HIV/Aids is a huge problem crippling the governments, health care and people of many developing countries. It has become a dominant health and development issue in Zambia. The burden of caring for 1.2 million people with aids needs to be met. The government does not have the surplus to even pay for updated machines, medicines and trained medical staff to treat this epidemic. Aid’s doesn’t only affect the infected people but also the government- money wise and children-orphaned. There are 1.5 million people orphans in Zambia alone. Who are going to care for these 2.7 million people infected people, not to mention pay for treatments and pay qualified medical staff.
These problems are associated with multiple causes including corrupt government, which I believe has its own poverty cycle: debt to be paid, resources exploited, farmers lose land, people lose food as it is being exported, money gained, debts paid, no money for the people The banks setting the interest rates exploit the debt ridden countries. We keep our countries well off by receiving debt re-payments.
The Christian organisation Catholic Fund for Overseas Development, or CAFOD has various different aid projects set up in several different developing countries. They are an English organisation that supports 500 projects in 75 countries. They send aid, money and missionaries to the people in these countries. They spent £1,111,000 in Zambia alone between 2003-2004. They set an example for every Christian to do their part in helping those less fortunate.
CAFOD have programmes set up which provide relief from the two problems, which I have decided to concentrate on. Ndola Diocese Justice and Peace department provide relief from exploitation of the people inside Zambia. They have organised support groups in schools and parish’s were people could speak of their frustration with their governments and any other issues they may have. People need to be able to get this load of their chests. This should be the sixth of the five basic needs. This particular programme protects the rights of poor communities in the Copperbeth, one of the poorest and most densely populated areas of Zambia.
Ndola Diocese Intergraded Aids programme helps the citizens of Zambia have some awareness and relief from aids. This programme provides home-based care to people with aids and encourages people without aids, in Zambian communities, to get involve in the prevention of the aids spread. They also provide an basic education on the awareness and prevention on aids and proper care for infected people. They offer counselling to sufferers. This particular programme provide food and needs to sufferers. They also tackle discrimination against people affected and provide care for orphans.
The Christian brothers have schools in Zambia providing care for orphans of aids infected parents. They provide food and social care for these children and a basic education to make them employable. This may help them break away from the poverty cycle. Edmund Rice College, a Christian brothers school, send students, teachers and ex-pupils to these orphanages annually to do there part.
It is Christian duty to help those less fortunate than themselves. In The Sheep and the Goats ‘he king’ said “, I tell you the truth. Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me.’ Indicting that you help God when you help those less fortunate than yourself, whether it’s in every day life or in missionary work.
In conclusion there are many problems that face developing countries, and the two problems in which I have concentrated on, debt and health care, are the two that I feel need aid the most. How much would it affect our already rich economy to drop the debt on developing countries? If each person contributed to these problems and our governments weren’t greedy, then the world would be a better place. I mean if every personon the planet followed the teachings of Jesus would we not be better off? How hard is this? To human beings, born with original sin, very!
