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AFRICAN ACTION ON AIDS A HOT SPOT FOR HAITI

EVEN WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE GOD IS ANGRY, THERE IS STILL HOPE AND THAT HOPE STARTS WITH THE ACTION OF EACH ONE OF US

THE NOW STEP

We inform our members and friends around the world that African Action on AIDS United Nations Representative and Board of Directors Member, Suzanne Africa Engo is currently serving as a grassroots media liaison and spent last weekend in Miami - where she was able to secure in kind room donations for Yele team at Trump MIAMI - to assist YELE - HAITI a sister Foundation, in their effort to save lives. Another member of the Board of Directors, Loris Crawford is presently in the Caribbean and helping from there. More over AAA is sending an initial small donation that will be complemented by efforts from all of you global friends and supporters.

WHY ARE WE WORKING THROUGH YELE - HAITI FOUNDATION?

We do it based of its track record well before the tragedy, its vision, its leadership that promote a Haiti where people are healthy, able to feed themselves, proud and determined to build a strong future. You can therefore support this cause through indications given at www.yele.org . You can text the word YELE to the number 501501. You can send a check to YELE Foundation, PO Box 2345 , NY , NY 10108 - USA . In Yaounde , Cameroon - see contacts below.

WHY IS YOUR CONTRIBUTION IMPORTANT?

Because as says Martin Luther King, Jr. " Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly" and when one human being is vulnerable, the whole human species steps into vulnerability. So get up, Haiti is not too far from you. Form a network in your community. Give what you can and like a colony of Ants, let us create a SUPER ORGANISM IN SUPPORT OF HAITI

Our specific condolences to Lisa Mbele's family, a Cameroon UN officer who lost her life in Haiti . Her son survived. May her soul and that of all lost remain in perfect peace!

On behalf of African Action on AIDS,

Ruth Bamela Engo, President AAA

Pictures of Grassroots Media liaison and AAA Board Member in MIAMI

HIGHLIGHT ONE - 2009

Why do we encourage girl orphans who wish to pursue nursing studies?

Because there is a shortage of 1.5 million health workers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed people in Sub-Saharan countries, including Cameroon have little access to health workers and services. This shortage does not lead to AIDS and malaria eradication that have a huge impact on economic and social life. Many families live in remote villages, too poor to pay transportation to see a Doctor.

That is why AAA did not hesitate to support Cynthia Ade when she decided to enter Assistant nurse school after her GCE/AL. She just graduated after producing an incredible hands on community nursing report based on the work of her team in rural Nkambe - North West Region of Cameroon. The team visited 500 homes to:

• see the sanitation and living conditions of people;
• trace the causes of high level malaria in community;
• know whether Primary Health Care reaches everybody.

The team came out with a list of the 15 top diseases - with malaria and HIV/AIDS topping the list. They noticed that many homes have no toilets. They observed over crowding in almost every home - about 4 children sleeping on one bed. On this particular case they advised the populations on the disadvantages of many people sleeping on one bed, "for this facilitates the transmission of cough, catarrh, rashes etc."

On AIDS, they noted that "Some people know nothing about HIV/AIDS; others knew but were doing nothing about its prevention. So we educated them on what HIV/AIDS is, how it is being transmitted, the effects or outcome of the disease and how to prevent it. We also educated them illustratively how to use condoms"

After receiving Cynthia's report, we exchanged views with her and she said that on HIV/AIDS, most of her knowledge came from the annual training she received from AAA. So we would like to conclude this highlight by quoting these words of Princess Naha Meryem of Morocco to Mrs. Clinton on 29 March 1999: "What is important is not the world we leave to our children, but the kind of children we will leave to the world."

To all who contributed to Cynthia's education, we say thank you for providing a competent Health Worker to Rural Africa !

Sending orphans to school is a multi dimensional activity. It is based on an important value: Orphans are part of our common future. They are not second class children. We must fully take care of them.

Compiled by AAA secretariat

Here is Cynthia's Letter to her future child - written for AAA Perpetual Diary, on 29 June 2006

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HIGHLIGHT TWO - 2009

A chance to go to school

According to UNESCO, there are 18 million girls out of school in Sub-Sahara Africa alone. Many of them are orphans or girls with disabilities.

