Micro-credit scheme for People Living With HIV/AIDS

Begoro (ER), Dec. 11, GNA - The Salvation Army Church and the Ghana AIDS Commission are jointly providing a micro-credit scheme to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to enable them go into income generating activities.

The National Coordinator of the HIV/AIDS Programme of the Church, Mr Paul Bamfo, said 20 HIV patients in the Agona Duakwa in the Central Region have already benefited from the scheme.

He was speaking at a durbar to mark the World's AIDS Day celebration in the Fanteakwa District at Begoro. Mr Bamfo said those in Begoro would receive their loans in January 2007 and that they would be offered between 500,000 cedis and one million cedis.

The HIV/AIDS Counselor at the Begoro District Hospital, Miss Mary Nartey, expressed regret that some people felt uncomfortable buying goods sold by HIV/AIDS patients. "If this attitude continues it will defeat the purpose for setting up the scheme."