelihood of countless families in this area of 60,000 people. The spiritual needs are tremendous as many search for hope and relief in traditional cures and remedies.? --- from the Addis Ababa AIDS Homecare and Treatment Project, run by Mission to the World.
The team from IPC will be working with the MTW AIDS project in Addis Ababa, participating largely in women?s support group meetings, home visits to the beneficiaries with AIDS, and children?s activities for the beneficiaries? children or orphans of past beneficiaries. The project has about 300 HIV+ beneficiaries registered, and serves over 1,000 people, including families of beneficiaries, both living and those who have died. Our group will take craft supplies to teach the women during their weekly support group meetings, bubbles/balloons/crayons/sweets to give to the many children enthralled by those colourful Western luxuries, and most importantly spend time with the people there. Some days this might mean going on home visits to the beneficiary?s homes to pray with them or read a passage from Scripture together, lead devotions in support groups, entertain the children, or simply offer a gesture of kindness in putting an arm around a woman with AIDS who is often considered dirty and shunned in her community. The main aim of all that the project does is to share the message of hope in Jesus with our suffering community, both in word and deed, with a desire to see ashes replaced for beauty and mourning turned to dancing, as those suffering from AIDS come to know Jesus as their Saviour.'
The team from IPC will be working with the MTW AIDS project in Addis Ababa, participating largely in women?s support group meetings, home visits to the beneficiaries with AIDS, and children?s activities for the beneficiaries? children or orphans of past beneficiaries. The project has about 300 HIV+ beneficiaries registered, and serves over 1,000 people, including families of beneficiaries, both living and those who have died. Our group will take craft supplies to teach the women during their weekly support group meetings, bubbles/balloons/crayons/sweets to give to the many children enthralled by those colourful Western luxuries, and most importantly spend time with the people there. Some days this might mean going on home visits to the beneficiary?s homes to pray with them or read a passage from Scripture together, lead devotions in support groups, entertain the children, or simply offer a gesture of kindness in putting an arm around a woman with AIDS who is often considered dirty and shunned in her community. The main aim of all that the project does is to share the message of hope in Jesus with our suffering community, both in word and deed, with a desire to see ashes replaced for beauty and mourning turned to dancing, as those suffering from AIDS come to know Jesus as their Saviour.'
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