St. Camillus Centre

St. Camillus Centre is an organization in Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho founded in 2002 by Sebastian Khoarai, a bishop, and Juliana Manele, a nun, both members of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross.[1][2]

The first case of AIDS in Lesotho was discovered in 1986. Early efforts to address the spread of HIV were thwarted by poor organization and a lack of resources. By the early 2000s, the AIDS epidemic in Lesotho had grown to alarming proportions and the death rate had skyrocketed. The public was inadequately informed about how the disease spread and how transmission could be prevented. As the infection and death rate grew, stigmatization and discrimination of the ill grew too. Though government programs were being designed to address this health crisis, mobilization of the resources to implement the programs was lagging. Non-government organizations (NGOs) and foreign government programs were bringing aid, but almost 90% of Lesotho's population was scattered in remote rural areas[3] that were difficult to reach and often out of range of aid programs. New strategies were needed to reach the affected people.

2002 – 2007 Mobilization

The Saint Camillus Centre began in 2002 when a collaborative effort among a coalition of Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, and NGOs such as Irish Aide began a grass roots effort to address the rising number of Basotho suffering from AIDS related illnesses. The number of PLWHA in Lesotho had skyrocketed to 240,000; adult prevalence was over 30%, and the death toll was well over 25,000.

Sister Baptista, of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in the nation's capital of Maseru was involved with newly forming HIV/AIDS support efforts. Her fellow organizers knew that to be successful the efforts would need the leadership and coordination skills of the Congregation and so Sister Baptista decided to appoint a Sister from the Congregation to attend the intensive workshops and become knowledgeable in the care and treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in the Mohale's Hoek District. True to the spirit of the Congregation's mission to reach out to those suffering, Sister Juliana Manele accepted Sister Baptista's assignment in spite of her lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and, with Sister Prisca's endorsement; she became the representative of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in this effort. The first step was to learn about the cause, treatment, and prevention of HIV/AIDS and she so attended extensive workshops organized through the collaborative efforts of Sister Prisca, the Ministry of Agriculture, and non-government organizations (NGOs).

“I knew as soon as I heard about the need to care for the ill and dying and bring HIV/AIDS education to the villages that this was my mission, this is what I needed to do. I could never go back to work inside the convent when I knew there were people in the villages that needed someone to love, care, and comfort them.” (Sister Juliana)[4]

With this newly acquired knowledge the coalition determined that enlisting the support of local communities was critical to the effort and that communication and training were essential as the public was ill-informed about HIV/AIDS and the meager health facilities were being overwhelmed by the numbers of ill and dying.

Community in Action

As the village chiefs advocated for this cause, villagers began to step forward to volunteer for the role of home based caregiver and present themselves for training. The Ministry of Health began conducting workshops for community members in the rural and semi-rural areas of Mohale's Hoek. Community volunteers would often walk miles to attend the workshops and learn the necessary techniques for caring for AIDS patients. Sister Juliana began visiting those suffering from AIDS and supporting the efforts of the newly trained volunteers in their remote villages. She walked or travelled on horseback to reach the afflicted in the remote mountain villages such as Leroto, Borutsa, Ketane, Monyameng, Qhobeng, Maphutseng, and Phamong. She would typically spend a week in each village, sleeping on the floor of caregivers’ or patients’ rondavels and cottages. During this time she became convinced that properly supported community based efforts would be successful to care for the PLWHA; to wash their wounds, feed them, and provide education and emotional support to them and their families. Sister Juliana, through her visits and support, became a role model to the volunteer caregivers in providing hope and dignity to those patients who were shunned by their family and friends and were left feeling shamed, neglected, and alone.

During this time (2002-2004), a young Peace Corps Volunteer from the United States of America, Lewis “Weej” Mudge, was serving in Mohale's Hoek and joined Sister Juliana's efforts to transform the vision of well-trained home based caregivers into a reality. As government funds and support began to diminish, they pushed forward with a program of workshops both in the remote villages and on the grounds of St. Patrick's Church. Weej Mudge and Sister Juliana traveled throughout the Mohale's Hoek district, often walking or on horseback, to conduct the workshops and inspire new volunteers. At the onset, the training focused on providing direct patient care such as bathing, cleaning wounds, and feeding as well as teaching HIV prevention and offering some housekeeping.

