Raising funds for the Children
Trip Start
Sep 15, 2005
1
11
Trip End
Nov 11, 2005
Grande Prairie,
Alberta,
Canada
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Claudia A is an organization right in Paramaribo that houses 22 children living with HIV/AIDS, along with some positive adults. Some of the children were physically disabled as well as being positive. My impression of this organization was that it was incredibly poor, overcrowded and understaffed. The children clamoured all over me while I was there, stealing pieces of affection where ever they could. I felt the staff was great, but just stretched too thin to really give the children the attention they deserved. The children are placed here when their parents die, or when their parents are too ill to take care of them. The aim of Claudia A is to find relatives that will take them and they work hard to make this happen. Only at last resort do they call the government and get social services involved to find a placement. This organization is not set up to raise the children indefinitely like Paarl House.
Paarl House (Parel Huis - dutch) is an orphanage in the true sense of the word in that once the children are placed here, they will be raised until they are old enough to be on their own. This house has twelve children presently but Anne Bishop has big dreams. She has enough money donated from Holland to build a new housing unit but is looking for money to purchase land. She will then construct up to ten modules, each which will house up to 10 children in a family like setting. Paarl House is run very well, is extremely clean and organized, and well staffed. Anne is a great mom to all the children. I would think that some of the children from Claudia A could find their way to Paarl House once the expansion has taken place, if no family members are found to raise them.
The children in Baku Village have no immediate HIV needs - their needs are much more basic. A new school has just been started and the women of the village are trying to raise money for scribblers, pens and pencils, toothpaste and tooth brushes for all the kids, and a lawn mower to mow the grass around the school to protect the children from snakes. They also are using water from Brokopondo Lake and would like to purchase durotanks to catch rain water. This is important becasue the lake is polluted with mercury from the illegal gold mining operations. I see the villages as extremely high risk of HIV infections in the further as a result of a few things. Culturally most men have more than one woman (usually two)and keep a house with them in two separate villages. In addition they travel away to the gold mines for work and often have sexual partners while they are away. Maroon women have a cultural ritual of doing a vaginal cleanse every morning. They will not even touch food until this is done because they do not feel they are clean. The part of this that is interesting in regards to HIV risk is that they steam special leaves for this purpose that actually tighthen the vagina. Obviously this creates a greater risk of micro lesions and ptentially an opening for HIV to enter the body if they are exposed to infected body fluids.
So if you would like to make a donation, we will be collecting money through HIV North Society until Christmas and then sending the money to each agency in Suriname. The nice thing about donating directly like this is that 100% of your donation will make it's way right to the agency and to supporting the children. Cheques can be made out to HIV North Society and mailed to 10108 - 100 Avenue, Grande Prairie Alberta T8V 0V5. HIV North Society would be happy to send you a charitable tax receipt for all donations over $50.00. Thanks for considering a donation. You may even want to make a donation on someone else's behalf as your Christmas gift to them. If you would like to do this just let us know and we will make up a little certificate and send back to you so you can include it in their Christmas card or stocking.
Thanks for the support for the children of Suriname!
Love Brenda
