Although the topic of HIV/Aids is a serious one, there was reason to celebrate on Monday evening. Catholic Aids Action, the largest NGO in Namibia to fight HIV/Aids was five years old. Mainly funded by USAID, the church organisation with Dr Lucy Steinitz at its helm has established offices and satellite centre sin all major towns of the country. It caters for 16 000 needy children who lost one or both parents due to Aids and has over 1000 volunteers mainly active in home based care.

One of the guest speakers in the Catholic parish hall in Windhoek, Reverend Wilfried Diergaardt said it was time for al churches to get active in the fight against Aids." Churches should not be silent about this disease and be in conspiracy with silence. Churches should not point fingers and judge (HIV-infected people) anymore, but churches are needed to give hope, love and faith to them and wipe off their tears," Rev. Diergaardt spoke out strongly.

Dr Lucy Steinitz, national coordinator of CAA, referred to the late Archbishop Bonifatius Hausiko, who over five years ago was in favour of the establishment of CAA. "He said that Aids was a disease, not a sin," Ms Steinitz quoted the late archbishop. According to her food security for the poorest of the poor was a future challenge apart from expanding the services of CAA.

"What keeps me going are the children we look after. They are the future of this country and we can never give up because of them," she emphasised when stating that CAA looked after about 16 000 orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC’s). She urged Nami-bians to be more active in the fight against Aids, espe-cially stigmatisation and discrimination of HIV-infected people.

Namibia about 250 000 are suffering from Aids. Of the approximately 82 600 orphans, half lost their parent(s) due to Aids.