The issues related to living with HIV and Aids remain huge in Thailand.
Despite incredible breakthroughs in availability of treatment and care, the number of newly infected people continues to grow rather than decline.
And despite many dedicated organisations focusing on education and prevention programmes, the discrimination for those affected and infected by HIV continues to be a stumbling block.
Yet, it is not all bad news. The good news is that there are many groups faithfully working to share God’s love in very practical ways with individuals and families facing the traumas of living with HIV.
All the community-based programmes in which I have been involved have the ethos that change will come from grassroot levels.
The Church of Christ in Thailand Aids Ministry (CAM) is a small team of eight committed staff, which has been running a community and church-based Aids programme for the last 20 years.
This includes holistic care, education and prevention programmes in schools, workplaces and churches, and extensive networking with all Aids-related organisations in the area.
We are now seeing church members in specifically trained churches ‘fostering’ Aids-affected families, willingly and lovingly.
We also have a team of trained local volunteers, often HIV-positive themselves, who are able to return to their own communities and offer encouragement, practical support and counsel for other families affected by HIV.
These volunteers enable the ministry of CAM to expand beyond homecare visits by staff, to a much wider network. I too feel privileged to be a small part of this project where every member is a shining example of dedication and of God’s love in action.
Somchai is a pastor from the Lahu tribe whose wife recently died from Aids. He was previously well accepted by his church members and the local community, but when they realised why his wife died their attitude changed. Somchai too is HIV positive, and boldly and bravely declared this to his congregation so that he can be a witness to them and others in a similar situation.
Within days, he was out of a job and out of a home. He sought counsel at CAM, and they have enabled him to be trained in Aids counselling and care. Somchai is now a CAM volunteer, focusing on getting relevant educational resources to minority group church leaders. He desires to help equip Christians to have a more open heart and attitude towards those with HIV.