The summary below was provided by the Peace Corps Volunteer and the community administering this project.

The Mwansambo AIDS Support Organization (MWASO) is a community based organization that works in Malawi. This HIV/AIDS based organization strives to achieve lasting improvement of the quality of life of people infected with HIV through care and support. Also, MWASO is striving to reduce prevalence rates of HIV in the community as well as reduce rates of stigma and discrimination that the HIV positive population is subjected to. Therefore, MWASO provides support to a large area made up of those affected directly and indirectly by HIV and also those that are HIV negative and striving to make their community less affected by HIV/AIDS.

The objective of this project is to build a Community HIV/AIDS Support Center. Currently, MWASO is operating out of a structure unsuitable for proper development and are lacking a large quantity of things that they need to help their organization and activities flourish. This center would be made available to the whole community as a place to go for support and education as well as a proper office for the committee of volunteers that work tirelessly for MWASO. The Community Center would provide classes on nutrition, stigma/discrimination, prevention, and positive living as well as a place for those affected by HIV to gather and receive support. With the completion of the building, we are also hoping to expand the number of activities available to the community members. We are hoping to include HIV testing as a component of the center in the future as well.

MWASO is donating the land, bricks, sand and other local resources to contribute to the project.

If you have questions about this or other projects, email our office.

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