As the fledgling program matured and the numbers of caregivers and supporters gained experience and grew, Sister Juliana, Weej Mudge, and Bishop Sebastian formalized the program in 2004 with a constitution and an executive board. The Centre was registered as an NGO, the St. Camillus HIV/AIDS Home Based Care Centre.[5] The Centre's inspiration came from St. Camillus, the patron saint for the very ill and for those unfortunates who were shunned because of their illness. The constitution defined the mission of the Centre as being an “HIV/AIDS organization dedicated to education and home based care.” To support the new Centre, Bishop Sebastian donated a house on the grounds of St. Patrick's Church that would provide a permanent setting for workshops, support groups, and gatherings. He also donated land for a demonstration farm in 2004. The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in both Lesotho and Germany contributed significantly during this period. They supported the efforts of the new Centre by donating funds in addition to collecting and distributing food and clothing to those in need.

As the program grew and more volunteer caregivers were added, the training expanded to provide a more holistic approach to living with HIV/AIDS. Trainers from various Lesotho government Ministries (Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Social Development), the Police Department's Child and Gender Protection Unit (CGPU), and other supporting organizations (such as Irish Aid, CARE-Lesotho, Lesotho AIDS Programme Coordinating Authority (LAPCA), Christian Council of Lesotho, Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association) expanded the program to include: counseling in good nutrition; breaking down stigma and discrimination; protecting the rights of orphans, vulnerable children and women; applying gardening techniques; as well as teaching HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Irish Aid provided funds for the Centre to conduct Home Based Care workshops in the villages and at the Centre. The new volunteers trekked from their remote villages to attend the workshops and learn the essentials of caring for those suffering from AIDS. At the workshops they received Home Care Kits filled with medical supplies (gloves, anti-bacterial soap, bleach, Tylenol) donated by Irish Aid. In addition, special workshops were created for out-of-school youth, unwed mothers, and pregnant youth. The caregivers, patients infected with HIV, those affected by HIV/AIDS, and the youth group members all became part of the Centre's Support Group for PLWHA. Community health care professionals, such as Dr. Manamolela and Dr. Monyamane, also joined the effort by providing free medical and dental care and training.

“We created a St. Camillus Home Care Refresher course for caregivers trained over the past year. The training was organized into four sessions for the ninety-six caregivers who attended. The refresher was the first of its kind in Mohale’s Hoek and quite possibly the first in the country. We were able to collect the supplies necessary to refill the caregivers Home Care Kits which the caregivers had been sharing; stretching supplies so that one kit could be shared amongst five patients which was really an amazing feat. Refilling the kits was a local and a national problem that no one had yet found a solution to. The St. Camillus team was determined to find a way to keep the Care Kits stocked.” (Maria Steele, Peace Corps Volunteer)

The efforts were not without significant issues and setbacks but the Congregation and Sister Juliana's team pushed forward to resolve the obstacles. By the end of 2003 Sister Juliana reported to the Ministry of Social Development the amazing progress: twenty-seven villages had over one hundred home based caregivers receiving support from the Centre. Through the efforts of the Centre and the caregivers, almost three hundred orphans had been identified for support services, two hundred patients were being cared for, while one hundred and fifty village members had died of AIDS related illnesses.

