Sellah (centre) receives home-based care assistance in Malawi. Photo: PWS&D.
A Chance for Children in Malawi
Sellah isn’t sure when she first got infected with the HIV virus, but when both she and her husband became sick, Sellah knew she needed to be tested. The positive test results were devastating. As her health deteriorated, Sellah worried she would not be able to care for her family.
Sellah went to Ekwendeni Hospital in northern Malawi where PWS&D supports a program providing services to those living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. The program helps meet the physical, psychological, palliative and spiritual needs of people living with HIV and AIDS, in their own homes. Sellah’s home-based care volunteer, Maria, helps her with feeding, bathing, washing linens and other tasks. Maria has passed on care-giving skills to Sellah’s husband and other family members so they can provide effective care.
Maria also helped Sellah get involved with the program’s support component for mothers, teaching them how to significantly reduce the chances of their children becoming infected. Through proper care and medication, and with the support of dedicated healthcare workers, 95% of the babies in the program have been born HIV-free.
Now the mother of five children, a smile spreads across Sellah’s face as she explains, “My children have all been tested for HIV. All have tested negative.”
Together, with Canadians here at home and partners overseas, we can help reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS and give children a better chance at a healthy life in Malawi.
