Bibles fight HIV/Aids in Africa

There are 22.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS.

Across Sub Saharan Africa, Bible Societies are helping people fight the deadly HIV/AIDS virus with a specially developed Bible-based programme.

The Good Samaritan programme, which is based on the well-known Bible parable of the same name, offers a message of hope for the suffering and compassion towards the ill and the dying.

• Enthusiastic response to Good Samaritan
• We're real people, not a terrible disease
• Working from the lowest level
• Bringing hope to the orphans of Uganda
• Good Samaritan changing community attitudes
• Good Samaritan leads to life
• A positive, peaceful future
• Driving all in a day's work for coordinator
• Music video plea on behalf of sufferers

The Bible Society of Côte d’Ivoire has a vital take-home message for youth: you are responsible for your life. Therefore – Take Charge!

In Côte d’Ivoire, students are learning perhaps the most important take-home message of their lives in Young people equipped to fight HIV/AIDS meetings, such as this one.

In Guatemala, Bible Society is providing Bibles to help stem a growing tide of violence and corruption fuelled by factors such as poverty, social inequality and the growth of organised crime.

Nubia Paredes (in green), the Director of Marketing for the Bible Society of Guatemala, presents a Bible to a senior member of the police force.

The Baoshan Christian Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Yunnan Province, China is helping drug addicts recover from their addictions.

Ting, a recovering-drug addict, whose life has been changed through the Bible.

On 8 January 2011, after decades of religious and racial conflict, the people of south Sudan voted to secede from the north. On 8 July 2011 a new nation was born.

The recent uprisings in Egypt have brought hope to many that a freer and more democratic society is emerging there.

Twenty years after declaring its independence from the Soviet Union, the political leadership of Belarus is still clinging to its Communist past. But on the nation’s campuses many young Christians are eager for their country to take a different direction.

Christina, left, and Katya are two Christian students in Minsk who hope their faith will influence their nation’s future.

Since 1998, the Baoshan Bible Training Centre in Yunnan Province, China has been training pastors for the many ethnic minority churches in the region.

Students from the Baoshan Bible Training Centre in Yunnan Province, China.

The Bible Society of Israel is reaching out to people in the parks of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Copies of booklets such as The Divinity of the Messiah in Hebrew are helping to bring about a better understanding of Christianity in Israel.

Mary Jones-Ovenden (yes, she has relations in Wales and has been to Bala!) ended 40 years service as a Christian Religious Education (CRE) teacher last year. CRE was formerly known as Bible in Schools.

Mary Jones-Ovenden with some CRE materials.

In response to the Christchurch earthquake Bible Society New Zealand made two Scripture booklets available to the people of that city.

In Japan, Bible Society is distributing Bibles and children’s Bibles through the churches to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in one of the worst hit areas – Sendai, in north-east Japan. It is also providing some relief aid.

Bible Society works out of this building in Tokyo, which was undamaged in the earthquake.

In January this year, after three years of being denied permission by the authorities, the Executive Secretary of the Palestinian Bible Society, Nashat Filmon, (pictured) was granted a permit to enter into Gaza.

“I felt like I was in darkness when I found out I was HIV-positive,” says 40-year-old Marie Jeanne. “Then I was given a Bible. Now I have peace and hope.”

“It was a huge shock when I was diagnosed with HIV,” says 38-year-old Judith. “I turned to the Bible. I still have many problems but I have hope in God.”