Duhsakna Kan Dawn, A Man Chhiar Sen Rual Loh

Thilpek dawn hi a nuam, a lawmawmin a hlu. Thilpek min petute chu min hmangaihtu leh min duhsaktute an ni thin a, min duhsakna leh hmangaihna te chu thilpek leh thildang hmangin an lantir thin. Zambia rama kan awm chhung hian a ram mite duhsakna thilpek kan dawng zing ta malh malh khawp mai. A tam ber chu kan damlo enkawlte hnen atangin a ni.

Pa kum 75 mi, an khua thingtlang hmun hla tak atanga thlatin thirsakawr hmanga kan hospital rawn beltu hian tum khat chu Mai pum lian tak mai hi a rawn phur thleng zak a, duhsak takin min pe. Nula pakhat ramhuai zawl at, a serhah arte thisawng thun a, a chawna perek an phum sak, taksa leh thlarau damna chang ta pawh hian vawi khat chu Alu bag khat (kg 10) ama thar ngei hi an khua atangin min rawn ken sak ve ngat a, a hlut dan a dang khawp mai. Ani hian an kohhran chanchinbu chhiar tur min pe bawk.

Kan nupain sa tui kan tih berte zing ami Zoar sa (‘village chicken’ an ti) chu Zambia ramah pawh mite duhsakna zarah kan ei thei ve leh zel a. Kan seilenna Mizo thingtlang khuaa kan tih thin ang thoin anni pawh hian an Zoar hi min rawn pe ve fo ta mai. Kan lawm thin, mahni khua ang mai a ni!

Nau ka chhar sak leh zaichhuah sak nu leh pa thenkhat chuan an lawmzia entir nan an fa hming min sak tir bawk. Mizo hming tha 'Malsawma', 'Rinawma', 'Vohbika' tih hming te hi tun atanga kum 20 hnuah Zambian footballer lar te 'jersy'-ah a chuang a nih pawhin thil awm lo a ni bik lo ang. (Thil theih loh hi a awm si lo a!). Nu leh pa thenkhat ten kan chunga an lawmzia an lantir dan dang leh chu an fa thar piang kha kan hming ang an put tir ve mai thin. Kei pawhin ka hming ang pu mi pahnih chu ka nei ve ta!

Heng an hmangaihna leh duhsakna, an lawmna te an lantir dan mawl te te hian nun a tinuam a, kan khawvel a cheimawi a, thil tha ti turin min nawr kal thin bawk a ni.

Zambia Salvation Army Territorial Congress

(This post contains significant number of photos and may take it longer to appear on the screen, please be patient!!)

A chunga billboard tarlan ang hian Territorial Congress kan neihna hmun hi Zambia leh Zimbabwe ten Kumpinu awpna laka zalenna an sual hun laia thlawhna tum hmun ni thin a ni a. Hmun rai leh thengthaw nuam tak a ni.

Kan General-te nupa Chikankata hmuna kan hmuah thlen ni (19 September 2009) hian Chikankata hmunah mipui kan tam khawp mai. Chikankata main gate pawh Generalte nupa lawm lut turin hawn mai theihin a inkau mek a ni.

Zambia ramah hian Army flag hian zah leh ngaihsan a hlawh khawp mai. Flag mai ni lo, kan chhinchhiahna dang crest leh red shield te hian mite thinlungah thu a sawi thin. Anmahni ngau ngauin awmzia a nei e tihna ni loin, heng kan chhinchhiahna phena kan thil tihte hian mite rilru a hneh zawk a ni e. General hmuah ni pawh hian flag te hi chhuang takin kan pho chhuak leh a ni.


Kan General-te nupa chu Congress-na hmunah hruai thlen an ni a. March kan neih nia mipuite salute an chhang zo, an thla ka laksak lai hian an in pose fuh khawp mai. An bula mite hi kan Territorial Commander Col. John Wainwright te nupa leh Major Richard Gaudion, Private Secretary to the General te an ni.

Nepal Missing: Kan General hian Inrinni zana a thusawinaah tunhnai maia S.A. in rawngbawlna a hawn tharna ram hrang hrang sawiin mipuite min fuih a. Africa khawmualpui atanga tanin-Namibia, Mali, chuatah Middle East - Kuwait-ah, Europe khawmualpui Greece-ah, Asia-ah chuan Mongolia-ah. India Eastern Territory (IET - Mizoram)-in nasa taka kan beihna ram Nepal-a S.A. rawngbawlna hawn thar anih erawh a sawi hmaih tlat mai. Mongolia ram a sawi zawh hian Nepal chungchang hi a sawi turah ka lo ngai a, chuti anih chuan IET chanchin pawh sawi tel ngei turah ka ngai a, nuam ka lo ti lawk! Mongolia ram chinah hian a tawp ta daih mai a, ka hawihil der mai.

