BACKGROUND
 
AIDS Orphans is the emotional issue
that is at the heart and mission of the charity CONTESA. CONTESA
intends to highlight the plight of orphans in one of the sub-Saharan
countries most devastated by the AIDS epidemic, Zambia.
The situation in Zambia is already dire with the following
alarming statistics:
- Estimated almost 1 million orphans (10.0% of the population) are living with HIV/AIDS and estimated 23% of all
children under 15 are missing one or both parents.
- More than 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS approx. 14% of the population.
- Life expectancy estinated at just 32 for women and 33 for men.
- Unemployment rate of 50%.
- Average per capita income of only £250 per annum and
70% living in poverty onless than 55p per day
This country, unfortunately, often
seems to be forgotten when discussing the AIDS orphan problems.
CONTESA will concentrate its efforts and resources on the
Zambian AIDS orphans.
The continuing deteriorating situation
in Zambia is due to a combination of related factors:-
Lack of information and awareness of
what Aids is, how it is transmitted and how to live with it,
is one of the key problems. Fear is also a major factor which
manifests from a lack of information and/or awareness. The
Government has been slow to act and implement education programmes
for people to understand how the epidemic spreads. As a result
AIDS has devastated the population and the children who have
been left orphaned by the disease have multiplied to such
a dimension envisaged and that the Government cannot effectively
manage.
Lack of adequate resources to tackle
the problem, the Zambian Government’s programmes are
already overstretched and often focus on certain ideologies
that do not meet the needs of those children who have been
orphaned as a result of the death of their parents due to
AIDS related diseases. The Government’s bureaucracy
has further exacerbated the problem especially with the limited
funds the Government has been able to earmark, being grossly
inadequate. Consequently the spread of the AIDS virus has
not abated and numbers are still increasing and the number
of orphaned children is continuing to grow daily.
Lack of medical facilities and drugs
creates an even more desperate situation for those affected
by the AIDS Virus. This is a problem which the developed world
has failed to alleviate as the drugs are too expensive for
the Zambian Government’s health scheme to provide and
the costs are far beyond the means of almost all of the infected..
The problem is often made worse as children and adults are
now desperately resorting to using medicines and remedies
or witch doctors which are totally ineffective and in many
cases are counter productive.
It is a sad fact that these children
normally lack any love, education and health/welfare support
especially as health and education are not provided free by
the state. These young children are just left to fend for
themselves as best as they can and often young teenagers have
to care for their even younger siblings or aged grandparents.
As you walk along the dilapidated streets of the main cities
you feel so sad and distressed and eventually it reduces you
to tears as these children are everywhere you go and in very
large numbers trying to sell just small items for a few pence
(like clothes pegs) or just begging and not surprisingly many
turn to more degrading and criminal activities. Apart from
living on the streets, the children are very easy to spot
as their bodies are racked with sores and malnutrition.
With care and determined effort many
of these problems and situations can be gradually eliminated
and eventually prevented. We in the developed countries need
to do more to help. Despite the frustration of inefficient
Government and local authorities and services, there are some
dedicated organisations and people who are working tirelessly
to assist but they are just totally over-run with the scale
of the problems. Just a few pounds here and there could make
an enormous difference and help to reduce the misery, suffering
and deaths of such a vulnerable group.
Poverty has become a huge problem in Zambia over the last
30 years. Since independence in 1965 large numbers of the
population gradually drifted into the main towns seeking jobs
and a better life, sadly in most cases these never materialised,
leading to sprawling shanties with extremely squalid living
conditions and breeding grounds for disease. The Government’s
half hearted efforts to encourage people to go back to the
rural areas where they can farm the land to feed their families
have lamentably failed. In addition birth control programmes
are not working properly and households of 9 to 12 children
are common. Obviously the problem of feeding such numbers
in a family with no members employed or where the monthly
income is less than £20 are insurmountable and now with
AIDS these families are often left with no adults of working
age.
HISTORY
CONTESA is a charity formed out of love and hope. The name
originates from CONnie Tatum and ESnat Avon. Connie was a
missionary in Angola in the early 1950’s and also spent
time in Zambia working as a secretary to earn some money for
her fare back to England. Despite having to return to the
United Kingdom due to ill health she always maintained her
love of Africa and hope for its people. Esnat Avon (nee Phiri)
was born and raised in Zambia. She now lives in Dorset in
the UK with her husband and close to her five children.
Sadly Connie died on 2nd May 2004,
and she left part of her estate to her friend Esnat. Esnat
has now decided to inject some of these funds into a new charity
CONTESA, devoted to an emotional issue very close to her heart,
AIDS orphans in Zambia.
DONATIONS
To find out how you can donate or get
more information please go to our contact page or click HERE
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