Lifeline for HIV/AIDS patients in Anambra…As NGO gives food, others to Anyi Ga Adi Association

www.odogwublog.com brings you this report by Obinna Odogwu of the Sun

Hope came alive for the people living with HIV/AIDS in Anambra State recently. A Non-Governmental Organization, Archbishop Maxwell Anikwenwa International Pastoral Care Resource Centre (AMIPCRC) visited the patients at St. Joseph Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu in Aniocha Local Government Area of the state with assurances of hope.
According to the NGO, their purpose of identifying with the patients was in line with their aims and objectives which are, among others, to reduce to a bearable minimum, if not entirely, the social stigma meted to the people living with the disease; enlighten the Nigeria public especially at the grassroots, about the dreaded, incurable virus and its modes of transmission; how carriers can lead a long, healthy lifestyle; how to prevent the spread of the virus and to reassure patients of hope among others. The group also donated some bags of nutritional food materials to the patients.
While interacting with Anyi Ga Adi Association, a support group that operates under the hospital, Rev. Cannon Cyprian Nwankwo, a resource person for Archbishop Maxwell International Pastoral Care Resource Centre, told the patients that “our mission here today is to empower and give our little support to those living with HIV/AIDS. The virus as we all know carries a lot of burdens. These burdens and the stigmatizations are enough to kill the carrier, hence, part of the resolve of this foundation to periodically, as much as possible to identify with you. Our coming here today is also designed to enlighten you on how to lead a healthy lifestyle, and to protect your loved ones and the society from getting the virus. It is our mutual responsibility to protect the world and make it free of HIV/AIDS. And we discourage the carriers from spreading the disease, perhaps in vengeance.”

“Status declaration is very important because there is need for people to overcome stigma. You must overcome self-stigmatization, social stigma and you must open up and declare your status. Speak to the public and once you let the virus go public, definitely solution will be at hand and a lot of lives will be saved” he advised.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the NGO, Sir Ikechukwu Abana, made a startling revelation of the increment of the virus in the state in the recent time, urging the Anyi Ga Adi Association to come out en masse to speak against the virus, not minding their status. 

Hear him: “Don't go on silent. You people need to come out and speak against this disease. If you continue to go on silent, then the virus will continue to go underground and that's what we’re facing in Anambra State today. There was a time we manage the virus to 3% of its prevalence but today what we are hearing is alarming. It's now up to 7%. People should know and understand that HIV is still with us and it is a reality.”

Earlier in his welcome address, Rev. Fr. Christian Ononiba, assistant manager of St. Joseph Hospital Adazi-Nnukwu were the support group is located commended the Archbishop Maxwell Anikwenwa Pastoral Foundation for their kind gesture. “I call what you people are doing today a vocational work. You are being called to see to the welfare of people who are less privileged and sick.”

Continuing, Ononiba expressed optimism that the visit will impact a lot in the lives of the support group, while urging them to keep up the spirit and prayed for God’s blessings upon the members of the Archbishop Anikwenwa group.
                                                                          
Responding on behalf of the HIV/AIDS patients, the coordinator of the Anyi Ga Adi Association, Mr Stephen Nwatu, thanked the foundation for remembering to visit them and providing them with some food items.

His words: “We are happy you people came to visit us here. Our aim of organizing these support groups is to build a capacity of our members in such a way that they would be able to, not only sustain themselves but to be able to impact positively in the lives of other people out there in our society. Today people are living happily than before when our members die often, due to lack of empowerments. We thank you for the food items. People here need more drugs and nutritional foods because most of the drugs they take are more of antibiotics and needed more of proteinuria foods. Thank you for the ones brought for us today. We also thank God for the life of Archbishop Maxwell Anikwe‎nwa for his vision for humanity and his vision for empowering the less privileged people in the society.”

Meanwhile, the foundation donated two 50kg bags of rice, 1 bag of beans, and a large bag of crayfish to the HIV/AIDS patients among others.


Photo--Abana addressing beneficiaries