Educating children about AIDS is helping that country’s problem

Uganda (MNN) — Millions of people are suffering from HIV/AIDS around the world. The problem is especially problematic on the African continent where 10 people are infected by the virus every minute. That’s why the work of Food for the Hungry is so important.

FHI’s Steve Langa is working with young people in Uganda and they’re using a new approach to deal with the problem. “Most of the programs that are available deal with the symptoms, but we go to the root cause and deal with what are called behavior change,” says Langa. He says abstinence is a major component of their program.

Langa says Uganda used to have the worst HIV/AIDS problem in the world. Langa says, “We have villages that were completely wiped out by HIV, where all the adults were actually killed. So, you had little children being brought up by children.”

Food for the Hungry’s Child Sponsorship program has play and is playing an important part in reducing the HIV/AIDS problem in Uganda. Langa says, “It has provided education, some material help. We don’t just provide the food or the clothing, but we have a comprehensive holistic approach where we take care of the spiritual welfare as well, we nurture them and have Bible studies with them and other teachings that makes sure they grow spiritually as well.”

Langa says there’s so much more they could do if funding was available. “Our work goes (on) in only five districts. Uganda has 56 districts. So, the demand for our ministry, the demand for our work is immense. It’s a good program, it’s doing a lot where it is present. And, what we want to do now is multiply this success story to other areas,” says Langa.

Pray that funding will become available to do even more which can save the lives of children physically and spiritually.