Parish Task Teams

Fikelela is working to mobilise churches through the three Dioceses of Cape Town, Saldanha and False Bay. So far out of the 132 churches, 114 churches have task teams or caring groups. This has been a very encouraging development.

As you go into many of the churches around the Diocese, you will see a sign that says:

"Our Church is HIV/AIDS friendly".

• These task teams strive to make this a reality. Each group responds to HIV/AIDS in an appropriate way for their community . Churches are involved in many different ways:
• Running support groups for HIV positive people, offering pastoral care, nutritional support through food parcels, and income generating opportunities
• Home based care is offered , a caring visit with basic health support. . Often this may involve helping the sick person with chores, or just spending time sharing and chatting.
• Other groups offer counselling and pastoral care, to those who often feel so rejected.
• Others link up with other institutions, such as the HIV ward in a children's hospital, or a hospice, offering care for the carers and love for the patients.
• All our teams are tasked with getting HIV/AIDS onto the agenda of their church, in prayer, liturgy and preaching. Thus they are all combating stigma, and bringing the love of Jesus to those infected and affected.

We can't change the world, but we can make a world of difference in the life of one, or two or ten!