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Empilisweni, a healing place in South Africa
by Chris Spoons
“How do you eat an elephant?” Dr. Elzabeth Musaba asked, citing an African proverb. “One bite at a time!” HIV/AIDS is the elephant Dr. Musaba was referring to. “We are going to defeat the disease bite by bite and save lives one at a time,” she said while visiting Chicago from South Africa with representatives from the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB).
“I saw my first AIDS patient as a young doctor in 1983,” Musaba recalled. “Since then I have seen thousands die of the disease.” After seeing so much suffering, Musaba decided she could best help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by opening a center to educate women about the disease. “As doctors, we are often too focused on the curative side and don’t spend enough time on prevention work. I decided to do prevention work, especially for women who don’t have access to education.”
Musaba founded Empilisweni (“a healing place”) Woodlands Center for AIDS Prevention in King William’s Town, South Africa, in 1999 with help from the CMMB as part of the Choose to Care: An HIV/AIDS Initiative program.
Through the five-year Choose to Care initiative, CMMB is committing $5-million to fight HIV/AIDS in South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Botswana, and Lesotho. Empilisweni Center is one of 54 community-based organizations focused on orphan care and placement, care of the dying, and HIV/AIDS education that Choose to Care has helped support since February 2000.
Making Empilisweni a reality was somewhat of a challenge. “When I had the idea to start the center, the community didn’t want it,” Musaba explained. “We went to 21 villages and conducted a needs assessment. We found that the general population was not educated on HIV prevention. However, the people wanted poverty relief projects instead of an AIDS prevention program.”
Empilisweni is now a bit of both worlds. CMMB helped set up several microenterprise efforts where women do beadwork, sew, and grow vegetables in community gardens to generate income. People going to the center for income-generating activities also attend weekly workshops on HIV/AIDS, women’s rights and nutrition.
“I have seen a phenomenal response from women,” Musaba said. “More women are seeking information because they are frightened. They want to know how they can protect themselves.”
Musaba explained that since nearly 80 percent of infected women are monogamous mothers who contracted the disease from their husbands, it is also important to educate the men. “But it has to sound like the men are in charge,” she warned with a grin. “They have to think it’s their idea to be responsible. We tell them it is up to them to protect the future generation. Once the men think they are in charge, they want to step up and be counted.”
by Chris Spoons
“How do you eat an elephant?” Dr. Elzabeth Musaba asked, citing an African proverb. “One bite at a time!” HIV/AIDS is the elephant Dr. Musaba was referring to. “We are going to defeat the disease bite by bite and save lives one at a time,” she said while visiting Chicago from South Africa with representatives from the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB).
“I saw my first AIDS patient as a young doctor in 1983,” Musaba recalled. “Since then I have seen thousands die of the disease.” After seeing so much suffering, Musaba decided she could best help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by opening a center to educate women about the disease. “As doctors, we are often too focused on the curative side and don’t spend enough time on prevention work. I decided to do prevention work, especially for women who don’t have access to education.”
Musaba founded Empilisweni (“a healing place”) Woodlands Center for AIDS Prevention in King William’s Town, South Africa, in 1999 with help from the CMMB as part of the Choose to Care: An HIV/AIDS Initiative program.
Through the five-
Making Empilisweni a reality was somewhat of a challenge. “When I had the idea to start the center, the community didn’t want it,” Musaba explained. “We went to 21 villages and conducted a needs assessment. We found that the general population was not educated on HIV prevention. However, the people wanted poverty relief projects instead of an AIDS prevention program.”
Empilisweni is now a bit of both worlds. CMMB helped set up several microenterprise efforts where women do beadwork, sew, and grow vegetables in community gardens to generate income. People going to the center for income-
“I have seen a phenomenal response from women,” Musaba said. “More women are seeking information because they are frightened. They want to know how they can protect themselves.”
Musaba explained that since nearly 80 percent of infected women are monogamous mothers who contracted the disease from their husbands, it is also important to educate the men. “But it has to sound like the men are in charge,” she warned with a grin. “They have to think it’s their idea to be responsible. We tell them it is up to them to protect the future generation. Once the men think they are in charge, they want to step up and be counted.”