Umvoti is the epicenter of the AIDS pandemic in Kwazulu Natal. To cope with the pandemic in this vast, sparsely populated area (2,500 sq. km -- 100,000 people), the Umvoti AIDS Centre has home based care in each of the eleven districts in the municipality.
The carers are chosen because they have deep roots in the community, they treat the symptoms of the disease, they bring comfort, they listen, and they bring hope. They are also an indispensable means of distributing food and clothes to the poor.
The vast majority of the carers earn no money - they are true volunteers.
In the past year the 120 UAC carers have seen over 14,000 people.
The work of the home based carer is very stressful and the UAC would like to maintain a "care for the carer" programme where, every month the carers are brought together for fellowship, for debriefing, and a broadening of their understanding of the problems that affect them all.
This matching grant project will fund a full year of "care for the carer" functions.
Many of the carers have had little education, and the majority come from simple rural backgrounds. In order for them to cope with the wonderful work they do, training is a vital and continuing need.
This matching grant project is to support the Umvoti AIDS Centre to develop, and have accredited, their own training programme which will significantly reduce the costs of training. Four training programmes of 25 students would also be funded. | 
