Candlelight Service

By Lukondebrian Submitted on 3 December, 2009 - 07:28
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UNDP Country Director for Zambia, Viola Morgan, says there is a need to have strong partnerships in order to effectively fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Morgan was speaking during the candlelight service on the eve of the World Aids Day Commemoration at St Margret’s Church in Kitwe.

Director Morgan emphasised the need to have the right to be informed, and the right to take individual action, especially when vital information on HIV/AIDS is at play.

She also hailed the Zambian government for the efforts that have been put in place to facilitate access to prevention, treatment, care and support for the infected and affected. She further recommended and encouraged the press to continue the good work of educating and informing the communities at large through the media. She said candle lighting serves as an opportunity to reflect on the many strategies that are contributing to the effective implementation of HIV/ AIDS activism.

Earlier, Bishop Mwakibinga likened HIV/AIDS to a plague that is wiping out humankind. He said HIV is like a swarm of locusts, which is busy eating up the little shoots of young ones as well as the older ones. He challenged people to humble themselves so that there is reasoning together in the spirit of humanity, and to turn away from doing wrong things in the name of “lacking knowledge,” since there is enough information to share.

Bishop Mwakibinga also challenged the Church to change its attitude towards HIV that it should be exposed instead of hiding it in the name of the church and not talking about it. He noted that there are a lot of HIV/AIDS cases in the Churches, and therefore the need to campaign against HIV/AIDS through all angles of society. “One’s man’s faith is not another man’s get way,” as the saying goes. The service was attended by members from NGOs, Government line ministries, different Churches and individual residents of the city.