It's all about people

CHO is an incredible organisation that has grown from one man with a vision in 2002 to having 67 staff and working in the areas of HIV/Aids, education, providing safe homes for children that have been trafficked or most at danger of trafficking, agriculture, vocational training and providing micro loans and business training to help people set up sustainable businesses for themselves. And all of that in just 10 years. Before we came they asked if they could meet with someone about HR so this has been the area that I have concentrated on over this last week. I have to say, it is very humbling to make suggestions to an organisation that is doing such an excellent job. Although their HR function has only really been established formally within the last year they have an excellent foundation regarding policies, practices and procedures. I met with the newly appointed Head of HR (he was previously the Head of Development) and will continue to keep in touch to support him with HR information when back in the UK.

In the afternoon Maria and I went back to the HIV/Aids clinic; we particularly wanted to understand more about how CHO is helping the patients. This time our guide and translator was CHO's team leader for the HIV/Aids work. He has lived in New Zealand so his English is perfect! We heard that CHO is supporting around 2,000 patients, most of whom are out-patients. Once on their radar these people receive on-going support and are never dropped. There is a team of 4; two of them visit villages every week day – rain or shine – to check on how patients are doing and two of them are counsellors in the clinic. The counsellors are there for anyone in the clinic who is having a crisis of any sort; some struggling to come to terms with being HIV+, some not clear how or when to take their medication etc. It can take a huge amount of patience to explain the importance of taking the ARV (anti-retroviral) drugs at exactly the same time of day every day. If they don't then the medication becomes ineffective and there are only 3 types of medication that can be taken – after that, nothing.

We had the opportunity to speak with individuals on the small ward supported by CHO. One lady had been there, with her son, for over a month; she is too weak to walk and is determined to try to rebuild her strength by eating well. One of the guys is a principal in a local school and is waiting to hear test results that will confirm whether he is HIV+ or not – a very anxious wait. The other guy's story was very moving; he is divorced from his wife and takes care of three children. He works in the market, matching pairs of shoes. Since he has been sick he has found it difficult to earn enough money to pay rent. It sounds like they are on the verge of becoming homeless. His oldest child is a 15 year old girl and in this situation is very vulnerable to being trafficked. She has never been to school because she always had to help her parents. The two boys, 12 and 9, have had some time in school but can no longer go. The two eldest children also work in the market when their dad is not able to. CHO will see if they can put this family on a special path of care and support – possibly training the father in a new skill so that he can support his family better and also consider how they can help the children go to school. This really was seeing first hand how a family can start on the path of transformation.

We also heard that the whole clinic (and there are various parts to it!) is run by volunteers – doctors, nurses, counsellors, admin staff, drug dispensers and lab technicians. They used to get paid by the government until about 2 years ago but not since. The clinic provides care for people who literally walk in off the street and is therefore a vital source of medical care for people who can't afford standard hospital treatment. Those who run it know the importance of the hospital so give their time in addition to their other paid work.

I think that for me, hearing the passion of the team leader and how committed he is to keeping hold of all those in their care, was very moving. He has a budget to manage but in the case of the man with his three children CHO will need to find additional funding to get them to the stage where they are financially stable. He says that in situations like this they pray. We will pray too.

Allison (27th October)