TIZ

This week has seen a lot of small shifts and decisions regarding our project. In light of the fact that ZPCT will be coming into Meheba, we no longer will engage New Start to bring VCT teams in periodically. This is a blessing on many levels, primarily because ZPCT will bring a much more comprehensive and higher-quality program to the community. Additionally, it frees up several thousand dollars of our project budget. We will be working with GRS to train the CSL staff. We also will be supporting a small team called MAAP—Meheba AIDS Awareness Project. They will hold educational workshops for adults and youth in the different zones. We have found them a small office space and are building a small library of resource materials.

We were allowed to participate in ZPCT’s assessment meeting at the Zone A Clinic yesterday afternoon. The Zone A Clinic is the only site in all of Meheba offering VCT and also the clinic generally regarded as the best in the community. It was sad, frustrating and inspirational all at once.

There is one clinic officer, one nurse, and two lab technicians working there. The staff is not able to provide antiretroviral therapy due to resource issues and lack of training. There has been confusion over what “patient confidentiality” truly entails, and as such the staff has seen no need to track patient records or maintain counts of patients tested or currently receiving ART. There is no electricity or running water in the clinic. The staff does not offer any information or care regarding prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Joe and I had hoped for better, but are not surprised to learn that the rumors and anecdotes about the low level of HIV care have all been true. Comparing what we saw with the level of care in any facility in the U.S. is really powerful. We are so fortunate.

I visited the Meheba Friendly Library this week. It was one of FORGE’s first projects in the camp, and it is a really great facility. I paid 10,000 kwacha (US$2.25) for a year-long membership and checked out two books. I’ve been reading nonstop down here and it’s really great. At least, I tell myself it's really great (which it is), but there also aren't too many other options for free time. Ha.

What else what else....I got about 25 GB of music off my friend's computer last week. Very nice. Since our minibus broke down last week partially due to a dead battery, it's been a bit tempermental. It's hilarious, however, because in order to start the engine, about 10 of us have to go out and push it. The lack of battery (it's way too expensive in this small town) somehow means we have to get a rolling start going for the engine to start. Yes, it is straight out of Little Miss Sunshine. Pretty cute. We'll take some video of the process.