Swaziland Positive Living (SWAPOL)
Support to Rural Communities Living with the Affects of HIV/AIDS
Manzini, Swaziland
Background
SWAPOL is an organization for People Living with HIV/AIDS and affected families. The organization has 439 members and works in the communities of Mafutseni, Bhundla Mahlangatsha, Sidzakeni, Sibovu, Mkhulamini, Sithobeleni, Maliyaduma and Ngwempisi. Of the 439 members, 400 are women and 39 are men.
Swaziland has just recently been revealed as being the country in Africa with the highest prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS. There is little or no education or support for PLWHAs in rural communities and very few resources for this kind of work. Access to ARVs is rare because of the distances from rural communities to hospitals (e.g., from Mahlangatja to Mbabane Hospital is 102 kilometers) and the cost of transport per person, which is prohibitive for someone living with HIV/AIDS who can't work due to illness. Promotion of positive living and nutrition to PLWHAs is urgent in order to prolong lives and lessen the number of orphans.
SWAPOL was established in 2001 by five HIV-positive women after they encountered problems with their in-laws and communities. They decided to form the organization to reduce stigma and discrimation at the community level. SWAPOL understands the importance of working closely with local chiefs, authorities, religious groups and other organizations doing similar or complementary work.
SWAPOL has worked to mobilize rural communities in the areas of training and education, disseminating information about HIV/AIDS. SWAPOL also trains community caregivers in home care and referring the sick to hospitals. The organization has its own home-visit program and encourages PWLHAs to engage in healthy nutrition at the household level -- growing vegetables in kitchen gardens. SWAPOL has also worked with child-headed households to grow small gardens for the provision of healthy food to orphans and other vulerable children (OVCs).
An orphan care centre has been established at Mahlangatsha, where 46 children are provided with two meals a day, five days a week. The Centre does not have enough food to provide meals for the children on the weekends. Even week-day meals are becoming difficult and community members and SWAPOL are contributing food.
The Project
Support from the Stephen Lewis Foundation will help SWAPOL establish an office with paid staff, desks and computers, coordinate home visits to terminally ill patients, provide counselling in rural communities and promote positive living.
In addition, SWAPOL will help develop income-generating projects for the volunteers (all women) caring for the 46 orphans at the Mahlangatsha neighbourhood care centre by providing sewing machines, fabric and other materials.
SLF Ref#: SWAPOL.04.03