Training resource for HIV and AIDS Caption: education is key to
stopping the spread of HIV and stigma “The manual Pastoral
Training and Responding to HIV and AIDS is the cornerstone of
our work,” said Tsielo Mpeqa, Director of Caritas Lesotho.
Caritas developed the manual to provide insights and guidelines
to people of faith who are striving to develop a compassionate,
effective and non-judgmental response to the pandemic. Caritas
Lesotho and Caritas USA (CRS) ran training courses in Lesotho
using the manual, providing training first for 15 priests, who
went out and trained another 180 Church leaders on HIV
prevention, care and comfort. Lesotho is a constitutional
monarchy of about 12,000 square miles and two million people
that is surrounded by South Africa. An estimated 30 percent or
more of its people have HIV/AIDS. The manual covers topics such
as prevention, spread, social impact, emotional impact, response
of the Church, and what activities parishes and ministries can
carry out in response to the pandem