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Take HIV/Aids funds to genuine needy, NGO challenges government
2007-07-23 08:54:40
By Beatha Hyera
The government have been challenged to direct HIV/AIDS funds donated by various development partners to the people living with HIV/AIDS and concerned organizations.
An Organization dealing with people living with HIV virus (UWAMADA) threw the challenge last Friday at a press conference in Dar es Salaam.
One peer educator of UWAMADA, Imani Mbagala said that the government has the responsibility to ensure the funds received from development partners reache the targeted beneficiaries (AIDS suffers).
The reactions of this civil society organization have come in the wake of widespread speculations that some NGOs were misusing donor funds donated meant for supporting AIDS suffers and related initiatives for their personal.
`We have witnessed several seminars conducted on HIV/Aids, during which participants eat good food and sign some allowances at the end of the day but we as victims get nothing,` he noted.
Mbagala, alongside with other delegates disclosed their HIV status as part of the campaign initiated by President Jakaya Kikwete to encourage people to voluntarily screen for HIV/Aids.
Mbagala explained that the advantages of undergoing a blood tests early would enable one fight the disease through good nutrition habits and benefit from counseling without need for using ARVs.
`We encourage people to test while they are still strong so that when they find themselves affected they will be able to control their health,` he noted.
He urged health organisation and those living with HIV/AIDS to work as a team in providing proper education to the society especially people in the rural areas.
The institutions involved in the fight against HIV/Aids receive funds from various organizations including CVM from Italy, Action Aid, RFA through TACAIDS and Kahama Gold Mining.
`The funds we receive are mainly used to provide education to the people in rural areas about the disease because many people in these areas are not aware and lack proper knowledge about the disease` commented Mwanamkuu Omary, a treasurer of the institution.
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