God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

Myth or reality?

The Consultation

The Consultation (Photo credit: bigbluemeanie)

We all have heard it many times: 80% of black South Africans consult a sangoma before they even consider going to a Western Clinic. I always wondered about it, having worked with sangomas and being involved with the work HOPE Cape Town has done and is still doing in parts with traditional leaders. What I have seen is little work for sangomas, lots of part-time traditional healers and a break down in related traditions in the townships of Cape Town. Well, a 2012 article in the South African Medical Journal went further, suggesting that “some 80% of South Africans use traditional medicine to meet their primary healthcare needs”. The claim has also been made in general terms about the population of Southern Africa and the African continent. So where did the claim originate and is there any truth to it?  GroundUp, a South African community journalism project, asked Africa Check to investigate. Their starting point was the World Health Organisation (WHO). A fact sheet on traditional medicine published by the body in 2008 is often cited when the claim is made. “In some Asian and African countries,” it states, “80% of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care.” The fact sheet does not include any evidence to substantiate the statement, but one can find a reference to a document discussing the WHO’s Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005. And this was not the end of the research – to read more about Africa Check’s research and its amazing result follow this link.

Filed under: Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

HOPE Gala 2013

Yes, time is flying and the HOPE Gala in Dresden is fast approaching. On Saturday, 26th of October 2013 the 8th HOPE Gala takes place again and Viola Klein as well as the PAR X Team under the umbrella of the HOPE Kapstadt Stiftung, the twin of the HOPE Cape Town Trust in Germany administrated together with the German AIDS Foundation are in full swing again. Not to forget Saxonia Systems, the company in Dresden which is headed by Viola Klein and Andreas Moench, who initiated the Gala and is since then a great supporter of HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust.
It’s a great opportunity to visit the city of Dresden and to see for yourself how beautiful and magnificent the city has developed its old heritage. So it is not only for German-speaking people but also for those from South Africa or elsewhere in the world, who always wanted to experience Germany as it’s best.

More info for the German-speaking people under http://www.hopegala.de. For those more fluent in English please contact Kerstin Behlau (admin@hopecapetown.com). And yes, we also have a travel agent giving advice how to get the best and cost saving flights to Dresden at that time of the year.

HOPE Gala Dresden 2013

HOPE Gala Dresden 2013

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Gala Dresden, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Germany & HOPE Cape Town: Stay informed and donate via www.betterplace.org

 

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Gala Dresden, , , , , , , ,

Another mission…

European Union Headquarters - Brussels, Belgium

European Union Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium (Photo credit: Sailing “Footprints: Real to Reel” (Ronn ashore))

After one week in Cape Town sitting in a plane again, this time to Brussels in Belgium. I was offered the opportunity to meet those relevant people in the EU (European Union) dealing with African and South African affairs. It will be a big challenge for me to understand and digest in a couple of days the mechanism of EU-African relationship. But as HOPE Cape Town is a joint venture between European and African people, I strongly believe to see the bigger picture is an important step to understand the synergies behind single projects. And the question of funding is for me in the moment only second best – it is really first to make my homework and understand the principles of political and economic ties and so have a background image for further investigation into EU funding for Africa. I feel like a student again 🙂 and I am very grateful for the organizers to give me this opportunity.

Generally I believe in networking and sharing to reach the goal of ongoing support for those in need – in the case of HOPE Cape Town the need to deal with HIV and AIDS in their mainly anyhow devastated lives of poverty, unemployment, little education and almost no light at the end of the tunnel. South Africa is going through a challenging time with Madiba, the moral conscience of South Africa in his last chapter of life and politicians in place who seem to have subscribed to corruption and attending to everything gaining them wealth but ignoring mostly the plight of the people. That might be a harsh judgement but I strongly believe that South Africa deserves better. Maybe the looming farewell from Nelson Mandela will serve as a reminder about the dreams and hopes after 1994 and ignite the longing and yearning to reach this dream of a real rainbow nation where poverty, corruption, crime, unemployment is seriously tackled by people in power who care deeply about the future of all South Africans.

HOPE Cape Town is working only in one little sector of health within all the areas of human life. But as it needs all mosaic pieces to create the final picture, the organization is willing to contribute whatever is necessary to make the vision of a prosper and thriving South Africa possible. One drop in the big ocean – right so – but let’s join all drops to accumulate into a stream taking us forward.

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Online donation for HOPE Cape Town

HOPE Cape Town strives to make giving a donation as easy as possible. Please have a look at our newly designed donation page with high security for donations via credit card, EFT or by other means. And please spread the word – we are can only be as good as our donors and sponsors are willing to give a hand to those less fortune here in South Africa.

 

Filed under: Catholic Church, General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Gala Dresden, Medical and Research, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Religion and Ethics, SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

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© Rev Fr Stefan Hippler and HIV, AIDS and HOPE.
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