A tuk Pathiannia kan hospital an fan laiin a Private Secretary Major Richard Gaudion-a hnenah hemi chungchang hi ka hrilh a. "I lo notice ve a ni maw, General kha han hrilhhriat ka tum laiin a thusawi kha a titawp ta hlauh si a. A Bible hman thin note a ziahna lo zawk a hmang palh a, a hmaih a nih kha, a pawi ka ti khawp mai", tiin thupha chawi titihin min hrilh.

General-te hian march an inspect zo chiah a, Congress Hall lam pan turin an pen chhuak mek a ni.

General hmuak sipaite hian Chikankata khawchhung luhna kawngpui kan luah khat hneh khawp mai.

Chikankata High School naupangte pawhin an theih tawka nalh banner siamin an rawn thawhchhuahpui ve a. Zirlai sangkhat chuang hi an Headmaster Oliver Mwanza hoa an rawn tleh chho mai chu, a thim hian an rawn thim chho mup mup mai a ni!

General hmuah ni hian Officer-te hlei hleiin nuam an ti. Uniform famkim nen, mipate pawh outdoor fatigue, lukhum nen ngat an rawn thawk chhuak a ni.

General a rawn thleng tep a,nghakhlel takin kan thlir mek.

General a rawn thleng ta e. Chikankata Scouts-in hma an rawn hruai a, an tiang nen an ther far mai.

General hi Zambia rama an cham chhung zawngin President's Office-in Diplomatic Security Police (DSP) te a escort-tir a. A kalna apiangah DSP motor-te hian a hma hruaiin a hnung a dawl zel a ni.

Naupangten salute an pe a, Generalte nupa hian naupangte hi hmuh nuam an ti hle niin ka hria.

A Remchang: Congress Hall leh buk (tent) tam tak hi Elephant grass hmanga sak a ni a, a chungte hi ruahpui vanawn dawng atan chuan duhthu sam lo mahse, nisa vawl vawl lak atang chuan min chhan ve khawp mai. A remchanna dang pakhat leh chu inkhawm zat chhiar a awlsam. Usher-te kha inkhawm ban apiangin kawngkaah an lo ding a, a chhuak apiangin kan hall bang hi kan thliak hmawk mai a, usher-te kutah kan hlan a. Usher-te hian mihring chhiar loin hun thawl tha an neihah kan bang/di thliah kha an lo chhiar tawh mai thin a ni.

Territorial Band-te hian mawi takin Congress hun chhung zawng hla min rem sak a, uniform pawh an nei nalhin an smart khawp mai.

Zambian culture-ah hian lam hi an uar hle a, a mawng hem zawnga lam chi an ni lehnghal. Hei hi Congress Hall lamtual zau tak chu a ni a. A zau hle nain songster-te hla rem tura an rawn chhuak tak tak hi chu an leng ngai mang lo. Songster member hi an tam sa thin bakah a phur phur hian an rawn zawm ta thin a!

Junior soldier songters pawh mawi taka zaiin an rawn lam a. Zambia Territory hian Junior soldier an ngahin an nei tha takmeuh a ni. Heti hi anih avang hian S.A. hmathlir a eng hleah ka ngai a. Pathianni Thianghlima Inkhawmah General hian mi 50 chuang Sipai puitlingah a lawmlut nghe nghe. Chikankata Corps pawhin tum khat chu a rualin nausen 75 hlanna a nei tawh bawk.

Territorial Youth songster zai turin an rawn zai/lam chhuak mek. Zaipawl hi an thuthmun atanga rawn kalin an rawn zai ringawt lo a, hla puitling pakhat sain an rawn zai-lam chhuak ngei ngei tur a ni. Chumi hnuah zai tak takin a zui a. An haw lam pawh an zai-lam haw ngei ngei bawk. Chuti anih chuan hla pathum hu zel an sa tihna a ni a, inkhawm hi a rei lo thei thin lo. Mahse a ninawm ngai lo.

