Mpilonhle - A Good Life
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Mpilonhle News
U.S. Embassy Announces R8.45 million for Mpilonhle HIV/AIDS NGO in Northern Zululand
08 Nov 2007
Durban U.S. Ambassador Eric M. Bost announced the awarding of R8,45 million ($1,3 million) to support Mpilonhle Project in the Umkhanyakude District, near Mtubatuba and KwaMsane in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, funded through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR).
Mpilonhle is a non-governmental organization dedicated to helping in one of South Africa's poorest and most rural communities. The Mpilonhle project, which means "good life" in isiZulu, focuses on health promotion and social development of youth by sponsoring mobile health units that visit rural schools to provide integrated health education and HIV prevention services, HIV testing, curative services, and computer training.
PEPFAR will fund two additional mobile health units that will expand the integrated HIV prevention, health, and computer education services to between 4 and 8 high schools in the area. The first unit, funded by the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project and Oprah's Angels Network, has already begun helping young people in the district.
Each mobile unit will spend one week per month at a school and rotate between four high schools. Every student will be offered annually an hour long health screening visit that will include VCT, screening and treatment and referral for other diseases, including substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections other than HIV, and mental health problems.
The mobile units will be staffed by four health / HIV counselors, a nurse, a social worker, a health educator, and a computer instructor.
Ambassador Bost said the U.S. government, through PEPFAR, provides more assistance to South Africa than any other country in the world.
"Over the last four years, we have provided R6 billion to almost 400 dedicated South African partner organizations as well as the South African government. Next year, the U.S. will provide an additional $4 billion."
"The success of PEPFAR program is due to the incredibly dedicated partners with whom we cooperate in this country, partners like Mpilonhle who are making a difference everyday in this battle," said Ambassador Bost.