Expanding services

In 2004 the Lesotho government introduced new care services to its citizens. Free HIV counseling and testing began in March 2004 with the “Know Your Status” program and in November 2004 free antiretroviral therapy (ART) was offered to the public.[6] The government also planned to train 3,600 community health workers to provide HIV counseling and testing, though just over seven hundred had been identified by October 2006. With severely limited numbers of health care professionals and significant challenges to reaching remote villages, only about 8,400 HIV positive Basotho were on ART by the end of 2005 and only 2% of the target population had been tested for HIV by August 2007.[7]

“We entered the home of a young woman during one of our visits to the rural villages. She was lying in bed, a mat on the floor, covered up, so I could only see her head and hands. The sharp angle of her bones poking through the blanket was striking. She told us she was very weak and getting weaker every day. We encouraged her to go to the AIDS Clinic for a CD-4 test to see if she qualified for anti-retroviral treatment. She seemed interested and but needed the help of her sister with whom she lived.” (Maria Steele, Peace Corps Volunteer)

However, St. Camillus continued its grass roots work with the community and expanded its services in the Mohale's Hoek district. With access to free ART and with the involvement of the growing number of home based caregivers the Centre coordinated the provision of free HIV/AIDS medications, free HIV testing, and free counseling to Support Group members at the St. Clare Clinic in Thoteng, Mohale's Hoek. Youth training programs were expanded to include life skills, self-reliance, and goal setting to help youth better prepare for a healthy and productive future. New workshops focusing on income-generating activities were introduced. Between 2004 and 2006, Peace Corps volunteer Maria Steele was working part-time at the Centre and was active in the training programs and assisting with home visits in addition to her duties with the Lesotho AIDS Programme Coordinating Authority (LAPCA).

Knowing that ongoing, on-site assistance would be beneficial, Sister Juliana enlisted Maria Steele to write and submit a proposal to the Lesotho Peace Corps office for a full-time volunteer to start in 2005. The Peace Corps responded and Zoe Malley Krusic was assigned to St. Camillus 2005-2007. Thanks to Zoe Krusic's work in creating and submitting proposals, the Centre was awarded numerous grants. The United States government's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, USAID, and Irish Aid all made significant contributions to the St. Camillus effort to support HIV positive patients and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).

The Support Group began aloe jelly production with the assistance of the Cooperatives Division of the Ministry of Agriculture. The aloe business provided new cottage industry and business management skills to the volunteers. The small plot that had originally served as a demonstration garden was expanded into the “farm” that produced a variety of vegetables and fruits, as well as producing fresh eggs from a well-stocked coop of poultry layers. The farm supplied nutritious food to PLWHA and OVC. Volunteers on the farm trained others in agriculture techniques, sales, and nutrition. Both the aloe jelly and excess produce were sold to the public and the profits re-invested in the Centre. The Centre was then able to fund community income-generating activities in the villages such as piggeries, chicken coops, crocheting, knitting, and jewelry making.

Funds from the income-generating activities and donors were also used to provide food, seeds, seedlings, medical and dental care, and transportation costs (patients coming/going to the hospital and clinics) for those in need. Caregiver training and refresher courses were enhanced and enabled the volunteers to expand their services to the PLWHA. Counseling and information sharing were provided to address important issues: a new HIV positive diagnosis; emotional, financial, inheritance, and legal needs; orphan and women's rights; and rape and abuse. Information about government aid programs were added or enhanced to the support provided to the PLWHA.

The Centre was able to facilitate efforts to establish food security measures for patients in the villages. The CARE Lesotho program provided training on building keyhole gardens [8] for HIV/AIDs patients, which made gardening less physically demanding and provided important nutrients to their diets. The Netherlands Lesotho Foundation supported the creation of chicken coops for egg production and piggeries for meat production which improved the protein in patients’ diets, and excess products could be sold to generate a small income.

The Centre also reached out to the Mohale's Hoek Prison and arranged lectures by the Nutrition Officer from Ministry of Agriculture on nutrition and gardening. The Centre, with assistance from Peace Corps volunteer Zoe Malley Krusic, also facilitated monthly lectures and workshops on health, hygiene, and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. A prisoners’ support group was established to provide counseling and build skills in problem solving and re-socializing into the community upon release. By 2007, 40 prisoners had established their own herb and vegetable garden to improve the diets of the HIV positive inmates.