Congress hun chhung zawng hian Soweto, South Africa atangin songster member 40 chuang an rawn tel ve a, zaia rawngbawlna benglut tak neiin malsawmna tam tak an rawn thlen. An songster leader hi senior ve tawh tak, inpe em em mai a ni a. Ka hmuh apiangin Pu Joseph Vaikhuma (of Nigeria) min tehkhin tir thin. An uniform hi an inhmeh ka ti khawp mai.

Thu Ka Sawi Ve: Congress chhung hian thusawina hun min pe ve a. Zirtawpni tlai Men's Fellowship-ah "Men, HIV & AIDS: Challenging Men to be Responsible" tih thupui hmangin ka sawi. Chitumbi Corps Hall kawtah kan TC hoin thutna rem chhuakin Officer leh patling tak tak 500 rual zingah ka zirlai anih bakah ka subject tuina ber hmanga thu ka sawi chu nuam ka ti ve khawp mai. Ka thahnem ngaih tluk zetin ka tawng min leh saktu Mr Hangoma hian thahnem a ngai a, anmahni cultural context nena inmil thlap, an hriatthiam theih zawng tak turin min leh sak niin ka hria. Congress hun chhung zawng hian "Doc, your lecture/speech was very powerful", tiin compliments ka dawng chamchi mai. A tla tha ve viau niin ka ngai ta.

Ka thusawi ngaithlatu thutna chang ve lo thenkhatte. Motor kan hunna piah mai hi motor kawngpui a ni a, tin, a bul maiah hian 'tavern' a awm bawk a, khawlaia teihawi satliah te pawhin min rawn zawm ve zel a, kan tam ve khawp mai.

Hei hi Congress-na hmuna Chikankata Corps chawlhbuk hung pawn ta zawk a ni a. Hetiang hian Corps tinin hmun bik kan nei theuh a, ei leh in, riahna pawh mahni hmun theuhah tih zel a ni. Mipaho zawng hmun khatah, hmeichhe ho zawng hmun dangah (nupa pawh riah dun phal a ni lo) a hrangin riah a ni thin.

Thenkhat chuan hetiang hian supermarket atanga an lei puanin an rawn thawhchhuahpui mai bawk a. A remchang viau tho mai.

Hei hi Lusaka (national capital) citadel ho chawlhbuk a ni a, a lian tha hem hem viau nain an leng meuh lo chu a ni . An 'Aizawl Temple Corps' ve ngang an ni a.

Congress hmun tuala han teihawi vel pawh a thawven thlak khawp mai.

Helai hi chu kan posh street ang ve deuh a ni a, thalaiten nuam an ti khawp mai.

The 'Flag' is held high everywhere.

General Ek In: Hetianga mipui tam punkhawmna mai bakah, riah khawmna leh eihona hunah hi chuan sanitation lam pawh uluk a ngai hle a. Pit latrine tha tak hmun tam takah siam a ni a, zun leh ek thlahdah an awm lo. A chunga mi hi chu inthiarna hmun tha bik, kan General-te nupa tana siam a ni a, running water a awm ngat bakah, bang leh chung tha tak neiin tala-a kalh a ni bawk a. India rama kan VIP te Black Cat commando ten an veng ang deuhin kan General inthiarna hmun hi Black Dog-in a veng ngat a nih hi!! Kan General-te nupa hian an hmang tangkai ta em tih erawh ka hre ta lo.

Chikankata Hospital leh SAMF tangkawpin a hmunah Clinic an hung bawk a. Congress hun chhung hian inentir za tam fe an awm, kan nurse leh Clinical Officer ten thahnemngai takin an thawk a ni.

Ambulance service tha tak buatsaih a ni bawk a, emergency case a awmin hospital lamah phurh thlen an ni thin.

Mahni Corps theuh tana ei leh in siamtu Home League member-te an buai thei khawp mai. Hei hi kan Corps ei/in siamna hmun a ni a, hemi ni Pathianni hian arsa min hmehpui dawn a ni. Tui khawp ang le!

" Nshima" (Vaimim dip chhum ban) tel lo hi chuan chaw eiah an inngai meuh thin lo a. Hei tunah pawh thahnemngai takin an chawh leh sauh sauh hi. Hetiang nute hi chhungkuaa malsawmna tam tak thlentu an ni.

