Sr. Marian Moriarty
Loreto Sisters
South Africa
The main contribution or gift given to this
family by our organisation was and still is
time. They also received material assistance in
school fees, school uniform, some second-hand
clothing from time to time and a food hamper at
Christmas. However the real help was time given
to enable them to access the medical care and
social grants to which they had a right.
- Marian Moriarty
Marian Moriarty is a Loreto Sister from Co.
Kerry working with people who are infected and
affected by HIV/AIDS in KwaGuga Township in
Witbank, South Africa. She is particularly
involved in the care of Aids orphans and
vulnerable children. Like so many other parts of
South Africa it is the children who suffer most
when parents are affected by AIDS. Often when
one parent dies the other goes away and it is
the grandmother who is left to bring up the
children.
The population of the township is estimated at
between 300,000 and 400,000 people. Up to 60% of
the people live in informal shack dwellings and
unemployment fi gures are running at
approximately 52%. Those who are employed earn
low salaries. For this reason many people cannot
afford to attend private clinics or pay the cost
of transport to travel to the clinics in Witbank
town. There are only two small local clinics and
two mobile clinics and these are oversubscribed.
Sr.
Marian and her team of Carers, at the
Asiphilenikahle centre aim to support those who
are suffering from HIV/AIDS by assisting them to
access whatever help is available from
government departments and to make them more
self-sufficient in the face of poverty. Their
main concern is to ensure that the orphans and
vulnerable children have the support they need
to deal with sickness and poverty and the
resultant loss of schooling. The project
provides basic care for those who are ill in
their homes and assists those who are seriously
ill to get to the clinic for more essential
medical treatment. The team provides much needed
food, medicine and clothing while the
bureaucracy of obtaining grants is accessed.
Once people are well enough they are encouraged
to grow vegetables and become self-sufficient,
where possible. With regard to school-age
children it is essential that they have a
uniform if they are to attend school. No child
is left without a uniform and so even the
poorest child can continue to attend school.
School books are also supplied where these are
needed. The carers too have to be looked after
and they are provided with much needed support
and on-going training.
It is heartening to read some of the success
stories from Sr. Marian's project. She talks of
a young orphan Siyabonga Phiri who was living
with his grandmother but his feet were badly
deformed and so he was unable to get to school.
After much discussion and soul-searching Marian
managed to get an orthopaedic surgeon to agree
to operate on Siyabonga. After a few initial set
backs all went well and so now Marian reports
‘many hospital trips, many months and many
apples (a fruit he loves) later I can say that
Siyabonga is walking tall. His two feet look
very good and they are getting stronger. His
name is the Zulu word for "thank you" and I
sense a gratitude and joy in life in this little
fellow always.'