Help in South Africa contingent on bible studies
According to the Washington Post, a Baptist-affiliated treatment center in South Africa has started a program for traditional "witch doctors" known as "sangomas." The program is designed to spread HIV awareness messages through traditional medicine in the community - 80% of which consult sangomas according to WHO.
A lofty goal, indeed. The program, however is contingent on the sangomas agreeing to study the Gospel of John twice a week before receiving lessons in human anatomy, symptoms of HIV infection and the function of antiretrovirals and other modern medicines.
According to the Post, Nobuntu Matholeni, a chaplain at the center, brushed aside criticism. "They came to us knowing very well what we stand for and knowing that this is God's thing," Matholeni said.
Living Hope is funded heavily by South African and US taxpayers; nearly half its money comes from President Bush's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief. According to the U.S. State Department, Living Hope received Obligated FY05 Funds $385,299.00. Their program areas according to this report are: Abstinence/Be Faithful and Palliative Care: Basic health care and support
Living Hope has no substantive data on the program's success, but points to signs such as expanding involvement within the community structure of Masiphumelele, the conversion of a prominent sangoma to Christianity, and increased attendance at AIDS awareness courses.
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posted by Faith @ 11:46 AM
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Yes, Hana, this practice of prayer for 'compassion' is distasteful as well as (to my eyes) pandering or buying souls for 'god'.
But this practice is nothing new. When I was younger and living in Chicago, there were 'Missions' that the homeless and hungry could go to for food or shelter. They would be refused unless they would attend services and bible study.
I can not recall in that same reverred Bible where it says that compassion should be extended to only those who believe in the Christian or Hebrew idea of god.
Sometimes I wish that "god" would get pissed off and demonstrate it.
Peace
jody
folks, this is imperialism still at work. the church believes it's a secular state.
but the traditional healing network everywhere is very important. here's a timeline: with the climactic changes that take place from global warming, the corporate edifice of western medicine will increasingly lose its ability to deliver medicine. i would like to see a hiv vaccine distributed through the indigineous healer network. if we should support courses and funding for indigineous healers, they might be in learning to use the internet. indigenous healers should have laptops, wireless internet access and solar power sources.
literacy training. english and ?
i think.
but it makes bill gates' entry onto the scene of health philanthropy pretty interesting.
--rk
rk@aids-write.org
http://aids-write.org
Hi Richard, thanks for stopping by.
I think you're absolutely right about the importance of incorporating traditional healers into health interventions in places like South Africa. Unfortunately, programs such as Living Hope run the risk of making healers even more suspicious of the motives of Western governments than they already are, thus making it less likely that they will provide assistance in future health programs.
I live in this area where this organisation works. and If you actually check the facts of this story. At the time this occured they were receiving no funding from the US. Also the community loves livinghope as they offer day care, food, work, basic health car, support and HIV/AIDS car with no strings attached.
Thanks for visiting AIDS Combat Zone. I don't think anyone is questioning whether this organization does some good things for the community, but the strings that were attached in the case of these sangomas go against the very idea of getting traditional healers involved to begin with. If healers and herbalists feel that they must abandon their traditional ways, you risk losing their support. Our tax dollars supporting an agency with this kind of dual agenda makes many Americans quite uneasy.
I am a supporter and volunteer for Living Hope. I know these people personally and have heard chaplain Matholeni tell her experience with the sangomas. You should know that Nobuntu Matholeni has lived in this township and administered care, comfort and encouragement alongside these sangomas for years. They came to her because they respect her.
While the Washington Post technically presented the information correctly, they did not communicate the whole picture. The sangomas were informed, when they came to Living Hope for AIDS education, that Living Hope's comprehensive approach to the care of both patients and families includes not only medical care and support groups, but also a faith-based understanding of human dignity, sexuality and compassionate community. Living Hope believes that the real and deepest need for this community is to know the love and acceptance, not condemnation, of God, so that they will value themselves and others, which will show up in how they treat their bodies and the bodies of others. Living Hope believes in offering practical care for the present suffering, but also believes that dealing with present suffering is a temporary fix. This is a community of people who are beaten down by generations of oppression and prejudice. Now AIDS is just one more way in which they experience not only suffering and death, but the condemnation of society.
Here is one instance in which a group of Christians are getting it right - not pointing fingers and judging, but offering mercy, kindness and hope. I am a Christian, and so I believe that Living Hope is also offering another crucial element: the truth. And since we believe that God's word on sex, human dignity, love, justice and mercy are true, it is reasonable that we offer it as part of a comprehensive approach to AIDS education and treatment. BUT neither the sangomas nor any of the Living Hope patients/families are required to believe or profess Christianity in order to receive help from Living Hope. Living Hope was, in fact, showing respect for the sangoma traditions when they were candid up front by telling them that they would be glad to educate them, but that their approach would be faith-based.
With regard to teaching western medicine to the sangomas, let me say that you need to visit this community in order to see that the resources are very, very limited as to what 'western medicine' can do. There is just very litle western medicine available. In fact, Living Hope cultivates organic gardens, so that they can supply their patients with healthy vegetables and fruit, something you and i take for granted, but is not readily available in Masiphumelele. Living Hope is not giving the sangomas HIV cocktail drugs to replace their homeopathic remedies. Certainly we'd all like to see HIV vaccines distributed through any channels possible. The political and financial realities of this are dismal. But through their AIDS education at Living Hope, the sangomas have learned that some of their healing rituals, like a person cutting themselves or sleeping with a virgin, is actually spreading the disease and endangering the sangomas themselves. This is how primitive their understanding is. They have no access to the internet in order to take courses. But Living Hope is meeting them where they are and helping them to take the first steps, to do what is possible at the present. They educated the sangomas not just out of concern for the people they treat, but out of concern for the sangomas themselves.
The church has failed in many ways to correctly represent God as redemptive, reconciling, compassionate - as the book of John describes Christ, "full of grace and truth". But Living Hope Community Centre (which also provides drug counseling and homeless shelter/rehab for this community) is actually getting it right. If you are passionate about the AIDS pandemic, passionate about seeing hope come to a community of people who are oppressed, suffering and ostricized, then I encourage you (whether you are believe in Christ or not) to check out the work Living Hope is doing and to consider supporting them, encouraging them or working alongside them.
www.livinghope.co.za
And if you are, understandably, angered by the modern church, let me encourage you to read the book of John and get an accurate representation of Jesus Christ.
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