Congress palai hi kan kim khawp a, pasalthate an lo awm nawk ni tur a ni, hei Corps pakhat chuan tum khata an eisen bak Sakhi sa an pho ro der der mai. A chhumna tur meihawl, sikri leh tui pawh a bula hi a awm nghal e!

Anni hi chawei kham hlim an ni a, an puar hmel euh euh khawp mai. Chawhnu inkhawm lo awm tur hi muthlu loa an tluan ka ring meuh lo e!

The Congress concluded at 1400 hours Zambian time on Sunday 20th September 2009. A Home Leaguer walked past the deserted Congress Hall on the wall of which was a billboard displaying our beloved international leaders General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton, who came all the way from London to Zambia to be with us and be like one of us.

IS in General Puarak-ah a Rawn Hmang: Keini chhungkaw bik chuan kan International Secretary (IS-South Asia) Commissioner Lalkiamlova leh Commissioner Lalhlimpuii te nupa duhsakna leh awmpuina chu, Congress hun chhung zawng hian kan dawng bawk a. Kan General hi 'puarak'-ah rawn hmangin lehkhathawn duhawm tak leh kan fate lawm thil min rawn thawn a. Heng thilte hi Private Secretary to the General-in min hlan tawh hnuah, kan General ngei hian, "In IS hnen atanga envelope kan rawn ken kha i dawng em?" tiin min zawt leh bawk a ni.

Dal leh Cricket: Kan Indian pui Lt.Col. Davidson Varghese, Secretary for Business Administration te pawh an chhungkuain an rawn tel a, kan lo mikhual a. Paratha-te siamin Curry leh Dal te nen kan chawmkawi kual thei a. Hun tawt tak karah Cricket match hnih khat vel kan khel hman hram bawk a, a nuam ve khawp mai.

IET Nge Nge: Sawi lan leh ka duh chu, hospital tour kan neihpui tum hian kan General hian heta kan rawngbawlpuite zingah Mizoram/India Eastern Territory S.A. te rawngbawl dan tha a tihzia leh a ngaihsan zia a sawi lang kauh mai a. A dik reng a ni, Chikankata leh Zambia Territory pum pawh hian India Eastern Territory sipaite hnen atang hian zirlai tam tak chhar tur a nei ve ngei ang.

Thlalak

Here are some of the latest photos available in my file. I am happy to share with you, in case you might be able to form an idea of how life in rural Chikankata is like, and of course, how grown up are our two beautiful kids now.

One of the administrative buildings of the Biomedical College is situated in an idyllic slope surrounded by hills

I should not say gardening is my hobby. But I like to lend a hand or two to our gardener during weekends and holidays. My wife is actually better at managing our backyard garden where we grow leafy vegetables, onions, garlic, chillies, green pepper, brinjals, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumber and strawberry. At Chikankata, besides being having enriched my medical knowledge and clinical skills, I also learned a few of agriculture science

Surrounding areas of Chikankata provide good grazing grounds for cattles. For this reason, commercial farming as well as subsistence farming is quite a common activity

Joshua (son of Kennedy and Rachael) who is now in the UK will also surely miss his time with our children and the animals

My boy always considers watering the garden as his duty, and he used to do it with perfection

Having an afternoon walk around the Mission is a popular routine activity. The children especially like the dusty Chikankata street

Turkey! Christmas is approaching again. It's a popular domesticated bird around Chikankata. And it can fetch the owner a good price during the season

The Seminar Centre which is a place of many activities and hosts people of all nations for many years now. It is equipped with two conference rooms, private accomodations, kitchen, dining room, pool table, and a squash court with arena. It earns the Mission a good income

One of the species of flower in front of the Seminar Centre kitchen. And God is its maker too!

The newly constructed Biomedical College gents' hostel. It accomodates no less than 30 students

This is Chikankata Dam. It is called a 'dam' because it is a man-made lake meant to serve the Mission's many institutions and households with a steady supply of water. Mizote dil lian ber Rih Dil aiin a lian fe mai. It is just 200 metres away from our house

That's why even our children frequented the place, and often pose on the banks for a photo shot like this one

Our daughter Melissa has her hair plated like anyone of her friends here. This, I think, helps her to gain better acceptance from her peers

She likes immitating professionals! She is intelligent and smart. That's why I think she has more brains than beauty, and I expect her to remain and grow up that way

Poly-[gamous]-humour

Tun tum chu a changtunu leh changtupate chanchin phek lehlam sawi tur kan nih avangin Mizo tawngin ziak daih ang! An hnam dana nupui pakhat aia tam neih a thiang tlat pek hi thil a buaithlak zawh vek chang a tam, Kristian inti thenkhat lah bang bik lo.

