HIV/AIDS

KINGSTON, 7 July, 2011 - When Gloria Meredith awoke at 5 am one morning in 1998 to find two girls arguing at her gate, she had no idea that welcoming them into her home would be the start of Children of Faith – a non-profit organization which helps children and their families in rural parishes who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

The dispute between the children — aged 8 and 9 – was about how to divide money they earned from having sex with an adult male. Gloria realized that the children had no guardian and took them into her home. When she contacted the relevant authorities, they warned her she could face criminal charges for taking them in. True to her feisty nature, Gloria retorted that she would contact the media to witness their removal from her home.

What began as an act of assistance soon consumed Gloria’s life. She became increasingly aware of the need to help families affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly those who were economically hard-hit, causing children not to attend school regularly and to go without food and other essentials for long periods.

Children of Faith was officially launched in 1999. Eight years later, with support from  UNICEF, the NGO began to enhance the lives of children in St. James, Hanover, Westmoreland and Trelawny who were orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS through the implementation of income generating projects (IGPs).

At the end of 2009, Children of Faith had assisted over 40 families to raise income through poultry-rearing, farming and nail-technician training; since UNICEF funding ceased in 2009, an additional 27 families have received assistance. A recent evaluation commissioned by UNICEF points to the life-changing impact of the initiative. All families interviewed report significant improvements in their quality of life prior to involvement in the IGPs. Ivy* is one of those success stories.

Ivy was a 31 year old shrimp-seller and mother of three when she discovered that she was HIV positive. Fearing the stigma associated with HIV, she locked herself away for four months and willed herself to die. Ivy’s son, who was 12 years old, quit school and took a job in construction in order to support the family.

When Ivy realized she was not dying as quickly as she thought she would, she went back to the clinic where she was given medication and counseling. Ivy went back to selling shrimp but suffered at the hands of other shrimp sellers who told potential buyers that she had “AIDS”.

Faced with no food for her family, Ivy sought assistance from Children of Faith. She began receiving food donations in 2007, and later that year became a part of the IGP programme. During this time, Ivy was refused assistance from the government’s conditional cash transfer programme. Her involvement in Children of Faith’s IGP Programme became her family’s main source of sustenance, providing her with 50 chickens, feed, water, feeding pans, vitamins and a chicken coop. With help from Children of Faith, Ivy was determined to lift her family from the dire situation they were in.

Six months into the project, Ivy had saved JA $350,000, bought her son a car ($100,000), added a bathroom to her home ($20,000) and purchased a deep-freezer to store the chicken ($35,000). All items were bought cash.

The story of Children of Faith is not one of mere generosity. By providing critical support for families affected by HIV/AIDS, Gloria and her team are helping to boost productivity, empower vulnerable families, preserve their dignity and ultimately to save and sustain lives. 

*Name changed