As followers of Christ, social justice is at the heart of all that Tearfund do. For Xiao Wang and his wife MeiLi,* who were ostracised from their community by an HIV diagnosis, this means nothing less than new life.
Social justice means bringing hope to the marginalised, opportunity to the downtrodden, and the releasing of potential for those who have been bound by poverty.
Stigma
Xiao Wang and MeiLi have HIV. Living in the Mekong region of south-east Asia, this means that, tragically, it’s not just the disease that the couple have to live with, but also the stigma that goes with it. People who were once friends suddenly shunned them. Neighbours stayed away. Even their children, who didn’t have HIV, were treated with disrespect and disdain.
A group of staff from one of Tearfund’s partners arrived in the remote mountain village where couple live and were shocked by what they saw. Their house, a simple wooden hut, had been severely neglected, and was in a state of critical disrepair. There were leaks in the roof and what little furniture they had was ruined. It was also clear that they were not getting enough to eat.
