Africa – AJAN Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Service to the Vulnerable
On Sunday the 5th of June, AJAN celebrated its 20th anniversary of existence. According to WHO Africa has been the most affected region with more than 25.7million people living with HIV in 2018. Through the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) the Jesuits in Africa and Madagascar express their solidarity and proximity to the vulnerable and often marginalised group of person. AJAN facilitates and coordinates efforts of Jesuits in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa and Madagascar through Networking, Communication, Capacity Building, Advocacy, Resource Mobilization and Fundraising.
The Jesuit efforts in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa and Madagascar for the past 20 years include offering services such as HIV Care and Treatment, Psycho-social Support through Voluntary Counseling and Testing, Spiritual and Psycho-social Counseling and Integral Human Development through livelihood support and giving education sponsorship to orphans and vulnerable children affected and infected with HIV and AIDS. AJAN through its AJAN HIV and AIDS Prevention Programme for the Youth (AHAPPY) Program seeks to empower the youth in Africa to live responsibly.
In his address on this occasion, the President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ, acknowledged the remarkable successes and accomplishments of AJAN, and highlighted that though HIV/AIDS continues in many parts of Africa, it is for many now, a simple chronic disease and no longer a global health threat. He also noted that, ‘today, HIV/AIDS has many faces, including poverty, poor healthcare systems and infrastructure, hunger, stigma, discrimination and limited access to treatment.’ Confronted with this multifaceted reality of HIV/AIDS today, the President of JCAM sees the mission of AJAN as ‘a participation in the mission of Christ to bring God’s mercy, justice and compassion to the afflicted, the vulnerable, the suffering, the excluded, the oppressed, so that they may live in the freedom and dignity of the children of God.’ He expressed his gratitude to all the Jesuits, collaborators, benefactors and donors whose exceptional generosity and kindness has made it possible for AJAN to succeed in its mission of compassion and care. The success of AJAN in creating ‘an HIV/AIDS-free society should also imply the end of AJAN or least, a radical and innovative transformation of its mission of care and compassion.’
This call for a radical and innovative transformation of AJAN’s mission of care and compassion was further reiterated upon by Fr. Xavier Jeyaraj, S.J., the Secretary of Father General for Social Justice and Ecology, who was present for this celebration at Service Yezu Mwiza in Bujumbura. In his message to the participants of this celebration, a message of solidarity and a message of call to unite to challenge the powers that be, to be the Conscience keeper for the leadersand nations, he noted that this celebration is ‘also an invitation to look beyond HIV-AIDS or Covid. While we do celebrate what God has done through AJAN, it might be the time to ask ‘what is the future?’ Does AJAN remain AIDS focused or go beyond to see the health crisis.’ In so doing, he invited all to communal discernment with them aim of connecting more with the weak and the poor respecting their dignity with love and to bring joy to all.
The celebration carried on with cultural dance and other gestures of appreciation from beneficiaries of the AJAN’s projects. The celebration of the 20th anniversary of AJAN like the President of JCAM noted is just the start of the ‘next chapter in this journey’ and it is the hope of all that God looks ‘favourably on this enterprise for the greater glory of God and the service of all God’s Children.
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