December 2005 - December 2006

This ARV support project was the initial project of Two Tunics in South Africa. It developed from the original vision of the founders of Two Tunics and grew out of a short term mission trip in 2004. At that time the South Africa Health Department was planning its ARV roll-out. The initial stage of that plan was to start ARV treatment at hospitals with roll-out to clinics being projected sometime in the future. Given the urgency for treatment access in the heavily AIDS affected rural areas Two Tunics desired to help to more rapidly expand ARV access at rural clinics.

Two Tunics partnered with KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health and a SIM "HOPE for AIDS" project called Positive Ray to expand access to life-saving ARV therapy in a rural area of the Ugu district. Working in partnership with Port Shepstone Hospital, Dr. Mike Nash established an ARV therapy site at Assisi Clinic, about 20 km outside the city of Port Shepstone.

Historically the Assisi area was one in which HIV testing and treatment services where underutilized.  Therefore, an important aspect of the project was the community awareness education and treatment support offered through Positive Ray.  At the end of the year there were well over 100 patients receiving ARV treatment at Assisi Clinic.

Providing life-saving medical care is crucial, but we recognize the need for care of the whole person, even care of the whole community. We desire our impact in the community to be effective and long-lasting. Thus, we supplied a Community Support Grant in the amount of about $75,000 to strengthen ministries which have begun in the community.  While a large portion of these funds went to Positive Ray to expand their ministry in the Assisi area, other funds help with orphan care and feeding, services to vulnerable children and other HIV ministries in the Port Shepstone community.