m2m - Issue 2, October 2008

Issue 2, October 2008

These are tumultuous times. Each day brings news of bankruptcies and bailouts, partisan politics and calamitous current events. For those of us in the nonprofit world, the future can appear particularly unstable and we often wonder how funders and philanthropists choose between the many demands on their attention and resources. And yet, we can be nothing but grateful that there are so many extraordinary people who are able to step outside the whirlwind of their own lives to recognize and sympathize with the needs of others who are worlds and lifetimes away.

Written by Ellen Thom, Malawi Country Manager and Nicole Fulton, Programme Development Manager

In 2007 mothers2mothers Malawi seemed like a dream, and in what felt like a blink of an eye, m2m launched a record-breaking 17 sites in just six short months. With support from the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Bickerstaff Family Foundation, and UNICEF, m2m demonstrated its capability to take direct implementation to scale outside South Africa. In addition to these visible milestones, other achievements have been more subtle. Initially local staff quietly wondered whether m2m would work: “Are there really HIV-positive Malawians who will come out openly?” “Will we be able to find Mentor Mothers in our communities?” But the results have been overwhelming.

Plenary sessions, special sessions, abstract sessions, bridging sessions - between the 1100 sessions and workshops as well as a sprawling Global Village and non-stop Cultural and Youth Programs, the XVII International AIDS Conference was almost as challenging to navigate as the traffic-jammed Mexico City streets! With over 20,000 attendees including world leaders, international AIDS Ambassadors, community leaders, and AIDS specialists, August 3-8 was a week of lessons learned, partnerships forged, and relationships made.

At the heart of mothers2mothers are HIV-positive Mentor Mothers and Site Coordinators, women who provide peer support, education and care to other HIV-positive mothers at m2m sites across southern, central and eastern Africa. As our first-line of care in healthcare systems across sub-Saharan Africa, Mentors and Site Coordinators also need support by virtue of their status. Hence, m2m initiated a Psychosocial Support Project in 2006 with the financial backing of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to help them manage the stress and emotional trauma associated with providing care, and to enhance their resilience so that they can better serve mothers and their communities.

Ingrid speaks about mothers2mothers with compassion and pride. Sitting opposite her husband and co-owner of Posticino restaurant Gioacchino (Jack) Gasparre, and Enrico (Eric) De Siena (co-owner), the trio share their unique connection with mothers2mothers and their strong bond with co-founders Mitch Besser, Gene Falk and Robin Smalley, and what it meant to raise funds in support of the organization.

In addition to its dedicated full-time staff, every year the mothers2mothers head office in Cape Town hosts a handful of talented, sponsored fellows and individual volunteers from around the world. Drawing on well-established relationships, particularly with Princeton-in-Africa (PiA) and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, m2m fills several rotating, one-year fellowship positions. Qualified recent graduates join m2m from PiA, and committed employees from Pfizer Global Health Fellowship looking for international experience offer their expertise.

Site Coordinators who lead and inspire

Written by Steven Guy, an LA based writer who was deeply moved by his visit to m2m in July 2008. He visited Site C in Khayelitsha, along with David Mixner, US political activist, author and writer for the popular blog DavidMixner.com

Traveling from Cape Town’s harbor district to its largest township, Khayelitsha has the visual effect of trekking from the earth to the moon, in less than 20 minutes. Plush, up-lit hotels and polished eateries give way to teeming street corner vendors selling boiled sheep heads and dull vegetables. High-rise glass harbor condos rising against grassy-hilled gated communities dissolve into a sea of tin shacks incongruously planted onto muddy ground with no plumbing and little electricity. The harsh contrast has my eyes blinking and stomach knotting.

In the words of Site Coordinator Vanessa Nyirabeza

In Rwanda, 2004, Vanessa knew something was wrong; “I felt very weak and ill and I did not know what was wrong with me. Some people kept warning me that it could be HIV but I did not want to admit that it could be true.” At that time, Vanessa had been married for nine years. She and her husband had lost their firstborn when he was only 15 months old due to unknown causes. She was not ready for any more trauma, and could not face the prospect of being HIV-positive.

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