Living Positive in Rwanda:
One woman’s story

When she first fell ill, Beatha did not understand her illness. But once she was diagnosed as being HIV positive, she found it very difficult to live, especially in dealing with the stigma. I remember locking myself in my house, she shares, not leaving to meet with my family or to visit friends. “I was embarrassed and afraid.”

Pastor Rubugo, from a Baptist church just outside of Kigali, began visiting Beatha. He encouraged her and helped her to understand that the Lord loved her with or without a diagnosis of HIV. On later visits, Pastor Rubugo brought others who were living positively and who had committed their lives to the Lord. They encouraged Beatha to go to the hospital to receive treatment which not only would help her cope with the pain and debilitation of her disease, but also help her live longer.

But what she found most helpful in her personal fight against HIV/AIDS, she shares, is meeting with others who are dealing with the disease and learning how they came to terms with their diagnosis. Because of this support group, Beatha too has learned to live positively. Just listening to her speak, you can hear the new hope she has found through Jesus. Her confidence in His love for her has given her confidence also in living positively with HIV/AIDS.
Each Friday she cannot wait to get out of her house to meet with her friends at church. They pray and encourage each other, enjoying the time just to be together. They have also started a small business, making baskets to sell so that they can support themselves.

Beatha and her friends are thankful for Guardians of Hope in Canada who helped to make their business a reality. She feels that she has been given so much. Accepted by her friends and church family, Beatha says that she now has hope for the future. She is living positively and helping others who are in distress, hiding from life because of their diagnosis.

Back to School for Change
Canadian and Kenyan Teachers Working Together for Prevention

Education is crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS, helping to empower youth.

This coming December another cohort of teachers are set to graduate in the Kenya Teacher Training Program. Cohort 3, comprised of 26 women and 14 men (32 of whom teach elementary school), represent schools and geographic regions throughout Kenya. Canadian teachers also participate, volunteering their time over school holidays, to help teach in this program.

To graduate, participants must take 10 courses ranging in topics from theology and curriculum planning to psychology and counselling. They dedicate their school holidays to go back to school, to study. While none of these courses are tailored specifically to HIV/AIDS, they all include a component of working with children affected by this disease.

An exciting part of this program is the Group Project. Cohort 2 produced Life as it is Meant to Be, an HIV/AIDS primary school curriculum. Cohort 3 is currently working on their group project – a collection of poems and songs about the affects of HIV/AIDS to be distributed to Kenyan classrooms.
Based on the success of the first three cohorts, CBM and the Africa Brotherhood Church are currently in negotiations about a fourth cohort.

A Youth Story from Angola
It’s a common story, but with drastically different endings

This past January, during an HIV/AIDS awareness session at Paz de Deus (Peace of God) church in Cabinda, a young man stood up and shared a shocking story. He disclosed that in his compound a young woman diagnosed with HIV was abandoned by her family and friends. Feeling isolated and without hope, this young woman hanged herself. He shared her story to call attention to the consequences of discrimination against those affected by HIV/AIDS. Living with the stigma of this disease is one of the greatest challenges people face.

But change is happening. Take the story of another young man at yet another session sponsored by Guardians of Hope. Andre lives in a small house with seven other family members. He is both a student and a farmer. Prior to attending this HIV/AIDS awareness session, Andre had numerous girlfriends with whom he had unprotected sexual relations. Because of this session, says Andre, I learned of the risks associated with my lifestyle and so I decided to choose abstinence.
André is committed to his decision and seeks his pastor’s advice and encouragement. He is also looking for more skills training, to improve his family’s life.

André is thankful for the sessions which he says have helped him feel better equipped when it comes to discussions about HIV/AIDS. His pastor is the local HIV/AIDS activist. Through the Guardians of Hope program, 20 youth have been trained to become awareness activists as well.

The Globetrotters, a small but dedicated youth group from Paris Baptist Church in Ontario, raised $500 through a plant sale this past April for Guardians of Hope (GOH). See our next newsletter for a story about another youth group (First Baptist, Edmonton) who have joined the fight against HIV/AIDS in a very significant way, taking on the support of an entire GOH project in Rwanda.

In Kenya, through our partners, The Africa Brotherhood Church and the African Christian Church and Schools, Guardians of Hope supports 21 projects. Many of these projects are located in areas affected by extended years of drought. They reach over 22,825 individuals (including 7,200 children, many of whom are orphans and/or who lead child-headed households, and 4,500 women, many of whom are widows and who have taken in orphans from extended family and neighbours).

In the North Eastern province, Guardians of Hope also continues to support a TB-HIV/AIDS clinic in Garissa. There, Somali patients receive medical treatment, counseling and nutritious meals.

In Rwanda, through our partner, Association des Eglises Baptistes au Rwanda, Guardians of Hope supports nine projects, reaching over 3,445 individuals (including 1,000 children, many of whom are orphans and/or who lead child-headed households, and 1,500 women, many of whom are widows and who have taken in orphans).

In both Kenya and Rwanda, these numbers, however, do not reflect the incredible, extended impact of each project in the surrounding areas. Thousands more people of all ages are being reached through the prevention and education efforts of our local partners. These include high school AIDS clubs, curriculum, youth dramas in marketplaces and churches, teacher training programs, and more.

The success of our partners’ local Guardians of Hope groups is rooted in the crucial emotional and spiritual support they provide, in addition to practical care like food, small business loans, goats, school fees and uniforms, etc., to children and families most affected by HIV/AIDS. We’ve heard that local governments and NGOs are recommending people who test positive to find a local Guardians of Hope group.

In 2006, our African partners have doubled their geographic reach. We hope to see the same commitment in our Guardians of Hope partners in Canada.
Through your generous donations and prayer, Guardians of Hope will continue to reach those most affected by the global AIDS pandemic.
Thank you for your continued support. You are a valued partner.

Special note of thanks to Canadian Baptist Women’s groups across Canada who participated this past winter in The Great Canadian Bible Study to raise money for Guardians of Hope. See www.guardiansofhope.org for more about this event including a story about Martha Nthenge, one of our Guardians of Hope in Kenya, featured in this study.

Story of Martha Nthenge

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