Servant-hearted leadership

17/09/2009

Rob and Gen Eldred work with a community and young people in Macenta, Guinea. Part of their work involves medical assistance to those living with HIV. Here they tell a story of one of the people with whom they deal.

Martha works at the Medical Centre here in Macenta and is responsible for giving pre- and post- counselling to people who come to be tested for HIV. Once she finishes work, she then starts her home visits to people who cannot leave their house. Several months ago she came to us with a concern.

Abigail, 13, had lost both her parents to Aids and two years ago was hospitalised for tuberculosis at the medical centre. Abigail was also found to be HIV positive and was very close to death but thanks to the care of the staff here, her tuberculosis was cured and she recovered. She returned home to live with her grandmother and grandfather.

Her grandfather is blind and so her grandmother quickly became her full time carer, ensuring that Abigail would get her anti-retrovirals and travel the 100 km for her habitual tests and treatment.

A few months later Abigailâ€™s grandmother was bitten by a snake and died instantly, leaving Abigail alone with her grandfather. As is the custom, extended family came to support and take her into her care, meaning that she would return to live in the village, foregoing school and, even worse, her treatment. But as a team we knew that if Abigail was to have any future she needed to stay in Macenta.

Martha made many more visits, discussing with the wider family about the prospect of Abigail going to school and continuing her treatment, but each time she came back with the same result, that it was inevitable that Abigail would leave for the village. The final decision rested on whether a relative of Abigail was prepared to come and live with her in Macenta.

We left to go on a team retreat, praying that this lady would come but knowing that maybe we would not see Abigail again. The Monday after the retreat, Martha came bounding into the office with delight all over her face. The women had decided to come, Abigail would stay and continue her treatment and the family had even accepted that Abigail could go to a private Christian school meaning that she would get something of an education.

Guinea HIV stats

â€¢ Although Guinea does not have the high prevalence rates that we see in countries such as South Africa, the spread of the disease is at tipping point due to a very low level of education and treatment.

â€¢ Macenta, Guineaâ€™s forest region, has the highest rate of HIV in the country. The constant movement of people across the borders, prostitution in order to pay for food or schooling and the fact that many people have several sexual partners are all factors which increase the transmission of HIV here.

â€¢ A third of all who have been tested at the medical centre in Macenta this year have been HIV positive. But there is still much stigma attached to actually getting tested (even though the results remain entirely confidential), so for every person that comes forward for testing there are many who live with the uncertainty of not knowing their status.

We tell this story as an encouragement. People like Martha, who dedicate their time in serving their fellow Guineans, do exist and they offer hope! Pray that more people here in Macenta would recognise and take on this servant-hearted approach to caring for those suffering from Aids.

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