Tiny Tim and Friends

Tiny Tim and Friends is an organization that is committed   to the well being of orphans, vulnerable children and pregnant mothers in Zambia who are infected with the HIV virus.   In May 2009 Tiny Tim and Friends joined the Mapepe Bible College on their medical mission to the central district of Zambia.

Mapepe Bible College has a deep desire to take care of the physical aspect of mankind, as well as the spiritual.  Therefore, once a year the College organizes a medical mission under the auspice of Dr. Joe Godley.   Dr.  Joe is charged with the task of organizing medical personnel both from Zambia and the United States of America to make the medical mission a success; he is also the overseer of administration and financial matters for the medical missions.

This year the medical mission focused on the following areas:

• General screening
• Dental
• Optical
• HIV screening by Tiny Tim and Friends

Tiny Tim and friends primary concern was the HIV screening, the screening which was part of the medical mission was to take place in the central district of Zambia at the following Villages:

• Nakasala
• Kansenga
• Chief Chibale
• Koffi Kunda
• Chief Chitina
• Kasokota

The areas mentioned above either had a small clinic with very little supplies or the nearest district clinic would be miles away, thus when the medical mission held its clinics at the various sites the turn outs where massive and overwhelming.  Tiny Tim and friends had its share of the masses as they flocked into the clinics.   Pre-test counseling was offered to every individual that attended the clinics in groups of twenties, those that consent to the screening were tested using the rapid finger prick method, post -test counseling was offered on a one on one base to ensure confidentiality of results.  A few cases of diagnostic testing and counseling occurred at every site, clinical officers would refer patients for HIV screening. All the villages (sites) were screened within a period of one week.

Summary of Statistics

Total tested                                          =    437

Total Adults tested                         =   401

Total Children tested     =    36

Total people +                =    65

Total Adults +                  =    63

Total Children +              =      2

Total –                              =   372

Total Adults –                   =   338

Total Children -                             =     34

Psychosocial counseling was offered to all the clients that were screened; those that were found to be negative were encouraged to keep their status and methods of prevention were emphasized.  Clients found to be positive were given referral slips to the nearest district clinics; in this case we were looking at Serenje and Mkushi district clinics.  Emphasis on positive living and adherence to medication was advised to those found positive.

The number of children tested was low do the fact that people had to travel great distances to get to the clinics, some as far as 40km. One of our main objects was to get closer to the people and reduce their burden of traveling long distances to get to the nearest health centre but that could only be done to an extent.   Another problem we encountered was parents had the misconception that once they were found to be non- reactive the same would apply to their children, thus they would consent to be screened but would not consent for their children to be screened.

The two children that were found to be reactive were brother and sister and orphaned by both parents. The boy was aged twelve (12) and the girl was aged ten (10). They are currently being kept at an orphanage near Kansenga village.  With the HIV screening done the two children have a higher chance of living a normal life once they commence ART, referral slips were given to their guardian to take to Serenje district clinic where two more tests were to be carried out and treatment started, Tiny Tim and friends would have enrolled these children into their program if they where found near Lusaka.

The over all sample obtained from the villages served illustrates a prevalence rate of 15% HIV presence in the communities which is slightly lower then the prevalence rate of most urban communities which ranges from 22% to 25 %( Lusaka).   Estimates show that over 400 people die of HIV/AIDS every day in Lusaka. From the sample of children screened 5% prevalence rate was obtained. These rates may seem low but have a devastating impact on the population; thousands of lives may have been lost but thanks to Joe Godley and the Mapepe Medical Mission, all the volunteers who traveled from the United States, the Clinical officers on site and last but least Dr.Meade and staff of Tiny Tim and Friends.