Bias Study
Kan University-in assignment ti tura min phut angin theihtawpin ka bei a. A tawp a tawpah, “Ka puitlin ta e, khawnge Mr. B-a hi HIV/AIDS programme-a Field Manager senior leh experience ngah a ni bawk a, ka thehluh hmain ka chhiar tir ang a, thurawnte pawh min pe thei mahna”, tiin, ka assignment chu min en chhuah sak ngei a, thurawn pawh min pe ta ngei a. “Doctor, i hnathawh chu a tha nangiang e, thil pakhat chiah sawisel tur ka nei, HIV/AIDS darhna chhan pakhat anga polygamous marriage & relationship i sawi tel hi a dikhlel deuhin ka hria, debatable tak a ni e”, a ti ta tlat pek a. Ani berin hetianga a sawi hi a va mak ve aw ka ti ka ti a. A hnu feah thian pakhat hian, “A chhan chu maw, a ni pawhin a nei ve duah alawm, a sawisel loh ten”, a’n ti mai chu min barakhaih ngei mai. Rawn loh tur tur ka lo rawn palh chu niin!

Just Curious
Nula kum la naupang tak pakhat hian pasal a nei dawn a. A pasal tur chu nupui kawplai pathum ngawt nei tawh a ni tih a thianten an hriat chuan an thiannu chu engvanga chutiang mi kher neih tum nge tih an zawt a. Ani chuan awlsam takin, “Aw! thiante u, in hrethiam mai lawm ni. Hmeichhe pathum ngawtin pasal atana inneih tawm an hnial loh nachhan tak saw keimah ngeiin ka hre duh alawm, amahah sawn thil danglam bik a awm a niang”, zu han ti daih a. A thiante hi an dang chiang asin aw!

Super Selfish
Nikhat chu outpatient department-a damlo ka en hi, ni dang ang bawkin case chi hrang hrang ena ka inchin fel dawn hnaih lamah nupa tuak khat hi an rawn inzui lut hnak hnak a. Anni standard atana tam lutuk ni pha lo fa 10 nei tawh, fa nei tawh lo tura insiam (zai) duh hi an ni a. Anni zingah hi chuan fa nei tawh lo tura insiam tih hian hmeichhe tih turah an dah deuh zel, mipa insiam kan la nei lo. Chutichuan dan pangngai angin inruahman dan tur te sawiin zawhnate kan inzawt chho zel a. Zai tur an tam avangin chawlhkar hnih khat chho maia kan zai hman dawn loh thu leh nau an pai leh lohna turin chumi hun chhung tal chu condom lo hmang rih tura ka ngen chuan a nupui zawk chu a nui mai a. A pasal chuan, “A, ka pu, a ngai lo ang” a ti ta tlat mai pek a. A hmelah lah chuan a ‘confi’ em em tih a la hmuh theih zui. A ngaihna ka hre thiam ta hauh lo mai. A bul atangin ka han tan tha leh a, “Chuti chu, mipa zawk i ni a (dik tak chuan Tonga-‘man’ ani tih pawh ka hai lo), hemi hun chhung hian i insum thei i tihna em ni?” tiin ka zawt ta sak mai a. Ani pawh chuan a ruh lang rawtin, “Ka pu, hemi hun chhung hi chuan ka nupui dang pakhat hnenah ka kal mai ang,” tiin a ‘confi’ em emna chhan a rawn tichiang ve ta a ni. Kan chiang tlang ta vek bakah kan nui tlang ta vek mai a. Mahni hma a sial lu deuh erawh chu ka ti, a bula a nupui awm ve reng khan engtin ngai ang maw?

