6.5 Health and Social Initiatives Comprising the Response to HIV and AIDS
6.5.3 Attempts at Empowerment
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However, although these actions are reported in all circuits, the numbers of sessions in which they are mentioned differ. Table 11 shows the frequencies and percentages of acknowledgements of such informal social actions in the circuits covered in this study.
Table 11: Frequency and Percentages of Acknowledgement of Informal Social Action per Circuit
Structure Total Sessions Frequency Percentage
Hibberdene circuit 8 2 25.0
UFMC circuit 7 2 28.6
Clermont/KwaMashu circuit 7 3 42.9
Fairview circuit 8 4 50.0
Overseers 2 1 50.0
Umlazi circuit 8 6 75.0
Total 40 18 45.0
Source: Field Research Results, 2011, 2012
This table illustrates that informal social actions are more acknowledged in some circuits than in others. Their acknowledgement varies from 25% of sessions in Hibberdene to 75% in Umlazi.
During interview sessions and with focus groups tangible examples of such actions were stated by people from only three circuits. Others affirmed that informal action took place without identifying specific cases. This means that the few informal social actions initiated in this Church are not equally expanded to all circuits. And within the circuits where they occurred they are not unanimously recognised.
Nevertheless, as seen in Chapters 2 and 3, the SAVE strategy of dealing with HIV and AIDS, confirmed that such visits and assistance to the needy are part of required strategies to respond to HIV and AIDS. Since PLWHA are not able to disclose their status in the FMSKZN as seen earlier, it is not likely that these support initiatives adequately address the needs of PLWHA.
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section is based on responses given to question 9 of the interview guides formulated as follows:
What does this Church do to equip people for their self-help in preventing HIV infection or caring for the sick?
Four areas of empowerment initiated in the FMSKZN are found in the results of the study:
gender equality, poverty alleviation, education and spiritual empowerment.
6.5.3.1 Gender Equality
There is evidence of empowerment in gender equality in The Haven shelter. This shelter empowers survivors of domestic violence in many ways. It restores their self-esteem through counselling and other ministerial services. It assists women to obtain employment by informing them about job advertisements, helping them to compile their curriculum vitae, and giving them priority when job offers become available in the shelter.111 The researcher‘s study of 2010 (Iyakaremye, 2010b:95-96) has found that the management of the shelter organises workshops in which professionals address women on their rights. The same study also found that these women are assisted with obtaining administrative documents from the Department of Home Affairs and registering their children for support grants if these services are needed. Moreover, Sheffield and Sheffield (1998:1) describe a case of a female teacher who was abused by her husband but because of the intervention of The Haven, was able to obtain the assistance of the police and the court to recover her belongings, to separate from the abuser, and to settle in accommodation provided by the UCH Project.
All these services reported here can contribute to the restoration of women‘s dignity, self-esteem, right of citizenship and financial empowerment which are likely to promote women‘s freedom and self-sufficiency. Therefore, although HIV and AIDS is not openly addressed in this project, to a certain extent, services provided are likely to play a positive role in addressing HIV and AIDS. However, no evidence has been found in this regard. Thus, since the Church or shelter does not make HIV and AIDS an intentionally monitored component of services to these women, The Haven‘s response to the pandemic remains invisible.
111 See CL37:10.
167 6.5.3.2 Poverty Alleviation
During interviews, two church leaders, CL37:10 and CL16:8-9, declared having helped people to initiate small businesses of selling sweets and chips. In total, three persons were reported being supported in this way. At the time of this study, however, only two were still working.
Financial empowerment can result in empowering people towards self-sufficiency and a healthy lifestyle which are part of the strategies to address HIV and AIDS (Barnett and Whiteside, 2006;
Visser, 2010). However, three aspects deter from ascertaining that these attempts in the FMSKZN play a role in addressing HIV and AIDS. Firstly, they are insignificant and limited to a small number of people, if one considers the size of the sample here (five circuits). Secondly, they are not as a result of the Church‘s policy or engagement but of some individuals‘ informal commitment. Thirdly, the intention of initiating these actions does not comprise addressing HIV and AIDS. This shows therefore that the FMSKZN does not have any record of participating in poverty alleviation as a way of addressing HIV and AIDS.
6.5.3.3 Education
Concerning education, the FMCSA has a bursary fund known as the Wesley Association of Theological Education (WATE). This fund provides financial support to the church members for pastoral education. In this regard, most of the ministers in this Church have been sponsored by this fund during their theological education. The interview with the overseer has also revealed that the committee of this fund has recently decided to include students following other fields of study such as medicine, economy and technology as beneficiaries.112 According to the UNAIDS the promotion of education can also contribute to addressing HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS, 2010b:12, 76, 114, 130). However, the FMCSA has not yet done this with a conscious intention of responding to the pandemic.113 This means that the choice of beneficiaries and decisions about the amount of bursary have never taken into account the challenge of HIV and AIDS. It is thus very difficult to include this fund as a strategy of the FMCSA/FMSKZN to address the pandemic.
112 See CL38-10.
113 See CL38-10.
168 6.5.3.4 Spiritual Empowerment
It was briefly stated earlier in the chapter that women in The Haven shelter are empowered through counselling and other ministerial service114. In fact, church members in all circuits receive such services through sermons, prayer meetings and Bible study. Through these services, people are emotionally and spiritually strengthened by the belief in God‘s love, God‘s protection and the future heavenly life. This belief helps them nurture a positive view of life and live with hope. According to the results of this study, these are the services the most provided in the FMSKZN. However, in Chapters 5, the Church still has a negative attitude towards HIV and AIDS and PLWHA which results in silence on the pandemic or in inadequate ways of addressing it. It instead settles for mere moralistic teachings on sexuality115 without offering any ministerial service initiated with the intention to (adequately) address HIV and AIDS.
From this overview on the health and social initiatives in the FMSKZN, it is noticeable that only one project, The Haven shelter, has HIV and AIDS in its conception. Although all of these initiatives can be used as a way of addressing HIV and AIDS, none is fulfilling that purpose.