The Charity

The Mothers Programmes

Each year one million babies are born in South Africa. More than 250,000 of them are born to mothers who are living with HIV. Without treatment, over 25% of these mothers will transmit the virus to their newborns--accounting for nearly 70,000 children born each year with the virus that causes AIDS. For these women, the tragedy is two-fold, for while the fear of the virus itself is debilitating, the damage done by the stigma she faces in the community can be equally devastating.

An innovative and powerful HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment support project, The Mothers' Programmes use education and empowerment as tools to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, combat stigma within families and communities, support a mother's adherence to medical treatment, and reduce the likelihood of AIDS orphans. Located in clinics that offer medical treatment to HIV+ women, The Mothers' Programmes fills in the gaps left by the public health system, providing a secure, warm environment where these women can feel safe to share their fears and concerns; fears for the health of their children; fears of disclosure to their partners, friends and family; and the feelings of helplessness engendered by being alone, pregnant and infected with the AIDS virus. A simple idea, the Mothers' Programmes has developed a unique model at the community level that is both cost effective and easily replicable and adaptable to any culture. Its Center of Excellence in the township of Khayelitsha outside of Cape Town, has become known throughout Africa as a showcase for best practices across borders.

Comprised of five distinct projects, The Mothers' Programmes takes women from pregnancy through the first year of their children's lives. Money raised through our Channel swim will be donated to two of these programs, Mothers-to-Mothers-to-Be and Mothers-to-Mothers:

  • Mothers-to-Mothers-to-Be (M2M2B), the core project, is a peer education and empowerment program run by 'mother mentors' (recently delivered mothers also living with HIV) who are not only trained to counsel other mothers, but are also taught the value of collecting and reading statistics, thereby providing the Programme with much needed data and information to share with the medical and research community. M2M2B focuses on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV during the period from pregnancy through delivery.
  • Mothers-to-Mothers (M2M) extends this concept by focusing on the health of new mothers with HIV and their babies. Realizing that making healthy choices is impossible without disclosure, M2M supports mothers as they overcome their fear of stigma to reveal their status to partners and families. The Programme also addresses issues including personal health, family planning, infant health, treatment adherence, and the complex questions around protecting babies from HIV transmission.

In 2001 there was one program. At the end of 2002 there were six programs. At the end of 2003 there were 12 programs and 26 at the end of 2004. At present, The Mothers Programmes has over 60 new program sites throughout five provinces of South Africa as well as in Ethiopia and Botswana, making a true impact on the lives of thousands of women per month.

For more information on the Mothers Programmes visit www.mothersprogrammes.org or email Robin Smalley at robin@mothersprogrammes.org.

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