Andy and Marwa - two children and the war

Jürgen Todenhöfer’s original plan to use the proceeds from the book Andy und Marwa to build a home for street children in Baghdad could not be realized for security reasons. So the money was used to build a clinic for children infected with HIV in Goma, formerly Belgian Congo. Congo was particularly devastated by the effects of European colonialism. In February 2009, the clinic was inaugurated.

Partner in this project is the aid organization Heal Africa, which already runs a hospital in the city. The HIV clinic was dedicated to Andy and Marwa, and serves as a permanent memorial to the two.

HEAL Africa’s vision is healthy communities throughout Congo.  Their purpose is to train doctors, community health workers, field workers – people of every discipline - who can work towards health for the body, the spirit and the society.

Dr Vindu runs the Children’s HIV clinic.  She cares for over 500 children who were infected by HIV during the birth process, because their mothers are HIV positive.  Half of them are on antiretrovirals. But there are not enough drugs for everyone: the others have to survive just with treatment of opportunistic infections.

Around 8000 patients come through the clinic each year; if necessary, they are then referred into the hospital next door for specialist services.

 

 










Congo

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