You Are HIV Positive

Hearing the News that "You Are Positive"

"Malawi doesn’t have the same strictness about privacy that we have in the US," I tried to explain to my guest from America as we both stiffly watched the scene unfold before us. A nurse who was showing us around the clinic had seated us in a little testing room a few minutes earlier. And now to our shock she was giving a lady a test to see if she had HIV right there in front of us. Several other strangers, all waiting their turn, were also crowded in the room, some sitting so close to the lady that they could have reached out and touched her as she braced herself for the results.

The test works like one of those instant pregnancy kits. A nurse captures a drop of your blood on a pear shaped plastic card and a few minutes later-Presto!- the verdict comes in. If only one bar appears on the card that means you tested negative for the virus and you’re free. Life will go on as normal.

Two bars mean you just tested positive for HIV!

"You are positive," as they say here. You officially have the ghastly HIV virus that leads to AIDS and are staring the totality of its nightmare of horrific illness, stigma, and slow but early death right in the eye.

All who come for testing arrive with a sense of dread, terrified that they will test positive for the virus, but most come out with a new spring in their step and hope for the future after learning that they are not infected after all. Some, though, come out devastated, having received the dreadful confirmation that their worst fears have come true: their life is over as they know it-and that it will probably be a lot shorter at that.

The last thing I wanted was to be present the moment when this lady, or anyone else, learned their HIV status, especially if it was bad news. But it would have been offensive to storm out now, practically stepping over the lady’s feet. I tried not to listen to what the nurse was saying in low tones to her, but the formal rehearsed sound of the voice was not encouraging. A quick glance at the woman’s emotionless face, skin taut over her cheekbones, dark eyes staring blankly into space, told me she was not getting the news she wanted. No, she looked like she had just received the kind of news that makes you feel like a 20-ton Mack truck has just dumped its whole load of rock on you.

Now they were testing her a second time. And why would they do that? I suspect that you can figure that out. But these little tests are so accurate that there was little doubt her fate was sealed and the nurse confirmed this fact to me the next time we met.

They didn’t reveal to me the woman’s name and I can’t tell you any more specifics of her story. We could only speculate about what was going through her mind when she heard the news. What would this do to her marriage if she had been infected by her husband as is so often the case? How would her kids learn about this? Did she have the emotional strength to fight this with the life-prolonging drugs available these days or would this news just destroy her hope and will to go on living?

Although HIV/AIDS surrounds me in Malawi (Fourteen or more percent of the entire population tests positive for the disease and percentages for certain age groups go way beyond that.), this was my first experience witnessing someone actually facing this reality.

"You are positive."

Society stigmatizes the disease so greatly that almost no one admits they have it even if they know. Nobody has ever told me, "I have AIDS," or "I am HIV positive." Instead all these young people who are wasting away and dying in our community officially are being killed by other illnesses. It’s true that other diseases finish the immune deficient patients off, but the real cause, AIDS, usually lurks close by in the shadows.

My friend and I left the testing clinic after a few minutes and went on our way, but now any easy conversation that would take our minds off of what we had just seen eluded us. We had not counted on being witnesses to such a grave moment in this stranger’s life. Never mind the fact that I certainly interact with HIV positive individuals on a daily basis, it’s a lot easier not knowing who they are or being forced to consider what the future holds for them.

In the Photo: The left poster explains what the test means when two bars show: "The HIV virus is present." The right poster showing one bar says, "The HIV virus is not present."

Celtel Malawi Reduces Cost of Cellular Handsets

APA-Lilongwe (Malawi) A leading mobile service provider in the country, Celtel Malawi, said on Wednesday that it had reduced the cost of its cheapest cellular phone handset by 35 percent with immediate effect, from US$25 to US$16 per handset.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony of the new price in Lilongwe, Celtel’s acting Commercial Director Saulos Chilima said the reduction in the price tag of the Chinese made handsets was in response to new tax measures set in the 2008/09 national budget presented to parliament in early June.

In this year’s budget, the government has scrapped off a 25 percent customs and excise duty on imposed on handsets and cellular network equipment.

"This is in line with our company’s strategy of making mobile telecoms affordable and easily accessible to all Malawians," he said.