To ensure the Centre remained current on HIV/AIDS research, Sister Juliana continued to attend workshops in Lesotho, South Africa, and Malawi. The latest knowledge, such as preventing mother to child HIV transmission, was continuously incorporated into caregiver training. As the caregivers became increasingly skilled, the Centre facilitated the maturing of the Support Group. The Group hosted HIV positive individuals who came to talk about their lives for the first time in public. Their brave candor and heartfelt stories enlightened the caregivers and enhanced their skill effectiveness in working with PLWHA. Group members were able to share their own stories and sorrows in caring for the critically ill in their communities. To honor the suffering and the caregivers, the Centre hosted an annual Festival of Light event to pray for all those who perished with AIDS related deaths, those suffering with the disease, and those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Though the annual death rate gradually dropped from a high of 29,000 in 2003 to 18,000 in 2007,[9] the number of PLWHA remained at 320,000 from 2004 through 2007 . The impact of the disease extended to the children of those affected and the plight of orphaned and abandoned children demanded attention. In the first quarter of 2005, the Centre reported finding almost 300 OVC residing in the 39 villages attended by home based caregivers; that number more than doubled by early 2007. The caregivers reported an increasing number of child headed households; children were fending for themselves and often taking care of younger siblings. Sister Juliana and the Centre responded by implementing programs to meet their special needs.

Focus on the Children

By 2005-2007, approximately 39 villages and well over 120 caregivers were actively involved in the Centre's activities. The Centre trained these caregivers to identify children at risk, to provide counseling when needed, and to make referrals to the Ministry of Social Development and the Police Department's Children and Gender Protection Unit (CGPU). The home based caregivers were in a unique position to identify OVC because they were community based and had firsthand knowledge of the living conditions and hardships that PLWHA and OVC faced. The caregivers were alert to the children's needs as the parents’ health declined due to AIDS related illnesses and subsequent death. The volunteers informed the CGPU of children who were at risk and required an alternative living environment.

“We arranged to visit a small mountain village and came upon three small children who looked so dirty and hungry. We entered the house only to find their mother was still in bed with a cover over her shoulders. It appeared she had been dead for several days but the children were just too young and frightened to understand. The caregiver brought the children to the Chief and an extended family in a nearby village was found to care for them.” (Sister Juliana)

The Congregation of the Holy Sisters in both Germany and Lesotho were committed to the children's well-being and made significant contributions over the years that help provide the rent, food, clothing, and tuition that enabled many OVC to remain in school. The Centre facilitated the delivery of these items from the Congregation to needy children. The Centre also provided a link to the Ministry of Health and Social Development and the Ministry of Social Development to help the OVC receive the appropriate level of services offered by the Ministry such as placement in a foster home or orphanage when necessary and available. The Centre also expanded youth training programs in response to requests from caregivers who were noticing increasing rates of AIDS related deaths among young adults.

In spite of the hardships faced by the PLWHA and the OVC, the Centre and Support Group found ways for all to recognize there was much to be thankful for. In 2004 the Centre began a yearly tradition of hosting an Orphan's Feast with over one hundred OVC attending. The children, families, sponsors, and caregivers enjoyed great meals, dancing, singing, and skits, as well as kind words and gifts from Bishop Sebastian Khoarai, Sister Juliana, Sister Isidora Damane, the Sister Provincial of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and other community notables who had come to share in the festivities.

2008 – 2015 Transformation: challenges and successes

National and international aid efforts to address the HIV/AIDs crisis continued to increase and millions of dollars in aid were being channeled into Lesotho's health and economic development programs. In spite of the challenges that Lesotho had in implementing these programs, successes included growing numbers of Basotho being voluntarily tested for HIV, improvements in prenatal care for HIV positive women, reduction in “maternal to child transmission” rates, increased numbers of individuals receiving ART, and expanded HIV counseling services and educational programs.

