Project Details

Most HIV patients in China are impoverished farmers. Ruili, a border town in the far southwest of the country, is one of the areas in the country with the highest rates of infection.

Many residents in rural areas outside Ruili have little information about HIV. There are few health facilities in these rural areas, and people do not know what to do if they get the disease, and they often do not finish the treatment if they start. When they become ill, they are not strong enough to work very much, and their income falls even lower.

Your donation can help provide anti-retroviral (ARV) medicine, health counseling, check-ups, and other support for families, such as an education allowance for children.

How Oxfam helps – Xiao Tu

Xiao Tu and his wife like near Ruili and found out they had HIV when their son was born four years ago. The government provided them with ARV medicine, but they stopped taking it, not realising how important the continuity is. Ruili Women and Children Development Centre, Oxfam’s partner organisation, visited them in their home and provided them with information and counselling. With this encouragement, Xiao Tu and his wife now understood they need to continue with the treatment. They were happy when their son tested negative, and became more optimistic. Oxfam has also assisted the couple with a small loan to raise pigs and plant corn in order to increase their income and solve their food shortage. Xiao Tu and his wife feel their life is more stable now, and they are working hard to make a better future for their son.

The couple in this story have asked Oxfam Hong Kong not to disclose their identity. Thanks for the sharing from Xiao Tu and his family as well as their consent of using the photos.