He observed that access to mobile telecommunications in a global village is no longer a luxury but a fundamental right for everyone.

Malawi / UK creates roadmap to safer motherhood in Malawi

LILONGWE, Malawi, June 25, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Malawian mothers-to-be are making unusual journeys to the delivery room - by motorbike sidecar - International Development Minister Gillian Merron has discovered in Malawi.

Gillian Merron said (eRanger) motorbike ambulances are making pregnancy and childbirth safer for Malawian mothers - by making it quicker and cheaper for women to reach treatment in hospitals over often remote terrain. Some Malawian hospitals have seen a 200% increase in the numbers of woman giving birth in the last three years.

Gillian Merron said:

“The UK has been instrumental in the creation of this service. Not only have these motorbikes been designed by a British company, but the UK has funded most of the 250 motorbike ambulances currently in operation in Malawi.

“It is impressive to see a UK business providing this vital service to so many people in Malawi. This is a real example of overseas aid working effectively. I have witnessed first hand how important these ambulances are, and I am delighted the people of the UK are supporting this life saving project.”

Mothers-to-be in Malawi are at constant risk of developing complications when giving birth and the difficulty in getting them to a health centre quickly and safely has been a factor in Malawi’s high maternal mortality rates.

Malawian women are 100 times more likely to die as a result of being pregnant than British women. The UK government is determined that mothers in Malawi and across the globe should be able to bring children into this world safely and confidently.

Teacher sets off to train Malawi

On Friday, Glaswegian teacher Robert McGoldrick will be on his way to Malawi, where he will take part in a five-week education project.

The modern studies teacher at Gourock High in Inverclyde has joined up with Link Community Development to work with other teachers in the southern African republic.

For more than a decade, LCD has worked on school improvement programmes in countries such as Malawi, Ethiopia and Uganda.

About a dozen Scottish teachers make the trip to Malawi each year, where they train and mentor other teachers and school staff.

Since March, when he found out he was going, Robert has been getting his pupils involved in the experience and said it has brought home for them the reality of life for their counterparts thousands of miles away.

"The kids have got right into it, because I'm going and it's not just being told something from a book," he said.

"I've been getting them to do profiles of themselves to take over.

"English, maths, computing and business studies are now working Malawi into their classes.

"When you're working with kids on a daily basis it's really apparent how much of a negative press they get but projects like this give them a chance to show that they do care about things like this and want to find out more."

Teacher Marian Gibb runs a training session with Malawian teachers (pic by Liz Charles)
One of the Malawian teacher training sessions from 2007 (pic by Liz Charles)
The 36-year-old will be working with staff in the Dezda district, where there are eight teachers in a school with 700 pupils.

"The school I'm going into is looking for training in leadership and planning," he said.

"Even things that are straightforward for us, like planning a lesson, which teachers in Malawi maybe haven't had as much training on, can make a big difference.

"Hopefully those teachers will then have those skills to pass on."


Robert will be living with a local family throughout the five weeks, which he said would help immerse himself in the community.

"It's about building relationships and trust with them so they'll tell you exactly what they need and you'll get to see the reality," he said.

"That's what I'm really looking forward to - I know it'll be a challenge but I think it'll be a really enjoyable."

Muluzi hires 24 lawyers

A simple sentence, 15 words long, which was permanently inscribed in Malawi Constitution precisely on Section 83 (3), has attracted a whooping 24 lawyers across the World to interpret what it means.

It is said the men of law would be charging minimum of US$ 1, 800 per hour each seating just to make their argument on how they understand the sentence individually.

Some of the lawyers come from as far as United Kingdom and Nigeria. Desperate to get back into power after expiry of his constitutional maximum terms of office, former Malawi President Bakili Muluzi has confirmed to have hired 24 lawyers to help fight the law that bars him stand in next year’s general election.

Muluzi retired in 2004 but now says he has retired from retirement.
Malawi’s Electoral commission announced last month that the fourth general election would be held on May 19, next year and preparations for registration are almost through and that very soon the exercise would begin.

One of leading Daily Newspapers in Malawi quoted Muluzi’s personal attorney, Farhad Assani confirming that their first meeting was held in the lake district of Mangochi where majority of the lawyers deliberated their elementary arguments on the interpretation of the 15 words long sentence.

