2 October 2008
Windhoek — The Namibia Christian and Apostolic Pentecostal Association (NACAPA) has said a strong stand on moral values premised on the fear for God and the respect for human dignity is fundamental in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The association said recently, it believed that empowering families with moral values is important not only to their well-being but also to societal stability.
Speaking at the end of a five-day Capacity Building for Spiritual Healers organised by the Namibia Network of AIDS Service Organisations (NANASO), NACAPA secretary general, Bishop Tjipueja Mutirua, said Namibia should promote peace, love and tolerance at family level to build a strong and stable nation.
Mutirua said the association was committed to promoting the welfare of Namibians and collaborating with the Government and other organisations to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS.
The association, in a communiqué issued at the end of the workshop condemned stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
"We encourage communities and society at large to embrace the culture of forgiveness, care and support to assist those infected and affected by the virus," said Mutirua who read the communiqué on behalf of the participants.
He said HIV/AIDS challenged societal networks and livelihood sources, hence the need to strengthen networks and support systems to safeguard and protect the rights and dignity of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Spiritual healers, the communiqué said, plays an important role in providing care, treatment and support to people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Mutirua said members of the association would continue to educate people through various community-based programmes the divine purpose of sex and the need to abstain from pre-marital sexual activities.
"Abstinence and faithfulness to sexual partners is key to re-shaping a healthy society," the said.
They also appealed to the medical fraternity to recognise them and cooperate with them in improving the public health system and delivery in particular to meet the targets of both the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals and our Vision 2030.
The training included a variety of topics including the basics of HIV and AIDS and its impact on Namibia, stigma and discrimination, proposal writing, project cycle management, networking and advocacy, leadership skills and resource mobilisation.
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