|PIC1|That's the nation where the international Christian charity Mercy Ships is currently providing a range of medical and community development projects free of charge to Liberians, and it's where Victorian nurse Claire Vesinger has just spent four months working with other volunteers from around the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Claire, from Orbost, has specialised in HIV as part of her nursing career, and has been working in the area of infectious diseases for the past two-and-a-half years. She says she went to Africa being told not to have any expectations about her involvement in the four-phase Mercy Ships project titled Tide of Mercy, involving the country's faith-based community. "I had some doubts initially about what I could contribute to the HIV team, but quickly realized how extremely important and urgent the project is."
"It is estimated that 10% of the Liberian population is HIV positive. There is a huge need to create among the people awareness that HIV is not only preventable, but manageable, thereby decreasing fear and stigma.
"We have had some wonderful experiences within our HIV workshops. Once a week, however, it has been my personal best experience to visit a HIV/AIDS hospice run by the Sisters of Charity. In the children's section, some have HIV, but most are there with TB or suffering from the effects of malnutrition. There were some wonderful times just playing with the children, and simply showing them love through cuddles. There was not a week when some child hasn't just fallen asleep on my lap. It was such a precious time."
Claire heard about the work being done by Mercy Ships volunteers. "I always knew God had called me to nursing as a career, along with a passion to use those skills serving the people of Africa."
Simply getting to West Africa to join the volunteer crew of more than 400 on the world's largest private hospital ship Africa Mercy was quite an experience, an experience similar to that of many volunteers heading from Australia. "I first had to find a travel agent who knew something of West Africa, and then finding the most economic and quickest route. On the way, there were delays in Bangkok and Kenya, so it took me four days to reach Liberia. My original plan was to stay for three months, but once onboard I decided to extend that period to four months."
"I had been to Africa previously, but this experience reinforced my understanding of how blessed my family and I are living in Australia. We have so much, and can draw on so many resources. Liberia is trying to recover from the effects of 14 years of civil war. Everywhere you see poverty, unemployment, despair and a feeling of hopelessness. I am also very thankful for the financial support given my members of my church and local communities to enable me to go. Next year, the Africa Mercy is going to another West African country, Benin, and I will be considering whether I can join that assignment. I am certain God placed it on my heart to go to Liberia for my short involvement, and it is God who made it all possible," Claire concludes.
Tide of Mercy – HIV/AIDS Response
When a Mercy Ships vessel enters the port of a developing country, it quickly becomes a national event, requiring significant involvement from churches and faith-based organizations. With HIV/AIDS programs, the continued involvement of those groups is considered to be essential in the decrease of HIV prevalence.
The Tide of Mercy program uses a four-phase approach to involve the faith community in the fight against HIV/AIDS – Assessment and Networking; Sensitive De-stigmatisation; Making Strategies: and Empowerment. The current assignment to Liberia aims to increase the number of church-based HIV care programs to 12 in the capital Monrovia, linking them to provide a response to HIV/AIDS in their community. The new groups will also be linked with existing organizations working in the same field. Liberia's documented infection rate is lower than that in many neighbouring countries, but after years of civil war and military coups there is a high potential for an explosive increase in the transmission of HIV.
Nations with strong prevention programs and awareness campaigns, such as Uganda, have demonstrated declines in the number of new HIV infections, particularly among the population under 20 years. Abstinence and condom use are key components of the successful programs. Involvement of the faith-based community appears to be a vital component of an effective multi-dimensional HIV/AIDS strategy. Early and significant mobilization of the religious community in Uganda resulted in widespread involvement in awareness and prevention activities. www.mercyships.org.au