The familiar sentence reads as follows: “A president and or his vice or second vice shall serve maximum of two consecutive terms.”
Muluzi served his maximum two consecutive terms of five years each from 1994 to 2004 but he has announced his intention to come back and rule.

Faced with this sentence, he has decided to hire the lawyers to help him change the interpretation of the provision to mean that it does not bar a president who retired but decided to retire from retirement.

According to Assani who also happens to be his possible running mate in the polls, some of the lawyers come from various parts of the world notably, United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria.

“The team is comprised of members of the bar from far and wide but there are also a number of locals in total we are 24,” he was quoted as saying.

The two digit figure has become a centre of attack from civil society who say, Muluzi loves to break Malawi laws. There are fears that changing this law would be recipe for dictatorship. But Malawi public has nothing to do, other than watch their laws being raped.

Interestingly this would not be the first time for self nicknamed political engineer Muluzi, to try to rape this law.

In 2003 fearing that his term was coming to an end he bribed Members of Parliament to change the same laws so as to allow him continue ruling the country. Badly though he failed, because the MP’s were too few to change this law.

Each MP according reports pocketed almost US$ 5, 000 which they never refunded back to Muluzi after the move failed. They all scattered and feigned innocent.

This time the United Democratic Front (UDF) leader, a rich lavish man, from a terribly poor, hunger stricken family, wants to spend his money on courts.

But some secret reports say his closest allies most of whom are retired judges, advised him to stop, saying it is impossible to bypass, let alone change this law.

Malawi’s agriculture sector gets a boost from the World Bank, Norway and GEF

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2008 – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved US$37.80 million to the Malawi Government to support investments aimed at improving food security and sustainable agricultural growth.

The approved amount, to be provided through the Agricultural Development Programme Support Project (ADP-SP), consists of a US$32 million International Development Association (IDA) credit, and a US$5.8 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant. The Government of Norway will contribute an additional US$10 million, while the Malawi Government will put in an equivalent to US$2.3 million in kind. The total value of the ADP-SP is US$53.3 million over a five year period (2008-2013).

The ADP-SP will mainly focus on institutional development and capacity building in preparation for an agriculture sector wide approach (SWAp), and sustainable food security.

‘The Bank supports Government’s aspirations of enhancing agricultural growth as a linchpin for the country’s prosperity. We believe that through this project both agricultural productivity and food security will be improved, and that Malawi will be cushioned from the adverse impacts of the rising prices of agricultural commodities,’ says Timothy Gilbo, the World Bank Country Manager for Malawi

With agriculture as Malawi’s engine for economic growth, the first priority of the ADP-SP is to improve overall governance of the agriculture sector by building technical, managerial and administrative capacities in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Strengthened capacity is important for the Ministry to effectively implement the Agriculture Development Program (ADP) being prepared by the Ministry.

The objective of the ADP is to improve food security and generate agricultural growth through increased productivity of food and cash crops, while ensuring sustainable use of natural resources. Within three years, the ADP is expected to evolve into an agriculture SWAp, which will coordinate donor support to the agriculture sector in Malawi.

‘The ADP-SP represents the first coordinated donor commitment to the Government’s Agricultural Development Programme, and provides a valuable foundation to build from. The harmonization of donor funding in support of the ADP is essential for achieving our target 6% growth in the agricultural sector,’ says Andrew Daudi, Malawi’s Principal Secretary for Agriculture and Food Security.

The second priority for the ADP-SP is sustainable improvement of national and household food security. This will be achieved through supporting smallholder farmers to improve maize productivity growth, sustainable land management, and strengthening market based agricultural risk management strategies. Activities to improve maize productivity will include helping farmers with choosing right maize varieties, including drought resistant ones; efficient use of fertilizer to produce more per unit of fertilizer applied; and reducing post-harvest losses. Sustainable land and rainwater management will include assisting farmers testand adopt conservation farming practices.

The ADP-SP will also support national efforts to stabilize food supplies through the application of several market based risk management initiatives including micro weather insurance, macro weather insurance, price hedging and warehouse receipts.