The HIV/AIDS mortality and morbidity statistics showed some improvements but the overall metrics were sobering. In 2003, there were 360,000 Basotho estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. By the end of 2008, that figure dropped to 320,000; however it only dropped to 290,000 by 2012. Adult prevalence was 28.9% in 2003, and 23.6% in 2009; it still hovered at 23% in 2012.[10] With the Basotho battling HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, and poverty, life expectancy was in the forty's. The United Nations reported that in 2011 the average life span was forty-eight years, a small improvement over the 2006 estimate of forty-six years.[11] However, with the introduction and improved accessibility of ART and the increasing number of Basotho opting for voluntary HIV testing, the annual death rate from AIDS related illnesses dropped from 29,000 in 2003 to 14,000 in 2009.[9] In 2011, 35% of adults had been voluntarily tested for HIV within the prior year.[12]

With the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and prolonged years of high death rates, the impact on children was staggering. USAID estimates that as of April 2014 there were 350,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Lesotho, of which 180,000 were due to AIDS.[9] Lesotho was found to have the highest number of single (one parent) or double (both parents) orphans in countries where the incidence of HIV/AIDs was at least 1%.[13]

Enhanced Home-based care

The roles of the home based caregivers shifted to meet the needs of the changing health status of their village population. As more HIV/AIDS patients began ART, the caregivers provided more care and education related to improving overall physical and emotional health, stamina, and productivity. The caregivers continued to extend and enhance their role in their communities in large part due to the ongoing training they received from St. Camillus Centre. Training continued to expand and change to fit the needs and capabilities of the caregivers and their communities. On-going training enabled caregivers to increase their skills in counseling, health, HIV prevention, AIDS treatment, laws and rights pertaining to OVC and women, gardening, nutrition, and services provided by Lesotho Ministries. The Centre established a “train the trainer” program where representatives from each participating village would attend a formal training at the Centre and then return to their village to train other caregivers.

With structure and advice from St. Camillus, the caregivers established their own support groups to transfer knowledge among themselves about home care, income-generating activities, and food security. They gathered to discuss difficult issues, share advice; and provide emotional support to each other. The groups prepared status reports, first monthly and then quarterly. The reports were used by the Centre to share successes and challenges and to ensure that government and aid groups received the information required for on-going support. The caregivers would use their reports to provide feedback to the Centre and government agencies on their needs, concerns, and recommendations for improvement. The Centre conducted regular site visits to meet with the caregivers and to meet with village chiefs and leaders as needed, provide follow up training to the caregivers, and to join the caregivers in visiting OVC and PLWHA to assess how well the programs were meeting their needs. The Centre often included cooking and food preservation demonstrations for the villages so that all could learn important techniques for improving food security and nutritional status.

In more recent years, the Centre continued to sponsor quarterly or yearly workshops, training, and meetings to ensure caregiver skills remained sharp and their knowledge was keeping pace with current trends. The St. Camillus Centre was still used as a centre for training caregivers and PLWHA in income-generating activities such as the production of aloe jelly, jewelry, and other crafts. Shawna Cain, a Peace Corps volunteer (2012-2014), facilitated a work group called Mountains of Hope through early 2014 that produced crafts that were sold both locally and in the United States.

The home based caregivers facilitated the building of over 1,000 keyhole gardens, identifying and assisting hundreds of OVC, and facilitating health care for patients receiving treatment for HIV and/or TB. They were a critical link to the Centre to refer critical cases needing attention and, in the case of OVC, sometimes the prompt intervention of the Children and Gender Protection Unit to remove a child from a dangerous or unhealthy living situation.

Meeting the Needs of Special Children

The goal of the Lesotho government, its people, and the St. Camillus Centre is to support nuclear and extended families in caring for their children in their own homes. To substantiate this, UNICEF reported that in 2008, almost half of all Basotho homes had at least one single or double orphan.[13] As the home based caregivers continued to gain skill and independence the St. Camillus Centre increasingly shifted focus to meet the immediate needs of children at risk and who required a safe and nurturing environment.

From its inception and increasingly so over the years St. Camillus took special notice of children in need and made every attempt to provide food, clothing, and access to education and health care. It also offered loving, nurturing interactions with members of the St. Camillus staff, volunteers, caregivers and Support Group members. The number of home based children, those living with extended families, which needed and received assistance from St. Camillus, grew each year. The Centre reached out to various community schools to allow enrollment at reduced or waived fees; the Centre also found clinics that would provide health care to the children even when there were no funds. The Centre created new ways to provide a nurturing environment by bringing children to the farm to experience the joy of being with productive adult role models. They were able to perform some of the fun and simple tasks on the farm such as gathering eggs, feeding the pigs, and collecting fresh vegetables.

