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How We Have Helped
From 2006 until June 2012, The Gift of Hope has cared for HIV infected women and children through the “Supporting Expectant Mothers” and “Sponsor a Child” programs. These programs were based at McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa, utilizing their world class treatment programs for patients living with HIV.
Supporting Expectant Mothers
 Every expectant mother shares the same universal hope—bringing a healthy baby into this world. But for many women in South Africa who are infected with HIV, this hope is often shattered. Without any preventive action and assuming the mother breast feeds, there is a 20 to 45% chance that HIV will be will transmitted to the baby. But, with access to a successful Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) program, this rate of transmission can be reduced to just 2 to 3%.
With dreams of one day seeing an AIDS free generation, The Gift of Hope provided financial support to expectant mothers to ensure they could receive the world-class PMTCT services offered at McCord Hospital. For some, this was a cesarean section, required when a patient’s viral load is too high for a vaginal delivery. For others it was the monthly clinic fee, or the cost of formula feeding, when exclusive breast feeding was not a viable option. Wherever there was a need, The Gift of Hope aimed to fill it, giving every woman the best possible chance of delivering a healthy baby.
By the time the program came to a close, more than 75 HIV positive women had received financial assistance through The Gift of Hope, and only ONE baby was born HIV positive!
Sponsor A Child
 Once infected, HIV progresses very rapidly among infants and children. Without treatment approximately one third will die by their first birthday, and 50% will die before the age of 2. Early diagnosis and treatment with antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, complimented by psychosocial support, is critical to the survival and long-term health of an HIV infected child.
Beginning with just 25 children in 2007, the Gift of Hope grew to provide sponsorships for more than 150 HIV positive children by 2012, focusing on supporting those with the greatest financial needs. The majority of these children were AIDS orphans, living either in children’s homes or under the care of grandmothers, who form the backbone of so many HIV affected South African families.
Through this sponsorship, children were able to receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy and a comprehensive range of medical and psychosocial services at the Sinikithemba AIDS Clinic of McCord Hospital. Sinikithemba, whose name in Zulu translates to “we give hope”, offered them a full spectrum of medical, psychological and spiritual outpatient care in an environment of acceptance and great support. It is this holistic approach to care and treatment that truly impacts the lives of children with HIV and gives them hope for a happier, healthier, and brighter future.
 Project STAR  – The Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust
In October 2012, following the closure of the Sinikithemba Clinic, the Gift of Hope helped establish a new pediatric HIV program in partnership with the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, an NPO which serves the poor rural communities of the Valley of 1000 Hills, located north of Durban. Project STAR, which stands for Support, Test, Adhere and Restore, began as a pilot program for 50 orphans and vulnerable children, and today provides testing, care and psycho-social support for more than 450 children in need.
- Click here to meet women and children who were given the Gift of Hope
"Of all the forces that make for a better world, none is so indispensable,
none so powerful, as hope."
— Charles W. Sawyer |