‘The risk management toolbox being supported through the ADP-SP aims at insuring the country from maize supply deficits and reduces the country’s vulnerability to food price variability. This will encourage more farmers to shift from a preoccupation with food security toward the pursuit of commercial income growth,’ says David Rohrbach, the World Bank’s Task Team Leader for the ADP-SP.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will be responsible for the implementation of the ADP-SP. About 200,000 rural smallholders, or about 10% of the total farming households of the country, are expected to benefit directly from the various activities of the ADP-SP. Agriculture provides a livelihood for 85 percent of the population and smallholders contribute about three-quarters of agricultural production. Malawi’s economy remains agro-based with agriculture contributing 38 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The GEF unites 178 countries in partnership with international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment. An independent financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing US$7.6 billion in grants and leveraging US$30.6 billion in co-financing for over 2,000 projects in over 165 countries.

Hit the road to Malawi, McConnell ordered by MPs

A by-election to test Labour is expected within the next few months as Jack McConnell prepares to stand down.

Wendy Alexander is heading for her first electoral test as Scots Labour leader, with a by-election expected in one of the party's heartlands within the next few months.

Jack McConnell, the former First Minister, is set to stand down as MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, after calls by the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee for him to take up his new post as High Commissioner to Malawi within the first half of 2009. Mr McConnell, who resigned as Scots Labour leader last autumn, was nominated for the position last August by Gordon Brown.

But in evidence to the committee, which has a key role in scrutinising diplomatic appointments of people from outside the diplomatic service, Mr McConnell said that he still had not agreed a starting date and might not even take up the post next year.

The committee is unhappy with the arrangement and told Mr McConnell that he and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office should resolve the matter swiftly by publicly announcing a start date wihin the first half of next year. Sir Richard Wildash, the present incumbent in Malawi, is due to leave by Januray 2009.

Sources said that the Foreign Office is expected to ask Mr McConnell to start his new job as soon as possible afterwards. It is understood that Mr McConnell now regards a relatively early by-election in his constituency as “inevitable”.

That could be grim news for Ms Alexander whose leadership has plumbed hitherto unknown depths of unpopularity in recent polls, after controversy over her leadership campaign finance and successive policy U-turns on an independence referendum.

While Labour has a healthy (for Holyrood) majority of almost 6,000 over the Nationalists in the seat, a good part of that is attributed to Mr McConnell's previous high-profile as First Minister. If Labour was to lose the seat, it would place great pressure on Ms Alexander's position. The SNP's present one-seat majority over Labour would increase to three at a time when the Nationalists are in government and Labour in opposition.

It had been thought, before yesterday's committee report, that Labour would prefer to hold the by-election to coincide with the UK general election in 2010. That now looks impossible because of the committee's trenchantly-expressed views.

MPs on the committee said they were satisfied that both the Foreign Office and Mr McConnell had behaved “without impropriety” over the proposed appointment.

But the report added that the committee was “surprised” Mr McConnell had raised the possibility of a long gap between the present High Commissioner leaving and his own starting date, and that Mr McConnell had not ruled out staying on as an MSP for an extended period.

“We conclude that it would be very unsatisfactory for there to be a lengthy interregnum in which no High Commissioner is in post,” the MPs said. “It would be equally unsatisfactory for Mr McConnell to continue to perform the duties of a Member of the Scottish Parliament at the same time that he is preparing to undertake the politically impartial duties of a British diplomat. We recommend that the FCO and Mr McConnell should resolve this issue swiftly and make a public announcement that Mr McConnell will take up post on a specified date within the first half of 2009.”

The Foreign Office said yesterday that it wanted Mr McConnell in post as soon as possible. Sources added that while a gap of two months between one high commissioner standing down and another replacing him might be acceptable, a gap of almost two years would not.

Mr McConnell's concerns for Malawi and its people are well known and became a passion for him during his time as First Minister. Scotland has long-standing links with the country and a co-operation agreement was signed when Mr McConnell was First Minister.

Mr McConnell and Labour said that the handover arrangements for the post were entirely a matter for the Foreign Office.

The SNP said that Mr McConnell should choose between “Motherwell or Malawi”, claiming that he was hanging on to “spare Labour's blushes”.

“That Labour is running scared of a by-election in one of their strongest constituencies shows just how much Scotland has changed in the last 12 months,” an SNP spokesman said.