“I spent the day helping Sister Juliana deliver ground maize to area homes in need. House after house had very sad situations but the last house of the day was a real heart-breaker. A grandfather is caring for seven grandkids as he is dying of AIDS. His four adult children and his wife have already died leaving him alone with the kids, all under twelve. He has some neighbors that are trying to help but they have their own struggles.Everyone we visited was grateful for the food and happy to see Sister. She is one of the few people willing to visit them in their homes as she tries to sort out what else she can do to help each situation.” (Linda Henry, RPCV Lesotho, The Lesotho Connection Board Member).

As the Lesotho government slowly increased its capacity to address the needs of OVC, the Centre has worked with the Ministries to shift the responsibility of care from the Centre to the appropriate Ministry. The numbers of home based OVC has gradually diminished from triple digits to approximately twenty at the beginning of 2014.

However, the situation for some children became so dire that in 2008 Sister Juliana made arrangements to provide day care or temporary foster care to orphaned or abandoned children awaiting placement with appropriate family members. Against all odds, Sister Juliana found a way to overcome financial and logistical obstacles to create a simple but loving home for these children. With the Centre's reputation for providing care and support to those in need and it's collaborative relationship with the Ministry of Social Development and CGPU, more children made their way to the open door of the St. Camillus Centre. St. Juliana accepted all children in need, and soon the Centre was one of the few in Lesotho accepting infants along with HIV positive children. In 2011, the Centre officially revised its Constitution and was registered as the St. Camillus Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Day-Care and Fostering Center.[14]

“A week ago another child was brought to the Centre. A little two-year-old boy named Bokang. He had been neglected and was very malnourished with a big tummy, yellow jaundiced eyes, chronic diarrhea and wispy hair. His mother deserted him and left him with a mentally ill father who was unable to care for him. The police picked him up wandering the streets of Mohale’s Hoek alone at night. He could barely walk and was mostly only able to crawl. Adding another child, especially one that was sick and not potty trained was a definite strain on our Caretaker, ‘Me Makatiso. On top of this, we have not had much water. When consulted about taking the child, Makatiso was in favor, in fact almost insisted. She is overworked but she has a huge heart for kids. We’ll get some food into Bokang and see what we can do.” (Linda Henry, RPCV Lesotho, The Lesotho Connection Board Member).

In the early years of caring for OVC, the Centre did its best to care for the children with the meager funds it had; but there was never a steady, guaranteed stream of income. Eggs, vegetables, and occasionally pork from the farm were brought to the Centre for the children's meals. The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, now led by Sister Gertrude, contributed monetary donations when they could, and this enabled the Centre to supply clothing, additional food, and supplies to the OVC. The Centre encouraged local health clinics and schools to offer free or discounted services.

”The CGPU gave me only fifteen minutes to know that they were on their way to deliver little Karabo to the Centre very late one night. I just put a big coat on over my nightgown, grabbed the keys, and drove over. He was a robust fourteenth month old but the look of terror in his eyes was unforgettable. He had been in police custody for a full day after being found near a river; a villager was passing by and heard his forlorn weeping. His mother had abandoned him; she left him alone and exposed. He appeared so well cared for, so plump and well dressed. What could have happened to that poor mother to feel so alone and incapable of caring for her lovely son? We still have Karabo at the Centre. He is healthy and playful but still has a sad little look in his eyes.” (Sister Juliana)

As with other successful programs developed by the Congregation and Sister Juliana, the word soon spread that St. Camillus had implemented a new and impressive program. Interested donors from various parts of the world learned of the Centre and offered limited, intermittent cash or goods such as food and clothing. The Lesotho Connection (originally named Tacoma Lesotho Connection); a private charitable organization founded by former Lesotho Peace Corps volunteers, soon heard of St. Camillus and made a visit to the Centre in 2008. A deep and committed relationship between the two organizations was soon forged.

