Waamu-African Organisation for HIV/AIDS

Importance and Benefits

Education in African unlike developed parts of the world is not very accessible to all people. While some governments such as Uganda have made it available free of charge in primary and secondary schools, the challenge is still to get people to benefit from this system. Some reasons for children not going to free school include; lack of learning resources such as excercise books, text books, pens and pencils. In addition , the classes are very crowded resulting in poor quality of education. So parents do not see much accomplished from this free education and therefore don't encourage children to attend school.

Being literate is the very least each person should get from school. Unfortunately with poor school facilities, not all people who attend school become literate. 

Availability

Education is not readily available to all children in many parts of Africa. Many people still have to walk long distances to get to school. Therefore more schools are needed in many parts of Africa. Although several improvements have been made in the last few decades, more still needs to be done to accommodate the increasing population. Building more schools without equipment is like building hospitals without beds or equipment. In order to make a difference, the schools that are built need to be well equipped.
 
Quality

Receiving education is good but getting quality education is better. To provide quality education, schools must be equipped with good resources to help students learn.

Well fed children will pay more attention at school and are likely to provide quality results. To benefit from quality education,students have to be ready to study and that includes good daily nutrition. In Africa, many families often go without enough to eat or balanced diets. Children going to school and not having enough to eat are unlikely to perform well.

Type of Education

Education in many parts of Africa has been geared towards academic subjects. This results in students graduating and remaining unemployed. There is need to offer more practical subjects in areas of agriculture, carpentry, brick making and bricklaying, construction, weaving etc. where graduates can become self employed.

Treatment is very important in HIV infection. Without treatment, the patients' body immune systems generally deteriorate and expose them to many forms of infections. Eventually the infections overpower the immune system and result in death.

Treatment of HIV infection is expensive. In Africa where a majority of people have low income, only few people can afford medication. Consequently, many people die due to lack of life prolonging medication.

Efforts are being made by goverments and non-government orgnizations to make medication available free of charge or at minimal cost. Until it is freely available to all, there is need to help people get the necessary life saving medicine.

Our aim is to help people break through barriers and make the medicine available to those in need. When patients obtain the medicine, we educate them about the importance of adhering to their doses. Because it is a lifelong commitment, taking medication as prescribed is the best way to prolong lives.

Counseling is guidance or expert advice by professionals on a subject. For patients and people affected by HIV, counseling is very important. In Africa where some entire communities have been affected by the disease, counseling is very vital. Professional intervention is needed to support those affected by the epidemic. The help needed is not always available and the effects are felt by whole communities who live in a state of desperation and hopelessness.

We are committed to contacting professionals and asking them to volunteer their skills and time.

Enabling people to support themselves is very important. When people have reason to live, they tend to stay positive and work towards their goals.

Projects that are income generating are very important in daily life. Many people in Africa rely on subsistence farming to feed themselves and have little or no disposable income left.

Ideas from our project include the following: 

1. Training people in skilled trades such as carpentry and brick making and bricklaying.

2. Organising people to work in groups or cooperatives for their common good.

3. Promote school gardens where students practice farming and generate food for themselves.

4. Establish community drop in centres where volunteer professionals provide services. These centres will be equipped with educational material for the community.