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Three Sisters with a Mission
Sisters Marie, Rogita and Anna, all Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood are currently working in remote Kasanka in northern Zambia. The HIV/AIDS infection rate in the region is estimated to be as high as 20% - the sisters are committed to giving life to people affected by the disease.
The sisters provide holistic home-based, clinical and palliative care for people living with HIV/AIDS in 90 villages in the Kasanka region. An important part of the home visits is to openly talk about nutrition and medication, provide clinical assistance, and educate to reduce stigma.
As HIV/AIDS is widespread and the need in Kasanka is great, the whole community works as volunteer caregivers. These volunteers help care for people in the home-based program on a daily basis, assisting with tasks like cooking, cleaning and teaching families and relatives about HIV/AIDS.
Sister Anna is a trained nurse and works at the government-funded clinic where HIV/AIDS testing and treatment is carried out along with a life-saving mother-to-child prevention program at childbirth. There is a strong partnership between the clinic and the home-based care program - sharing resources is vital for success.
Thanks to the sisters and the community volunteers, people infected by HIV/AIDS can live longer, more productive and healthy lives.
As Sister Marie said, "We're keeping people alive who would otherwise be dead. We try to witness to people that they matter".
Donate now to the Catholic Mission Church Appeal.
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