At War……
Hetianga nupui pahnih, paruk thleng te pawh aniang chu, neite hi chuan ‘management’ subject hi an master hle a ngai ta ve ang. A nih loh chuan pa tam tak an tal buai fo reng a ni. Tum khat leh pawh zan rei tawhah hian nu pakhat hi a beng dinglam thi leh uai hna chungin emergency room-ah a rawn trap lut a. Ka silfai saka ka thui sak mawlh mawlh lai chuan kan nurse-in a inhliam dan ‘history’ a lo la ve bawk a. Hetiang hi thil awm dan chu a ni: An pasal intawm hi ‘routine’ ang chuan hemi zan hian he nu Ina a lawi hun a ni a. He pa vai kal cham rei deuh lo haw, thim thet theta khaw rawn lut hian hun leh ni a hai nge a tum reng vang zawk, he a nupui hliam tuar ta hnena haw ta lo chuan a nupui pahnihna kiangah a haw ‘palh’ ta mai a. A senior leh lungfing zawk, thil lo chhut dim diam tawh tu ngaihdan a pel ta a. A chanvo dikna hre ranin a nihpui hnen atang chuan an mi intawm chu va pawh hran a tum a. A pakhat zawk lah a lo theuneu bik lo, an inkek ta chawt chawt a ni awm e. Chutichuan he hliam na tak tuar hian hospital a rawn pan ta a ni. Police hnenah FIR a la thehlut ta deuh deuh a, buai khua a sei duh thin ngei mai!

………and Peace
Thenkhat erawh an inngeih dial dial thung. Hei hi chu keima thil tawn ni lovin midang sawi a ni a, ka han sawi chhawng ang e. An tia lawm, mipa thenkhatin nupui an neih deuh treuh duhna chhan pakhat chu ‘cheap labour’ an duh vang a ni an ti. Nupui ngah chu an thlawhhma pawh a zau nge nge. Tum khat chu, an thlawhhma zau tak leh hna truah tak thlir hian nupui pakhatna leh pahnihna hi an ti ti dun a. Thlawhhma a zauin hna a tam si, an huphurh ngang a ni ang. “Hawh teh thiani, hna a tam e mai, kan pasal hi nupui dang neih belh turin i kar ngawt mai teh ang”, tiin thu an tithlu ta alawm, an tih chu! An thikthu a chhe vek bik lo ni awm a ni.

Whether or not to marry an HIV positive person - the students debate

I enjoy reading the works of the students, whom my wife teaches here at Chikankata Higher Secondary School. Here are compositions by two of the Class XI students when they are asked to write a letter encouraging or discouraging their brother who has decided to marry an HIV positive woman. One can learn about the awareness level of the students on HIV/AIDS, and their attitudes towards the disease. These works of the students clearly depict the extent of impact HIV/AIDS on the household economy and the community life. Thanks to the effective community coping strategy the Zambians developed, the disease, however, fails to disrupt the strong social cohesion pattern of the Zambian society.

This letter discourages marrying an HIV positive person:

Dear brother,

First of all, I would like to greet, hope you are fine that side. As for me I am just okay and the family here is just okay.

Coming to the main point of writing this letter to you is that, I heard that you are marrying next year. It’s good to hear that, but the woman you want to marry is HIV positive. I just want to tell you that you can’t marry a woman who is HIV positive because, you won’t even stay with her for a long time. She may die or yourself may die soon. And another thing is that you will also get the virus which causes AIDS. That will make you die fast, as you know men die faster than woman if they have the virus. When you die, you may leave your children; those children may suffer financial problems. As you know that in our family we are not rich enough to help your children to let them go to school, they will just end up loitering in the streets and may become thieves and prostitutes. The other thing is that when you die it will be a great loss for the family. You know that you are the only one who can help us in financial problems for you are the only one who is educated.

In conclusion, I would like to advise you not to marry that woman, because she will just bring us problems. Actually she is not the only girl in this world. If you don’t mind I will help you to look for someone else and not that one. So if you want to die fast, go ahead. But just know that your marriage will not be blessed because our parents are not happy about your idea. So stop it before it is too late for you.

Tusela Kooma

I personally like the following letter more for it is full of hope and life.
Dear Martin,

How are you and the family there in Chooma? Chikankata is just fine, only the coldness.

My main purpose of writing is to congratulate you on the issue I heard. I heard that you want to marry and that the woman you want to marry is HIV positive. But I would encourage you that if you really love the woman from deep down your heart and she really loves you, go ahead and marry her. Even if people talk and talk just go ahead, at last they will get tired of talking.

But when you get married there are some conditions which are: you should be faithful to each other; you or she should not have other partners. Whenever you have sex please use a condom. When she becomes pregnant by chance please advise her to go to the hospital or nearby clinic for more information on how she can prevent the baby from HIV/AIDS. Please when she is sick, care for her. Show her love because when people who are positive are not taken care of or shown love, they feel underrated. Please before you get married go to the hospital and get more information on how you are to live your marriage life. Remember that there are also some sexually transmitted infections which can be easily transmitted, so be careful brother! I also wanted to attend your wedding but it’s just that I am preparing for my mock exam. Send my regards to Aunt Rose, Sister Linda, grandma, grandpa and the rest of the family. See you when I come. All the best in life.

