MONTREAL, QC—More than 25 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live with HIV/AIDS. Six thousand people die every day from the disease. Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC), a Montreal-based Christian humanitarian aid organization, believes that Canadians can do something to help, and that it is up to the church to lead the way.
To encourage Christian involvement and networking with other sectors of society in the fight against AIDS in Africa, HPIC is hosting “AIDS in Africa: Engaging Christians,” a two-day conference in the Ottawa area May 2-3.
Richard Boileau, spokesperson for HPIC, is convinced that Christians must participate in the battle against AIDS because “we have the most to offer.” Boileau cites a strong sense of the dignity of the individual, that runs counter to the stigma and isolation faced by many AIDS victims.
“We also have a feeling of solidarity in the body of Christ,” he says. “We suffer with those who are hurting. This is much stronger than pity.”
Boileau points to the motivation that comes from our sense of mission. “Being a disciple of Christ means continuing His mission, and that includes healing the sick and freeing the oppressed.”
As a firm believer in an integrated solution to the AIDS problem, Boileau suggests Christians naturally have a more holistic view of the situation. “We are going to work simultaneously in the areas of prevention, care and support and aftermath mitigation. We instinctively see things in continuity.”
The AIDS in Africa conference will bring together representatives of the medical community, government, pharmaceutical companies, non-government organizations, churches and other faith-based organizations.
Several African speakers, all Christian believers, will describe the variety of issues that contribute to the crisis and present grassroots initiatives that are already making a difference. Peter Ogego, Kenya’s high commissioner to Canada, will challenge Canadians to do more in the fight against AIDS.
Canadian speakers include Jim Cantelon, president of Visionledd International Media and Missions; Mark Wainberg, former head of the International AIDS Society; and Allan Ronald, an AIDS researcher who has spent years working in Uganda. Also speaking are James Tartaglia, an expert in immunology and fellow Canadian Chuck Stephens, founder of PECAN (Pan East Coast AIDS Network), who now lives in South Africa where he has spearheaded several grassroots initiatives.
John Kelsall, president of HPIC, has visited Africa several times and seen the devastating effects of the disease firsthand.
“I met a little 10-year-old girl, the same age as my granddaughter,” he says. “She was just skin and bones. She looked me in the eyes and my heart broke. That’s when I knew we had to do this conference.”
Personal reasons
For Grace Wangongu, an accountant with HPIC who moved to Canada four years ago from Kenya, the subject of AIDS is even more personal.
“You read about AIDS. You talk about AIDS. You plan a conference about AIDS. But for us, we live with AIDS,” she says. “You were not there when my father got sick. When we watched him die. Last week I learned that my best friend has AIDS. Every day when I look at my e-mail, I hesitate to open my messages from Kenya. I wonder what news I will get about another person being infected. This suffering is always with us.
“When you are African, even if you are not infected, you are affected.”
For information and registration visit www.hpicanada.ca or call 800-627-1787.