Shelter for children

The Lesotho Connection (TLC) was inspired by Manele's and the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross’ determination to care for the ever-growing number of children using only the humble resources they had. Through their dedication and hard work, TLC was able to conduct numerous successful fund-raising events and slowly build the capital to create a new vision for the future of the St. Camillus Centre.

The priority was to build a children's home that would provide a safe and comfortable environment for the children and their matrons. The Centre was only able to provide two small bedrooms for the ever-growing number of children and matrons to share. A bigger home was needed.

After several years of planning, fundraising, and praying, TLC acquired sufficient funds to guarantee that a new children's home could be built. One of their board members, Linda Henry, a former Lesotho Peace Corp volunteer in the 1980s, came to live at the Centre for six months between 2013 and 2014 to find a contractor and get the work started. Ground was broken in early 2014 on a small pasture at the farm that was previously leased to St. Camillus by Khoarai (retired 2014). Construction continued up until the fourth quarter of 2014. The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross contributed the funding necessary to make the new structure a home for the children; they bought sheets and blankets for the new beds and the supplies to complete the finishing touches such as paint as plaster. Once completed as designed, seventeen children, ages twelve months to seventeen years, and four matrons moved in on December 23, 2014.

The children's home has two large dorms, two private rooms with baths for the matrons, two large bathrooms in each dorm, and a large central kitchen and common area. The grounds outside have raised garden beds for flowers and vegetables, numerous young fruit and nut trees as well as wind-breaker trees along the perimeter. In addition there is a small plaza in front and an open area for the children to play. The home is surrounded by the farm's vegetable gardens and only a short walk from the peach orchard, chicken coops, and other domestic animals.

Vision

St. Camillus will be a sustainable organization that serves as a model for excellence in fostering compassion and inspiring individuals to achieve their health, educational, and economic goals.

Mission

St. Camillus reaches out to those who are feeling abandoned, vulnerable and stigmatized and provides love, education, a supportive environment, and economic resources that enable individuals to achieve a happy, healthy, and productive life.

Goals

The St. Camillus goals are to: 1. Provide a warm and safe shelter, for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) to keep them healthy, well-nourished, protected from abuse, and receiving the education they need while awaiting placement in an appropriate home. 2.Provide income-generating opportunities for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and at risk groups to help them achieve independent and productive lives. 3.Provide guidance and education to the home based caregivers to support their ongoing care of PLWHA and OVC including preventing HIV transmission, adhering to antiretroviral therapy, and improving overall health & wellness.

See also

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Mohale's Hoek

References

1. "Tacoma Weekly - Hope in bloom". Tacoma Weekly. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
2. http://www.stcamilluslesotho.org/about-us/history/
3. Irish Aid: Connecting Health Research in Africa and Ireland Consortium (ChRAIC), Knowledge Synthesis Report, 2010
4. Memoirs from Sister Juliana, volunteers, and staff are captured in italics. The personal identities of children and PLWHA have been anonymized.
5. The Constitution of St. Camillus was approved by the Registrar General on August 25, 2004; Societies Registrar, Maseru, Registration #2004/145
6. World Health Organization, 2005, “Summary Country Profile for HIV/AIDS Treatment Scale-UP”
7. Human Rights Watch, 2008
8. The keyhole garden was designed to make raising vegetables less taxing for those who are physically weakened. The garden is built to be tended by someone standing rather than stooping and the entire surface area can be reached from any edge.
9. Data from IndexMundi, Avert.org (www.avert.org/hiv-aids-lesotho.htm#sthash.TUZpuOTz.dpuf)
10. 2012 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS)
11. UNDP (2011), ‘Human Development Report 2011’
12. UNAIDS 2012, Global Report 2012: AIDS Info
13. UNICEF (2008), ‘Children and AIDS: Third Stocktaking Report, 2008’
14. The Constitution of St. Camillus was approved by the Registrar General on June 20, 2011; Societies Registrar, Maseru, Registration #2011/166

External links

• www.stcamilluslesotho.org