Lord Levene visits a community based organisation in Africa which supports children affected by AIDS
There are now more than 39 million people around the world living with HIV – slightly more than the population of Poland. Nearly two-thirds of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the dramatic rise in cases among women is particularly evident.
Women now account for nearly half all infected adults worldwide. The impact of the prolonged illness and subsequent death of a mother, and very often a second parent is devastating for children. The impact is both social (bereavement, isolation, loss of love, care and guidance as well as economic, ie deepening poverty as a result of the death of breadwinners.
In 2001 Lloyd’s Charities Trust made a pledge of £75,000 over three years to support two projects to develop community based care for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in two provinces in South Africa. The projects have been implemented through partner charities St. Nicholas Children’s Hospice and Heartbeat and aimed to develop care for orphans within their communities.
During a recent visit to South Africa, Lloyd's Chairman Lord Levene visited Heartbeat, a community based organisation that has grown very rapidly over the period of support from Lloyd's Charities Trust. From small beginnings in Gauteng Province, it is now working in four provinces and providing support in a fifth. Heartbeat focuses its support on children in child-headed households. Lord Levene visited an afterschool centre in Katlehong, 45 mins from Johannesburg, it is one of the largest Heartbeat centre's. From a small residential building around 570 children from 13-16 years old receive support from social workers, councillors and Child Care Workers. They can pick up food supplies, receive help with their homework and most importantly the centre provides a network of other children.
Lord Levene said of the facility: “HIV/AIDS is one of the greatest threats to children in Southern Africa, by supporting St Nicholas Children’s Hospice and Heartbeat, Lloyd’s Charities Trust has provided invaluable support to children in need of care.”
During the visit Lord Levene joined one of the “life skills” sessions which aim to get the children to support one another and build a relationship with the group, he also met with a number of Child Care Workers, who are community based and act as mentors to the children, many of whom have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
“It was a very humbling experience” said Lord Levene, “seeing such suffering first hand makes you realise the scale of the problem Africa is facing. The work carried out by both St Nicholas Children’s Hospice and Heartbeat has truly made an impact”.
