Walk or Run – But do it for a cause!
It is no secret that AIDS is a crisis in Africa, and with such a large problem facing nations that are so far away, it can be difficult to feel empowered to make a difference. We invite you to not only stand up, but to walk and run to help this region of the world.
Quick Stats
- Estimated that up to 24% of adults in Ethiopia may be infected
- Approximately 2 million Ethiopians affected
- Twice as many women infected than men
- Adult HIV prevalence — 10%-18%
- Government statistics cite 2.7 million infected
(realistically could be 3-5 million) - Due to poor health rapid progression from HIV infection to AIDS
- Estimated 7-10 million infected by 2010
Source: UNAIDS 2005
Langano Health Center
The SIM/KHC Dawe Langano Health Program is a rural mission health center located in central Ethiopia. It is run by SIM (Serving In Mission), an international interdenominational mission organization which has worked in Ethiopia for more than 75 years. The Dawe Langano Clinic started in 1996 and was reclassified as a health center in June 2009. It serves a catchment area of more than 9,900 Arsi Oromo people, a predominantly Muslim people group. The center is staffed by nurses and nurse practitioners. It is open for service from 8am-5pm Monday through Friday, with staff on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies. The health center gives curative care to over 100 people per day, treating such conditions such as malaria, diarrhea, TB, respiratory tract infections, parasites, malnutrition, skin and eye infections, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. As malnutrition is a chronic problem among children in the area, the clinic provides a specialized nutrition clinic for needy children, where each child is monitored and takes home high protein supplements to add to their diets. It also runs a program called House of Hope, caring for orphaned and special needs babies in a residential live-in program. House of Hope sees these babies through their infancy, with the goal of repatriating them back to loving relatives.
The health center is also actively involved in primary health care. It has four outpost sites within the community from which traditional birth attendants function, childhood immunizations are given, and health education is delivered. Health committees from the concerned neighborhoods work with the clinic, attempting to find workable solutions to their own specific health needs.
The primary goal of the clinic is to meet human need, while sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.
Due to the increasing AIDS crisis in Ethiopia, the Dawe Langano Health Center has initiated the start of an HIV/AIDS voluntary counseling and testing center in June 2009. The center will use a multifaceted approach to address HIV/AIDS in the Langano area of Ethiopia. It will initially use education as well as testing and counseling, but hopes to eventually become involved in treatment with antiretrovirals and to provide socio-economic support to individuals and families affected by HIV.
For more information about the clinic, contact Kim Scheel at kim.scheel@sim.org
You can make a difference!
This 5k Run/Walk to Fight Aids in Africa is a charitable event — an event that will support so many people that you will never meet; never see their faces, and who will never really know about your Saturday morning that helped them and their family live.
Who would have thought that having fun with your friends and family on a Saturday morning would have so much impact on someone halfway around the world — but it will!