Through our programs we were able to assist one of our facilitators who was on drugs. His openness helped us to counsel and pray with him. After many sessions he broke loose from the habit. However, he needs a lot of support. He also accepted Jesus as His Lord and Saviour. He is now committed to his work and new life. He was voted the best facilitator for the year. He is making an impact on other young people and facilitators. This is what one of the peer educators has to say ”because of Ntando I stop taking drugs and my grades are excellent. I am proud to be a peer educator.”
It is my privilege to share my testimony and how God called me to do his work and to be a part of his service in saving the perishing souls.
My name is Pastor Prakash Rao Karukutla. I have studied Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and also Master of Arts in Sociology. I also have Diploma in Pastoral Ministry. I am married to Sudha Rani and we have two small kids Sudeep and baby Blessy. My parents are very old. While I was studying Diploma in Mechanical Engineering I came into contact with some Christian students. With their guidance and also with my parents influence I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. I took Baptism on 13th July 1997 and helped in my church for next 2 years.
I had to leave my home to support my family financially. So in 1999 I came to Hyderabad in search of job. I worked two years as a supervisor in a company but I didn’t have satisfaction in my life. I took fasting and prayed to have peace of mind from God. One day I got a vision from God who spoke to me directly from Luke 18:22 where it says, “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." I did not understand my call at that time.
By then I was facing many problems in my spiritual life. After few days I lost my job and it became very difficult to maintain my life there. I told my parents regarding this but they did not accept my desire to leave the secular job and go for ministerial study. During this struggle my younger brother was murdered while he was in his final year of Bachelor of Science degree. It was by the high caste people of my village. They had boycotted us socially and now due to caste discrimination they killed my brother. The government authority did not take any action against those people because of their political influence and high caste status. We became helpless undergoing many difficult circumstances. We were unable to do anything and the only thing we did was to depend on God and continue to pray. After that we received some help from some Dalits from neighboring villages and from pastors. About six months later the government authorities settled these problems.
During this severe persecution I engaged with God in continuous fasting and prayer and God again spoke to me from Luke 18:22! I shared this experience with parents and they gladly accepted my request to do pastoral studies. It was due to help from my friends that I joined ministry and training in OM India on 1st May 2001. I have been working as pastor in the slums of Guntur District; Andhra Pradesh, India, among the HIV/AIDS infected infants, and among the oppressed Dalit communities for 5 years.
Now I am very happy with this ministry.
Please pray for me.
Thank you.
Prakash Rao Karukutla
From a drug user to a Peer Educator
A Learner doing grade 10b in Olwandle high school. He is a peer educator and he’s been a peer educator for the past four months.
He is living with parents who are drug users and he’s been involved in drugs for that reason and he was in danger of dropping out of school because he didn’t see reason to come to school, he stayed at home did drugs with his friends and he said that his parents didn’t care about him that’s why he is using drugs.
He applied to be a PE and we saw potential in him when we were doing interviews. He became the PE and that is where he came out and confessed to the drug use.
Lucky, who is a facilitator at Olwandle high school took an interest in him and helped him get clean, what was surprising about him is that he was so willing to get clean so it was easy. The only thing that he needed the love from an adult and understanding.
Now he is a wonderful boy who is always willing to help other learners and share his story and show that you can stop using drugs if you are willing and if you got the strong support system.
He has indicated that he want to be a social worker because he like helping others learn from him.
HOW POSITIVE RAY IS IMPROVING ACCESS TO ARVS
The HIV and AIDS has terrorised the community of South Africa and left thousands of orphans with no care, broken families and the community in division. When the ARVs were introduced and recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) the whole world was happy and the hope of succeeding in fighting AIDS was restored. But the community of South Africa had to wait for a long period before they can access ARVS in public clinics and hospitals. The AIDS activists, faith based organisations, community based organisations, non-government organisation and others had to stand up, lobby and advocate for ARVS.
We are so happy that at last we can live longer because of taking ARVS. But many people still have a lot of challenges in accessing this treatment. To mention a few: some clinics don’t have ARVs, some doctors, nurses are not trained on HIV and AIDS, unemployment, illiteracy, public is not given enough information about them, community with no government clinics, etc.
Thandeka*, one of Project Positive Ray’s Home Based Care patients from the Murchison community has been denied accessing ARVS because she couldn’t understand different types of ARVS and how they work. This patient is not mentally fit and she needs a lot of support. Thandeka* was turned down two times from the Murchison clinic. This has frustrated both community workers and the family. The issue was discussed in the Project Positive Ray staff meeting and we agreed that we needed to approach the sister-in-charge of Murchison clinic. Sister Msomi, a Project Positive Ray professional nurse was tasked to visit and talk to the Murchison clinic on behalf of the patient.
