This article is from page 24 of the 2007-08-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG
AN African country struggling to deal with an AIDS epidemic is set to benefit from money raised by staff at Ennis General Hospital.
Through a series of fundraising initiatives, hospital staff collected money for the Faraja Centre in the Singida region of Tanzania.
The money will go towards alle- viating problems facing the Singida communities 1n relation to the spread of the AIDS and the increased bur- den on family resources, especially grand parents and parents struggling to look after young children.
Staff member Teresa Conlon re- cently visited the region to observe first hand the work done by volun- teers a the Faraja Centre.
Connie O’Halloran is one such per- son who has spent the past two years working in Tanzania. She praised the efforts of Teresa and her colleagues, saying the contribution would pro- vide a major boost in halting the spread of AIDS in the region.
“T have been working as a volunteer in the Faraja project, Singida, Tanza- nia for almost two years and I was overwhelmed with the generosity of the people of Clare who supported fundraising activities for the project. The fundraising events which were organised by Teresa Conlon were supported by our friends and Teresa’s colleagues at Ennis General Hospi- tal’”’.
Tanzania 1S experiencing a gener- alised AIDS epidemic, with 10 per cent of the population directly af-
fected. This constitutes not only a health crisis but also a development crisis for the country.
In Singida Town ‘Tanzania, the Faraja centre operated by the Med1- cal Missionaries of Mary offers vol- untary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS.
VCT is vital to the early diagnosis and therefore treatment of those suf- fering from HIV/AIDS. Early diag- nosis of HIV infection is crucial for two reasons; this support can go a long way towards reducing the risk of the transmission of the diseases to others.
It also provides an opportunity to initiate treatment early to prolong survival and improve quality of life. The centre offers a wide range of methodologies to implement their
programme, to educate and to prevent the further spread of HIV/AIDS”.
In the Singida community in which the Faraja centre operates, people can come freely to be tested for HIV/ AIDS and take control of their health status and avail of this continuum of oF Kes
Connie added, “We at the Faraja Centre sincerely wish to thank eve- ryone that attended and supported Teresa’s parents – your efforts and generosity are greatly appreciated by all here in Faraja.
A special thank you to all who donated spot prizes for the draw at Ennis General Hospital. Also a big thank you to my friends and Teresa’s friends who cooked various dishes for the meal at her house and all who donated so generously”.