Day 12 - Libuyu HIV Women's Group

Another emotional day for all! Friday morning we visited Libuyu compound. Due to a large proportion of residents being HIV positive a self-help women’s group was initiated here in 2008. Twenty women, all HIV positive, are currently enrolled on the programme.  Many of the women are single parents and can have up to 6 children. They offer each other support and receive education on the potential dangers of breastfeeding after their babies develop teeth (approximately 6 months old) - the virus can be passed through the blood when the babies’ suckling causes damage to the tissues. As the alternative of supplements are too dear, the women are often faced with the impossible decision of whether to breastfeed their child and risk the transmission of HIV or leave their child to go hungry. Consequently, there are young children and babies that are HIV positive.

Piggery

This self-help group are aware of their predicament and striving to improve their situation. The women work on a farm, overseen by a manager, growing their own crops and keeping chickens for meat. The profits of these ventures are to help support the women; funding supplements and meeting their daily needs. Unfortunately, due to a number of challenges which seem to rear their head again and again, the group is currently failing to self-sustain. They have a piggery half built with no pigs; a fish pond with no water; 100 chickens in a chicken run with a capacity for 1000; and farm land with no crops.

One of the women and her 4 children have lived in this 'house' for 4 months

Donors are needed to help with the completion of their half-finished projects. Alongside those already started, other ideas to help prevent the transmission of HIV and the unsustainable purchase of supplements have included the purchasing of milk express pumps. Ideally the programme aims for women to graduate within 2 years of enrollment  having acquired the necessary skills to self-sustain. Understandably this is currently not possible. The programme is at its’ capacity and there are HIV positive women waiting to enrol.

In contrast the afternoon saw celebrations for the UNWTO commence.  We headed to the golf club where an arts and cultural festival was being held. There were dances, music and acrobats from 10 provinces within Zambia. The first Zambian president since independence was the guest of honour. Every one of us was blown away with the evident patriotism, and our senses were left buzzing with the sights and sounds of Zambian culture.

Arts and cultural festival

Today highlighted the vast divide that exists within countries like Zambia.

"No person, I think, ever saw a herd of buffalo, of which a few were fat and the great majority lean. No person ever saw a flock of birds, of which 2 or 3 were swimming in grease, and the others all skin and bone." Henry George