MACAO was established on September 2003 in Northern Tanzania in order to raise awareness in the community about HIV/AIDS. Our efforts are currently focused in support of the Masaai, Sonjo and Hasabe tribes living in the Ngorongoro district of the Arusha region of Tanzania.
These tribes have traditions and cultural practices placing them at risk for HIV/AIDS. These practices include polygamy, female circumcision, and the inheritance of widows. As a result, MACAO’s mission is to educate people about ways to protect themselves and to provide care for those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Come and join us in spreading knowledge about HIV/AIDS to these communities so that they may lead fuller lives by avoiding the behaviors that put them at a high risk of HIV/AIDS.
Orphans Support Program
We are establishing Malezi children care centers for orphans in our communities to provide food, clothing, medicine, and education for orphans here in Northern Tanzania. We are also working to raise local awareness of discrimination and the lack of education opportunities to eliminate the stigma associated with orphans with HIV/AIDS in society.
Widows Support Program
We work to ensure that all widows whose husbands died with HIV/AIDS and those who live with HIV/AIDS get support and training to lead self-reliant lives. Poverty plays a big role in the spread of HIV/AIDS, so we provide skills training to help them come out of their financial disparity. Our programs include agricultural education, helping people to cultivate their own vegetables to eat and sell, and skill education, such as tailo
ring, empowering them to start their own small-business.
We also offer resources about HIV/AIDS and provide education about the ways HIV/AIDS transmission can be prevented.
School Program
It is our mission to ensure that all orphans and underprivileged children in the community are able to complete their primary and secondary school education.
In the local schools, we teach students about HIV/AIDS, how they can help prevent the spread, and encourage students to get tested.
HIV/AIDS Treatment
We work to see that each person with HIV/AIDS receives anti-retroviral medication (ARVs) so that those infected can prolong their lives. We also assist people to be tested for HIV at testing centers so that they can be sure about their health status.
