Many Mountains

I’m just back from a trip to the tiny nation of Lesotho or the “Mountain Kingdom,” as it is known. This beautiful country of 1.8 million people faces many challenges, including unemployment, poverty and HIV/AIDS. Lesotho has the world’s third highest adult prevalence rate of HIV. That is one reason why it now has the world’s largest proportion of orphans per capita.

I met with Cathy and Kim from Gap in the capital city, Maseru. Kim helps Gap source products from suppliers around Africa and Cathy is part of Gap’s global compliance team. Together, we visited Lesotho’s Precious Garments clothing factory where GAP sources (PRODUCT) RED items. Also joining us were Bart the CEO of ALAFA (an industry alliance created to introduce and run HIV prevention and treatment programs in the apparel industry in Lesotho) and Krishna from the Global Fund.

The apparel industry is the largest employer in Lesotho with more than 45,000 employees, most of whom are women. Whilst Lesotho has an HIV adult prevalence rate of 23 percent, a recent study at 8 factories by ALAFA suggests that as many as 43% of the industry’s mostly female employees may be HIV positive. This statistic -- higher than the national average -- is partly due to the fact that so many of this industry’s employees are in the highest risk group for HIV here: women 35-39 years of age.

The apparel factory owners at Precious are aware that helping their employees know their status AND access treatment is good for business; improving workforce stability, productivity and morale. Since ALAFA’s pilot program began here at Precious Garments in May 2006, 50 percent of Lesotho’s factories are now ALAFA members and 25 percent of all factories have now opened and funded health clinics on their premises.

‘Precious’ was a pioneer in this regard and its clinic is open every day with a full time nurse and a number of staff counselors including “AIDS Champion” Mariane Mafike whom we met on a (RED) visit in 2006.

Mariane had encouraging news to report, regarding the program’s progress. Back in 2006, Mariane told us that they needed more peer counselors as there were just two then including herself. Now there are 10 counselors and this has really helped ensure many more of the factory’s 4,000 employees understand the benefits of testing and treatment. Indeed, Mariane told us that the clinic now tests about 20 women a day on site.

As a result of Mariane and her colleagues’ efforts, many women’s lives have clearly been changed for the better. And there’s a follow on effect to this, as the women who work here are more often than not the principal breadwinners for their families and so their ongoing health and income impacts not just them, but their families and communities as well.

Mariane, her peers, the factory management, ALAFA and Gap are all working together as a powerful team. As a result the fear of HIV has reduced, many more are being tested, and in doing so lives are being saved.

Greta

PHOTO CAPTION “Mariane along with team members from Precious Garments, GAP and ALAFA at the factory clinic.” [FYI the people in the photo sent in email are left to right: Nkopane Monyane, Precious Garments Group Regional Manager; Mariane Mafike, Cathy Dix (GAP), Kim Lim (GAP), Bart Vander Plaetse (ALAFA).]