A Cry in the Darkness
HIV/AIDS is a global problem.
There are
- 33 million people living with HIV worldwide
- 25 million people dead from AIDS related illnesses
- 15 million children orphaned due to AIDS
In the last year
- There were 2.7 million new HIV infections
- 2 million children around the world were living with HIV
- There were more than 80,000 people living in the UK with the virus
But it's not just a global problem - it is a local one too.
In the UK there are
- Over 70,000 people infected with HIV
- One-third of them do not even realise they are infected.
It is easy to get lost in the enormity of those statistics, but it is important to remember that behind every statistic is a face, behind every number is a precious life that is being destroyed by this unsympathetic and unrelenting disease.
However the light keeps shining in the darkness, and darkness can never put it out.
The Salvation Army is responding, bringing hope, joy and light into situations of fear, despair and darkness. We have been working at the forefront of the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic since the 1980's. The response is truly holistic, caring for people's physical, practical, spiritual and emotional needs.
The Salvation Army responds to the issue all across the world through:
- Community based and home based care
- Support Groups
- Self help groups
- Child support programmes
- Hospital care/medication
- Walking through life with people living with HIV/AIDS
There are three ways for you to get involved:
SHINE LIGHT
Make sure that nobody is in the dark about this issue. Tell your family, friends, school, work, church and anybody else who will listen about an issue which affects us all. There is a free resource DVD-Rom available which is packed full of video's, presentations, meeting plans and a whole array of other materials to help you engage with the issue and also to engage others as well. You can order your copy by emailing id@salvationarmy.org.uk, or you can download the material from the resources page.
GIVE LIGHT
- £15 could provide an AIDS orphan with a goat to look after and breed to help generate income for them and their family.
- £20 could pay for a set of balls for a kids club supporting AIDS orphans.
- £25 could provide a home health care kit to help volunteers care for people with AIDS.
- £30 could pay for a health check up and treatment.
- £40 could pay for a bicycle to help community care workers get to people suffering from AIDS faster, helping them to reach more people.
- £45 could pay for an HIV test, transport to a clinic an counselling for one person.
- £60 could provide psychosocial support for orphans and vulnerable people affected by HIV/AIDS.
Help us continue our vital, life affirming and life saving work by donating money online here (select the HIV/AIDS option where indicated).
You can also order red ribbons, made by a Widow's support group in Zambia, to show solidarity with those living with HIV/Aids. These are priced at £1 each and are available on a sale or return basis. Please call 020 7367 4777 or email id@salvationarmy.org.uk to place your order.
SHOUT LIGHT
The Salvation Army is a member of the Stop AIDS Campaign which is looking for comprehensive and universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support with no one left behind by 2010. You can find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved by clicking here.
You can also get involved with your church. The Christian HIV/Aids Alliance (CHAA) have written a creed (available to download from our RESOURCES) which calls on people to take action in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. You could use this individually or as part of a group as a commitment to engage with this issue and take a stand against it.
HIV/AIDS is not just an issue in Africa - it's a global problem and as such it requires a global solution, one in which everyone has a part to play.
Can you hear the cry?