In spite of one in five of Zambians being infected with HIV or full-blown AIDS, the stigma and shame of the disease is still so strong most death certificates state TB, typhoid or malaria as cause of death. But as one person noted, “In Zambia, you are either infected or affected.”

Ba Tambu, although weak and beginning to show the emaciation often associated with AIDS, is gracious as she invites the twelve visitors from the United States into her 8 x 12-foot home. Scraps of black plastic are stuffed among the thatch of the roof in a futile attempt to repair the leaking roof. They only serve to attract and hold in the stifling heat. The living area includes one chair, a mat for a bed, and a small shelf for bath soap, laundry detergent, cooking oil and smaller bags of beans, sugar and salt. In the corner sit metal cooking pots and a 50-pound bag of corn meal. On the walls, hanging on nails, are plastic cups. But there are no trinkets or knick knacks, no pictures, no books, no electronic equipment—nothing that is not absolutely essential to sustain life.

“Yesterday, we had no food,” Tambu explains, “until Ba Cyrus brought us World Hope’s distribution.”

Tambu and her children are the recipients of a unique program that empowers local people to care for their own AIDS patients and the resulting orphans in their own communities. World Hope founder and chief executive officer, Jo Anne Lyon, explains.

“One of concepts in the whole area of community development, research and theory is what is referred to as asset community development. That means that you start with the assets of that community. We look at communities as Westerners and say, ‘They have nothing, so we need to come in and give them all these things,’ but we have not taken into consideration the knowledge, strengths and gifts that they already have. That’s what you first begin to work on—the assets they have and build on those assets. And then, you come along side with the ideas and thoughts they have and help partner with them. Then they do it, they build. It’s theirs and the dignity that comes with it.

“Too many times we have fixed things. We’ve walked in and said, ‘Oh, this is what you need.’ For instance, around Africa, I’ve seen many rusted-out tractors. Some American thought, If they had a tractor, they could work all of that land. But the Africans will say, ‘The Americans gave that to us, but it broke down and we didn’t have any parts for it and we couldn’t afford the fuel for it.’ Americans don’t realize the resources that are already in the country.

“As we began to look at this whole issue of AIDS, the first thing we heard was ‘Build more orphanages.’ But the communities love their children, so we asked, ‘How can we build the whole community economically.’ For instance, I was in another country that has issues with orphans as well. I was shown a million-dollar orphanage with all these beautiful buildings and gorgeous facilities—and they had eleven children. And most of those were not even orphans, but children whose parents said, ‘Oh, I’ll send my children there to get a better life.’ I thought, If we had a million dollars, what could we do for the community? We could train the families on how to take care of children and lift them economically, so families could come together to care for those orphans. We could also train care-givers in childcare and nutrition.”

Bryant Meyers affirms this strategy in his book, Walking with the Poor. “The lion's share of the task of development is at the grass roots level. Effective development leads to authentic empowering of the poor and results in sustainable change."

World Hope empowers local churches to establish trusts which allow AIDS patients and orphans to be cared for in their own communities. Revenue for the work is generated by locally-trained care-givers who work growing vegetables, raising chicken and pigs, and making clothing. The goods are sold and revenue used to provide basic needs/

It is obvious from what Dr. Lyon reports, the Zambians are resourceful and creative people who only lack initial start-up cash for a well for fresh water and supplies to provide a completely self-sustaining, perpetual economic resource. For instance, while the ground surrounding Ba Tambu’s village is sandy, red dust, WHI-Z’s native-born agricultural assistant, Derick Mubitelela, has used his creativity to transform it into rich brown top soil. His secret? Before planting green beans, maize and squash, he plants ants. Mubitelela buried ants at intervals to allow them to bring richer soil to the surface and work in the manure he had spread on the surface.

Currently, 55 caregivers serve 100 orphans and nearly 150 children at risk in Tambu’s community. World Hope plans to establish 200 trusts throughout the small African country.

Frevia Kaluba, the native-born director of World Hope International-Zambia’s work, explains that three pillars support the work, just as three stones support the nshima pot used to cook the cornmeal staple: opportunity, dignity, hope.

Hope is the key according to Jeff Johnson, Community Health Director for World Hope. “One can be killed one of two ways: murder and lack of hope. I am weary of hearing about the horrors of AIDS. We bring a message of hope.”

Despite the obvious poverty—open sewers, no running water, tiny houses cobbled together with cast off material—there is indeed a sense of hope. While the future is uncertain for Tambu—most full-blown AIDS patients in Zambia live less than a year and a half—hope is reflected in her eyes. “When my husband deserted me when I became sick, I had no hope. Now I have hope that my children will be well-fed and that they can go to school.”

As the visitors leave the small house, a rainbow has spread its arms over the community—perhaps a sign of hope and promise for Tambu and the four children in her care.

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© 2007 James N. Watkins www.jameswatkins.com