Sister Msomi spoke to Murchison sister-in-charge and they agreed that the counsellor that was working with/educating Thandaka* must be changed. They also agreed that Thandeka must be supported by two people and the matter was solved and the patient was asked to attend the ARVs classes the following week. Because of this delay Thandeka’s *condition has reached the worst stage and she is very weak. She can’t walk and Positive Ray had to transport her from home to clinic and back home. Thandeka* has started the treatment and her family is joyful about their mother, sister, cousin that at last her right to treatment has been respected.
Project Positive Ray is not only educating people about HIV and AIDS, and doing HBC but is also advocating for the people to get what is their right and is good for their lives.
*not her real name, She started taking ARVS on Monday, 19 October 2009
Thembi's World
My name is Thembi. I live in a tin shack informal settlement on the outskirts of Port Shepstone. In this settlement we live under very difficult circumstances. There is no proper housing, no sanitation and very little basic services. Drug abuse, alcohol, teen age pregnancy and HIV/Aids are very rampant.
During 2007 I met volunteers from Project Positive Ray. They work very hard in our community teaching us about Aids. I was three months pregnant when I met the volunteers. They visited me regularly and spoke to me about HIV/Aids and VCT. I listened but, I was afraid of what they were saying.
I got very sick and could not do much for myself. The volunteers were very helpful. They cooked food for me, cleaned the house and provided transport for me to attend the clinic.
After several visits I agreed to be tested. When I received my results I was positive. This broke my heart and I was very concerned about my baby. The volunteers were very kind. They encouraged me and gave me lots of support. They encouraged me to go and check my CD4.
I went for my CD4 count and it was 344. I was asked to come back in 3 months time to be tested for the second time. During this time I became very sick. I thought I was going to die.
My CD4 count on the second visit dropped to 174. I was taught about ARV and enrolled for medication. The medication made me very sick. For about a month I was vomiting and had running stomach. With the help of the volunteers, family and friends I am feeling well.
Today, I am feeling strong. The medication is helping me. I have a lovely girl baby. I am able to do things for myself. I work as a domestic worker. I am back at work.
I want to thank Positive Ray for the good work they are doing helping people understand about HIV/Aids. I also want to thank them for their love and kindness.
Transformation in Jr. High.
About 2 years ago Positive Ray launched its Education and Awareness program in schools. We quickly discovered that students were sexually active and their response to our program was negative. For example, in one school during 2006, 21 girls were pregnant. We persisted in spite of the negative responses. Today, the pregnancy rate has dropped to 4.
Clive is one such student who engaged in promiscuous behavior. He was in Grade 9 at that time. He slept around, truanted from schools and ran away from home. He was a hopeless case. His parents were frustrated with him and gave up hope. The schools threatened him with a letter of transfer.
He lacked confidence and self esteem and felt that no one cared. One of our School Educators befriended him and showed interest in helping him. She spent long hours counseling him. They spoke about Career Development, Peer Education, HIV/Aids and STD’s. He agreed to further counseling sessions.
After many sessions he realised that he was wasting his life with no future. He agreed for Voluntary Counseling and Testing. His dress code, improvement in school work, behaviour change, and regular attendance at school indicated that Clive was serious about his life. Change was becoming noticeable. His confidence levels improved.
Presently, Clive is in Grade 11. He is Captain of his class. He is doing well in his studies. He is well spoken of by his peers and he is able to help others who are experiencing similar problems.
Comments from a Community Leader:
“They won’t talk to me about it (HIV/AIDS), but I found with PPR they came with a very simple set-up. They mixed with them, worshiped with them, had a prayer service and from there introduce the AIDS awareness, and I think that was the most important thing. The spiritual aspect was very important. I think if they came in here straight way with the AIDS issue I think these guys would’t have taken to it at all.”
A Life Saved:
The following is an excerpt from an interview with a community member living with HIV/AIDS:
Joel: ‘Where would you be without the help of Project Positive Ray?’ Mari: ‘...I would be dead, definitely dead. Because with no hope and with no support . . . I don’t think I’d be alive because I used to be very sick. I had strength to pick myself up because I knew that there were people who cared and I had to fight for them, for myself . . . that’s why I fight every time I’m sick, every time I fight the sickness. If you don’t have anything to live for, why must you fight, you have nothing to live for, so I don’t think I would be alive. I would be dead.’
