Self-Help Occupations

Mother of Perpetual Help Center is in its 5th year to help HIV families get started in self help projects. In particular, the cattle project has been very successful.

The original project began to help 5 families in each of the HIV groups with two cattle each—a mother and a calf. After one year the family was to give back to the project half of the cost of the original purchase and in turn the returned funds would be used to help other families within their groups. After the first year the Center was happy to receive a 90% return; thus, being able to continue the program and with a further grant from an interested funding agency even more families have been able to participate in the project.

To ensure that the program could continue each family receiving cattle signed contracts stating that after one year they would return half of this cost. These contracts have been taken seriously and so the project continues with success. Periodically visitations to the families are made and pictures taken in order to give reports to those agencies and persons who have been so generous to support this endeavor.

This self help project has given now over 80 families hope and a means of taking care of themselves. It is difficult for young men and women inflicted with aids to find work in the cities, in their villages there is little to do. Giving families a kick start with two cattle, both female gives them an opportunity of expanding their herd as well as a sense of hope. Initially other small self help projects were done at the same time—raising fish or chickens, but both of these have not been so successful.