Belinha with one of her sons. Picture: Peter Caton/Tearfund
It's with deep sadness that Tearfund has learned of the death of Belinha Sharvi, the 37-year-old mother of three featured in our new Alive resource.
Belinha died from an AIDS-related illness on Sunday 31 August, just three months after we had filmed her for the Alive campaign.
But we celebrate the improvements which your support brought to her in her final year. Belinha told us that until she met Victoria, the church volunteer sent by Tearfund partner Kubatsirana, she felt cut off from God. ‘I thought God had neglected me. I had become so desperate and discouraged.’
But, she continued, ‘I realised God loved me when I received regular visits from Victoria. Victoria makes me feel at ease, she treats me like a sister. She prepares meals for me. She prays with me and she fetches water for me. This is blessing from God – she has helped me to find God.’
Through the work of Kubatsirana and the encouragement of her church volunteer, Belinha had been able to access treatment and begin taking ARV medicines.
However, for people like Belinha, who are very sick with AIDS-related illnesses, sometimes ARVs come too late. Having gone from 84kg to 34 kg in weight, her body was unable to fight off the infection which killed her.
We’re now working with our partner Kubatsirana, and Belinha’s extended family to ensure her three orphaned sons are well cared for and able to continue with their schooling.
Please join us in allowing this sad news to prompt you to greater action on behalf of other people like Belinha for whom there is still hope of restored strength.
You can order a free copy of the Alive pack which includes a film about Belinha and get involved in the Alive campaign by clicking here.
As the stories in the Alive pack reveal, the success of this project in Gondola – Belinha's home district – mean that 832 people are now enjoying renewed health. Please join us in extending the lives of even more people.