Mado Laure Ndogndje is one of the lucky ones. Born in Yaounde 15 years ago, she lost both her parents when she was still small. Mado Laure is exceptionally bright. She is one of the best students of her class - always on Honour Roll - She was the first to join Batonga Girls Scholarship 4 years ago, because one of AAA strategies to fight AIDS is to provide economic and financial autonomy to young women through education.

How great to celebrate the birthday of a girl who has lost both parents - Mado Laure all smiles!!

At the AAA head office

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Generous Mado Laure came with her sister and the little cousins she babysits

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Mado Laure after receiving her birthday gift from AAA (left), with AAA President (middle)with family (right)

HIV/AIDS - THE FIGHTING SPIRIT AND RESILIENCY OF GRANDMA O

The theme of this news brief that celebrates the African Woman's Day is Fighting Spirit & Resiliency - The capacity to bounce back no matter how life treats you. A fighting spirit is needed in the struggle against AIDS. It is essential to a healthy/happy life.

On 31 st July 2009, the African Woman's Day was celebrated in Cameroon where AIDS definitely has a woman's face - 61% of the 500,209 people living with AIDS here are women! At the same time, women are the main caregivers for people infected and affected by AIDS. This is the reason why we decided to celebrate a great example of fighting spirit & resiliency in Grandma O who not only lives with AIDS in the village of Abem , the Central Region of Cameroon, but who also takes care of her grand son. The resiliency of Granma O has surely contributed to her survival.

Grandma O was discovered half dead in October 2008 by members of AAA team working in her village. She was immediately taken to the intensive unit of the district hospital of Akonolinga where she was treated. The stigma around people living with AIDS, mostly in villages was the main reason why she was deprived of proper family care - No proper food, no water, no basic hygiene, no visible manifestations of love. Instead everyone was waiting for her final days. After 4 months of treatment and better care at the hospital, Grandma O gained back her strength and headed back home, this time determined to take her health in her own hands!

We met Grandma O on her way back from the farm, carrying a heavy basket full of provisions and holding her grandson. During the brief exchange we had with her, she remained positive; all smiles even when she told us that she may miss one of her treatment the following week because she had not yet gather enough money to pay for it. She insisted on the fact that she was expecting no one to pay for her, but counting on her small income generating activity to meet the cost. Based on this information, we invited her to address our training session where there were new HIV positives, to earn the amount of money needed. She readily accepted and swiftly moved in our training hall in her farm clothes with basket on her back. To the question: What lessons to learn from her life she answered : One should fight death with a smile not fear; You should decide in your mind that you will win the fight; Stay away from your bed; Earn your living; Be generous and keep trying to connect with others even when you are rejected; Those who reject you will appreciate you more later. On the earning side , it is important to note that Grandma O has a farm, she also sells cooked food and on this occasion we bought all her food for our coffee break! It was good too!!!!! Impressed by this incredible fighter, the whole AAA team returned to Abem with practical gifts including an insecticide treated mosquito's bed net, one potable water station and one hand-washing station.

May we all learn from this Great Spirit!

Information compiled by Ruth Bamela Engo - President of AAA

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WHO SLEEPS UNDER AN INSECTICIDE TREATED MOSQUITOES BED NET

A vision of a World without AIDS and Malaria remains the basic vision of African Action on AIDS. Making sure that the use of insecticide treated bed nets becomes the rule, AAA time line is ongoing as long as there is an AIDS/MALARIA pandemic.

Within this all-embracing approach of the AIDS crisis, we have observed that no statistics are kept in Cameroon to show who actually sleeps under insecticide treated bed nets. Hundreds of bed nets are distributed each year AND no one can tell which part of the population is actually using them!

AAA has decided since 2008 to innovate in this field. As indicated on the table below, those who receive treated bed nets through our channels must indicate their names, age, gender, geographical location

PLEASE JOIN US!

HELP US TO REACH OUR GOAL OF 1000 INSECTICIDE TREATED MOSQUITOES BED NETS FOR 1000 PEOPLE WHO CAN BE IDENTIFIED!

Your contributions keep us going!

Please send a tax-exempt check payable to

African Action on AIDS, INC.

