Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day. Since its inception in 1997 Planet Aid, has supported programs to combat disease and epidemics like HIV/AIDS. One such program is TCE - Total Control of the Epidemic - operated by members of the Federation Humana People to People worldwide. TCE utilizes a community-based approach to address issues related to the global HIV/AIDS Epidemic. The objective is to provide individuals with the knowledge and tools to empower themselves against HIV/AIDS.
Through a door-to-door campaign, TCE Field Officers educate, inform and counsel people, empowering them to make positive and responsible decisions about their sexual behaviour. Volunteers, called "Passionates," assist with complementary TCE activities such as school and workplace campaigns, women's clubs, orphan care, home care and much more. Additionally, TCE programs forge partnerships with existing services, both governmental and otherwise, and provide people with access to those services via referrals.
Sara's Story
Sara is 53 years old and lives in the Ndlavela Barrio in Matola City, Mozambique with her daughter and two grandchildren. Her husband moved to South Africa years ago to find work. Life was difficult but she was managing. Then, in 2010, Sara learned that she was HIV positive.
"A TCE field officer named Marta Marcos was passing by my house," she says. "She was taking information and registering people for the program. We spoke about HIV. After our talk, I went to the hospital to make the test." The reality of testing positive was initially difficult for Sara; however, she found the strength to take charge of her situation, receiving assistance from one of the groups organized bythe TCE program. Read more about Sara and others like her at http://www.planetaid.org/web_documents/tcecasemoz2.pdf