NEWSLETTER Issue 2

NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 2013

Once again, the Paballong Centre marked World Aids Day on 1 December with a range of activities at Ha Senekane. These included a fun walk; a 100 metre race; peer support activities The Paballong Trust began its work in (with females outnumbering males almost and role plays by and for various age and Lesotho in 2001, and opened the Paballong two to one); about 25 are tested for HIV gender groups; singing and traditional dancing; HIV/Aids Care Centre at Ha Senekane in (which includes a process of counselling); and a drama; and a children’s competition to paint 2007. Here in Britain, we established the about 400 HIV positive people collect their pictures of the late Dr Mohapi. Paballong UK Trust in December 2010, in an antiretroviral drugs there and undergo blood effort to broaden the international support tests to ensure that their CD4 count is at an base for the Centre. In September 2011, we appropriate level. were officially registered as a charity with the Charity Commission of England and Wales. The Centre suffered a tragic loss on 18 September when one of its most active Most of you are receiving this short Trustees, Dr Titi Mohapi, passed away. newsletter because you have generously Despite her many commitments as a supported Paballong in the past. We wanted surgeon, Dr Mohapi worked tirelessly in to give you an update on developments at support of Paballong, particularly as medical the Centre during 2012, and how the Trust in adviser. She will be sadly missed. Our UK Trust supported the event with a the UK has been able to help. You can get donation of M10,000 (about £700). By all more information about Paballong from our accounts, this was money well spent, raising revamped website: www.paballong.org.uk. awareness, enthusiasm and commitment among the community on the Berea Plateau.

In the course of 2012, the Paballong Centre has continued its service to the people of the Berea Plateau, which lies east of Lesotho’s capital Maseru. It remains a valued source of counselling, testing and treatment for this population, who must otherwise travel World Aids Day 2012: painting competition further afield – at a considerable cost in time of the late Dr Titi Mohapi, long-serving and money – for such support. Each month, Trustee of the Paballong Trust on average, some 500 people visit the Centre

Page 1 NEWSLETTER | Issue 2 2

Regular checks of the concentration of CD4 or It is estimated that there are at least 60 double In 2013, the Paballong Centre will continue its T-cells in the blood are vital to staying healthy orphans (who have lost both parents, mostly programmes of support to the people of the when HIV positive. These are the cells that due to Aids) in the vicinity of the Paballong Berea Plateau, stimulating awareness about HIV activate the body’s immune response to Centre. Some are looked after by older siblings and Aids, providing counselling and testing infection. People with Aids become increasingly in child-headed households. Others are cared facilities for those who need them, and vulnerable to opportunistic infections as their for by their grandparents. supporting those who are HIV positive – as well CD4 count falls. Many authorities recommend Caring for younger brothers and sisters prevents as their families, carers and communities. the introduction of an antiretroviral drug regime some older children from going to school. The The opening of the day care centre in time for when the number of CD4 cells falls below burden on grandparents is significant too. A few the start of the school year in January will be a 350/mm3. hours’ respite from the daily effort of child care major new development, as well as an extra Lesotho’s government laboratories have would make a significant difference to these old budget commitment. machines to check the CD4 count in blood people’s quality of life. The total operating budget of Paballong for samples given by HIV positive people, sent to The Centre therefore developed a proposal to 2013 is estimated at £136,000, with about them by clinics including the Paballong Centre. convert an old commercial building on its land £17,500 income anticipated from sales by the But there have been times when these labs have at Ha Senekane into a day care centre to cater Centre’s agricultural section. run out of the chemical reagents used in the for 35-40 orphans and vulnerable children, who While Paballong will continue to benefit from CD4 count. It can be very dangerous for patients will be able to spend the day there free of generous grants by the Aqualia Foundation and if their CD4 level is not regularly tested. charge, and receive a healthy lunch, during the Netherlands Lesotho Foundation, there is The Paballong Centre therefore sought our help school term time. This will enable some of their still a funding gap of some £56,000 for 2013. to buy its own CD4 machine, for use when the older siblings to go to school, and give elderly Any help you can give through the Paballong UK government labs cannot provide the service. In carers time to rest or attend to other household Trust would be deeply appreciated. Details of partnership with the new Paballong Foundation tasks. what various amounts can do are shown on our in the Netherlands, we have contributed £3,450. You can see more details of the proposal in the website: The Centre estimates that government services Centre’s 2011 annual report: http://www.paballong.org.uk/how-you-can- may be unavailable for roughly two months per http://paballong.org.uk/~paballon/wp- help/what-your-donation-can-pay-for/ year, and has budgeted to use its own machine content/uploads/2012/08/Paballong-Annual- – with chemical reagents and accessories that Report-2011.pdf The most urgent need is to cover the running are needed for each CD4 count – over that and there is a short video about it at: period. These materials cost about £4 per CD4 costs of the Day Care Centre for the early http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6c6NWvfk7 count. months of 2013. I External support from a big international charity Paballong has now been able to secure funding may become available later in the year, but for the day care centre , to be named after the anything we can do to help between now and late Dr Mohapi, from Sentebale (the charity April would be very welcome. founded by Prince Harry of the UK and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho) and from the Aqualia Foundation. Construction is well under way and Do please see if you can help! it is due to open early this year. Details of how to donate are on the website: http://www.paballong.org.uk/how-you-can- help/donate/

Thank you! The machine has been delivered to the Centre, and staff there have been trained by the suppliers on how to use it. FOR MORE INFORMATION

Paballong UK Trust 17 Lyntonvale Avenue Gatley Running costs of approximately £1,300 per Cheadle month (mostly for staff salaries and children’s Cheshire, SK8 4DF lunches) will be an ongoing challenge, especially in the early months of 2013. If you would like to Website: www.paballong.org.uk help, please donate and let us know that you Email: [email protected] would like it to be used for this purpose.

Paballong UK Trust : Registered Charity No. 1143940