And send it to one of the following addresses:

The workshop was going on while women of the CVECA were learning how to wash and treat mosquitoes bed nets

Drying and airing of insecticide treated mosquitoes bed nets before they are hung in the room

Celebrating the Day of the African Child 2009

AAA has been celebrating the Day of the African Child in Cameroon since 2006. This is its first celebration in a village. Ngalla primary school was chosen for two main reasons: First , because most parents of this school are members of the rural bank (CVECA) that is part of the 200 villages' network of AAA. These villages are considered as AAA centres of excellence and results of AAA work are measured from there. Second , because the CVECA of Ngalla is forging a partnership with the village of Monterey ( USA ) that has accepted to cover the majority of expenses of this celebration.

The camp took place on 17-19 June 2009. AAA main partners in and outside the village were: The CVECA of Ngalla; Primary schools of Ngalla and Metondok; Village Chief of Ngalla; SOSUCAM; Duty Free Shop Ambas-BE; ACMS; Helpers Ministries (USA) and Monterey (USA).

THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS CAMP WERE :

•  To help children learn the origin of the Day of the African Child . To ensure that they understand that we did not come to this important and wonderful celebration because they deserve it, but because other children made it possible so they should act in a way that make the future of their villages brighter.

•  To help children learn to know themselves and their villages better, so that they participate in their transformation knowingly.

•  To help children understand that AIDS and Malaria are preventable diseases and that each child can learn to avoid them.

•  To visualize their village without AIDS and Malaria and paint this vision.

•  To understand that one could live and earn a living in a village, instead of going to the city or another country.

•  To organize the camp in a way that allows children to be part of the management and not only beneficiaries.

METHODOLOGY

All activities were based on the concept of learning by doing, which is the traditional way parents teach their children in African villages anyway. So this methodology was applied to all we did: debates, cleaning, painting, food distribution, games. To apply this methodology, working groups including adults and children were conceived.

Dear Friends,

African Action on AIDS is a non - for - profit organization working with Africa 's women and youth whose lives have been affected by AIDS.  We educate women and youth with the knowledge that they need to stay alive and teach them to share the knowledge with their peers.

AAA has consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC and has been working in this field since 1991.

One big lesson we learned during all these years is that no amount of drugs can cure people who live in unclean environment with little hygiene, drinking dirty water and never washing hands.

We also draw attention of the public on the impact of other diseases on HIV/AIDS prevention.  This is why have combined AIDS and Malaria prevention as well as the impact of swine flu on the immune system.

Heath is taught to be considered as a system, not the fight of each disease separately.  This is the spirit that leads our knowledge sharing system. Help us to sustain it.

Please read our May, June, July 2009 News Briefs and be safe wherever you are! 

Ruth Bamela Engo

President, AAA

Latest News on a World Without AIDS and Malaria

A vision of a world without AIDS and Malaria is the foundation of all AAA activities. Because people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are vulnerable to malaria, HIV prevention programs must include the fight against malaria in order to save more lives.

Malaria is a disease transmitted through mosquitoes bites particularly in the night. According to WHO, malaria causes 350 to 500 million cases, resulting in 1million deaths yearly. More specifically malaria is the highest cause of ill health in Cameroon - 40%.

While malaria programmes are focusing on children under 5 years and pregnant women, a new vulnerable group has emerged. It is made up of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Based on this understanding and as a prelude to the celebration of the World Malaria Day, AAA, one of the member organisations of Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria (CCAM) launched the People to People Partnership between Monterey (USA) and CVECA Ngalla ( Cameroon ). This partnership's goal is to build and strengthen human and financial resources that would accelerate the coming of a World without AIDS and Malaria. The first activity of the partnership that took place on 1 st April 2009 and was not an April fool! was the distribution of insecticide treated mosquitoes bed nets to members of the CVECA see pictures

Welcoming through dancing outside the CVECA building	Children in the village did not want to miss the ceremony! (AAA Hand-Washing Station seen on the wall behind)
Group Picture with members of AFAC/CVECA holding their mosquito bed nets	Some bureau members of AFAC and the CVECA posing with their insecticide treated mosquito bed nets
Dr. Esther Tallah, Manager of Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria teaching rural women how to properly use isecticide treated mosquitoes bed nets	A member of AFAC seen here happy after her newly obtained insecticide treated mosquitoes bed net was fixed in her bedroom by the AAA team
Mosquito bet nets fixed in the bed rooms of members of AFAC/CVECA

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