Changing lives, changing minds

Fresh approaches to tackling HIV and AIDS

As a businesswoman, 54-year-old Veronica is a force to be reckoned with. Her mission: to bring in the income she needs to look after her two young grandchildren, orphaned when her daughter died from AIDS.

Her Classic Café, a small eatery in Mangu town, in the Thika district of Kenya, provides tasty staples to customers, and more security for her family. It is a big step from how things used to be, when she could only look after the little ones by selling a few bananas.

The café couldn't have opened without Veronica's vision. But it also took a business loan from HelpAge International to make her dream a reality. It is a brilliant example of how we help older people fulfil their potential. It shows even with huge pressures brought about by HIV, older people can improve their lives.

Meet Michael: grandfather, activist, beacon of hope

62-year-old Michael doesn't live too far from Veronica. And he is another shining example of how much older people can achieve in the face of HIV and AIDS.

When his daughter died from the illness, leaving him and his wife with two young grandchildren to look after, Michael decided it was time to take action.

He became a peer educator - visiting five older neighbours each month to teach them how to care for sick relatives.

He also encourages people to get tested, and does all he can to fight the stigma that still surrounds the illness.

And how did he become such a beacon of hope in his community?  As well as his own efforts and energy, it took the support of a HelpAge partner, which trained him to carry out his life-changing work.

Sparking change across the continent

Veronica and Michael represent thousands of people who come within the remit of HelpAge's inspiring HIV and AIDS project in sub-saharan Africa.

Working through partners across five African countries, the project, which runs from 2008 to 2015, is funded by the UK's Big Lottery Fund.

• In Kenya we provide business loans and training to grandparents so they can secure a living. We also train older people in HIV and AIDS awareness so they educate their peers.

• In Uganda we help people living with HIV and grandparents to produce memory books containing their family history to leave to their children when they die.

• In South Africa we work with traditional health practitioners to improve their knowledge about HIV and AIDS so they can provide appropriate advice and refer older patients where necessary.

• In Ethiopia we train local community groups known as 'iddirs' to provide HIV education and information to older people and their families and home-based care to people living with HIV.

• In Tanzania we work to ensure older people caring for family members living with HIV have the skills and knowledge needed to provide this care.

The project is already making a big difference to the way HIV and AIDS is tackled in these countries - highlighting older people's tremendous capacity to relieve the impact of the illness in their families and communities.