With lots of love.

Mwangala Liswaniso

Of course, whatever is our HIV status, positive or negative, we all deserve to have the best in life. These three things will abide with us forever: faith, hope and love!

Chikankata HIV/AIDS Prevalence

The origin of HIV/AIDS programme under Salvation Army Chikankata Hospital in March 1987 was preceded by the diagnosis of a skin condition, Kaposi’s sarcoma, in a patient in 1986, with another 37 more cases of AIDS diagnosed later at the end of that year.[1] As more patients with AIDS crowded the hospital wards, the idea to build a hospice was debated by the hospital staff and the community leaders and finally rejected. It was felt that the numbers of patients who would require care would soon overwhelm a hospice. Knowing that caring of the sick by families at home is an inherent strength of Zambian society, home based care approach of people living with HIV/AIDS was adopted. The system involved the family, neighbourhood and community with Chikankata Hospital as the key player. [2] This approach has been adopted up to this time due to the positive impact it has on the community.

The trends in general:
Chikankata Hospital’s Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Clinic named Muka Buumi (“Mother of Life” in Tonga), together with the Voluntary Counselling & Testing (VCT) services was started in 1st September 2004. At the start of VCT in 2004, out of a total of 391 people tested, 276 (70.58%) of them were positive for HIV. In 2005, the percentage of HIV positive result came down to 60.21% (660 positive from a total of 1096 tested). The situation changed for the better in 2006, when for the first time, a fewer number of people (37.93%) tested positive for HIV as against the negatives, from the huge total of 2175 (so far the largest Chikankata Hospital has in one year). The situation remains constant in 2007 (38.22% HIV positive) when 1724 were tested and in 2008 (37.76% HIV positive) when 1533 people were tested.

Antenatal versus population-based HIV prevalence rates, Chikankata Hospital:
When HIV prevalence rates among 15 – 39 years group each from pregnant mother antenatal attendee (considered the best representative sample of the general population) [3] and the actual general population (VCT attendee) are compared, there is a huge difference. While the antenatal HIV prevalence rates of Chikankata Hospital (12.97%) closely follows that of the Zambian national antenatal prevalence (12.50%), the prevalence among general population attending the VCT at Chikankata Hospital (44.08%) is so high that in no way can it represent the general population of the area, let alone that of the nation (15.2%). [4] This high prevalence of infection among VCT attendee of Chikankata Hospital is likely due to the sampling bias as majority of the people tested are either in-hospital patients or outpatients who already had certain medical problems at the time of arrival at the hospital.

These reductions in the prevalence/incidence of HIV are, of course, a welcome shift. However, the dynamics of epidemic prove that reduction in the prevalence or incidence of infection is not a consequence of a single factor alone. Hence the following questions arise:
1. Are the observed changes a reflection of the natural progression of the epidemic? Because the HIV prevalence will not grow indefinitely, it will saturate at some level. [5]
2. Are the observed changes a product of interventions or changes in behaviour? Considering the extent of interventions being carried out by Chikankata Hospital and the resultant behaviour change visible within the community, one can be compelled to answer this question with the affirmative.

The fact that HIV prevalence within Chikankata catchment area levels off or decreases from 2006 through 2008, paints a bright picture on the wall. It gives the idea that the rate of new HIV infection per year (incidence) has also decreased, as a fall in incidence always precede the fall in prevalence. It will be wise and more accurate to agree, that the natural saturation of the HIV epidemic coupled with VCT services and behaviour change interventions carried out by Chikankata Hospital, both contribute to the fall in the incidence and prevalence of HIV in Chikankata catchment area.

References:
1. Silomba, Weddy. Manager of AIDS Management & Training Services, Chikankata, Zambia. HIV/AIDS and Development: The Chikankata Experience. March 2002
2. Dixon, Dr. Patrick. AIDS and You. 2005
3. UNAIDS. Trends in HIV incidence and prevalence: natural course of the epidemic or results of behavioural change? June 1999
4. UNAIDS. Latest epidemiology data. http://www.unaids.org/en
5. UNAIDS. Trends in HIV incidence and prevalence: natural course of the epidemic or results of behavioural change? June 1999