For our purposes, "affected community" simply means that HIV/AIDS has affected a neighborhood or village to the degree that it must be considered a realistic and strategic threat to the well-being of children we serve.
How is my contribution to the AIDS Initiative used to help Compassion's work with HIV/AIDS-affected children?
Your gifts are combined hundreds of other gifts to equip Compassion staff to respond quickly and comprehensively to children and families who are directly affected by HIV/AIDS. There are no "little gifts" in this initiative. Every gift from every source becomes part of Compassion's larger strategy to:
- Reduce the number of deaths among our HIV-positive children
- Reduce the number of children hospitalized with HIV/AIDS complications
- Give our children practical, quick-response assistance when they lose a parent to AIDS
Will I know if my sponsored child is HIV-positive?
That depends on the desire of your child (or your child's family) to disclose that information. Compassion must respect the dignity and privacy of our assisted children and their families. Therefore, the following organizational policies regarding the disclosure of HIV/AIDS status guide our worldwide staff in all their efforts to assist children in need:
- Compassion personnel will only inform sponsors or non-family members of a child's HIV/AIDS status if the child's guardian consents.
- Children will have the opportunity to voluntarily disclose the HIV/AIDS status of themselves or family members to their sponsors for the purpose of prayer, support and encouragement.
- If a child dies, the wishes of the family will be respected in regard to posthumous disclosure to the child's sponsor.
- Sponsors are informed of these policies and asked to respect the wishes of their sponsored children and caregivers.
What does Compassion's AIDS Initiative provide for children in Africa?
Compassion's AIDS Initiative offers a community of support to HIV/AIDS-affected people through comprehensive benefits and activities that include:
- Prevention education and health training for field staff, church partners, project workers, children and parents
- Strong encouragement of voluntary counseling and testing
- Treatment of opportunistic diseases (including tuberculosis, diarrhea and pneumonia)
- Nutritional support
- Antiretroviral (ARV) medicines for Compassion-assisted children
- Home-based care and supplies
- Housing and shelter assistance
- Subsistence/livelihood support
- Institutional care as necessary
In each country where it is active, Compassion's AIDS Initiative is overseen by a staff physician. It is carried out by local health workers who interact directly with the children and families who benefit from the program. The African focus of Compassion's response to HIV/AIDS reflects the statistics of high HIV/AIDS incidence in the area — and among our assisted children there.
Why should I get involved?
HIV/AIDS presents a unique opportunity to show mercy — in Jesus' name — to those who need it most.
Mulatu Belachew, Special Projects Director and former Compassion Africa Area Director, says it well: "This disease really brings out who we are as Christians. As caring Christians, we must reach out to our children and their families affected by HIV/AIDS and restore hope."
You can restore hope for a child and his or her family with just a few dollars a month. It's a possibility within your reach. It's certainly taking seriously Jesus' teaching regarding treating "the least of these" as we would treat Him.
The AIDS Initiative is set up to maximize the impact of every dollar that is received — and to continue Compassion's frontline efforts to provide practical, holistic help to children and families who face the specter of HIV/AIDS.
