HIV-positive people ‘going hungry’

ONDANGWA – Ondangwa Mayor Otto Mwandingi Kapia has appealed to the business community and non-governmental organisations to offer support to HIV-positive people at his town who face a shortage of food.

Kapia made the appeal during a meeting with a group of 40 HIV-positive people at Oluno, Ondangwa. The gathering was held under the auspices of an organisation called Ondangwa HIV Living Positively Action Group .He made the appeal after the group’s Chairperson, Trefina Malima, reported that the organisation had registered 64 HIV-infected people since its inception in 2002 but 24 of them had already died – most of them reportedly as a result of taking anti-retroviral drugs on an empty stomach.Kapia collects fruit, maize meal and cooking oil bottles from local businesses such as the Omwandi Shopping Centre, Fysal Fresh Produce, Dirk Fruits and Punyu for the group.Members of the Ondangwa HIV Living Positively Action Group come together twice a month with the aim of supporting each other and to discuss their problems for the relevant authorities’ consideration.The group always meets at the Oluno Clinic where they were offered office space after they had to move from their former meeting place – under a tree at Eputa village on the outskirts of Ondangwa – to avoid some villagers who shouted at them and insulted them.- NampaThe gathering was held under the auspices of an organisation called Ondangwa HIV Living Positively Action Group .He made the appeal after the group’s Chairperson, Trefina Malima, reported that the organisation had registered 64 HIV-infected people since its inception in 2002 but 24 of them had already died – most of them reportedly as a result of taking anti-retroviral drugs on an empty stomach.Kapia collects fruit, maize meal and cooking oil bottles from local businesses such as the Omwandi Shopping Centre, Fysal Fresh Produce, Dirk Fruits and Punyu for the group.Members of the Ondangwa HIV Living Positively Action Group come together twice a month with the aim of supporting each other and to discuss their problems for the relevant authorities’ consideration.The group always meets at the Oluno Clinic where they were offered office space after they had to move from their former meeting place – under a tree at Eputa village on the outskirts of Ondangwa – to avoid some villagers who shouted at them and insulted them.- Nampa