Operation Blessing organized a Training-of-Trainers Workshop on HIV/AIDS for rural pastors in Nigeria from December 13-18, 2004. The training program was organized with assistance from the National Action Committee on AIDS, through a World Bank grant.

Fifteen pastors and their wives were taken through an intensive training exercise on HIV/AIDS by experienced resource persons, experts in different areas of medical science. Discussions revolved around such themes as: Global and national HIV/AIDS statistics, Mother to Child Transmission, Nature of Sexually Transmitted Infections, The Counseling Process, Practical Home-Based Care and Support, Voluntary Confidential Counseling and Testing, Anti-Retroviral Drug Therapy, Hormones and Attitudes of Young People, and HIV/AIDS and the Church.

Pastors are in a unique position as trusted leaders and can use the pulpit to advocate abstinence from pre-marital sex and other forms of risky behavior while offering care and support to people already infected.

The 15 trained pastors and their wives will return to their areas of influence to each train a further 15 pastors. Over 3,000 pastors will be trained by the end of the project through replication of the Training of Trainers workshop at community level.

Reverend Dr. Uche Palmer who participated in the workshop and is founder and president of New Concept Theological Seminary, Aba, Abia State in eastern Nigeria says, "With the training I have received here I can see that the seminary will have to change some of its counseling material." He also complimented the resource persons whom he says were very down to earth and did not hide anything from the participants. "The resource persons have been wonderful and it is refreshing seeing such dedicated facilitators. A lot of things which I used to take for granted have changed and my eyes have been opened to things which were not shared with me at previous workshops I have attended. I really thank OB for this workshop. CBN (OB) is a sound Christian organization with purity of focus!' he remarked with enthusiasm.

Lydia Edward is a 24-year-old woman who is living with the AIDS virus. When she introduced herself as a person living positively, the participants at the workshop expressed surprise at how healthy she looked. "I introduced myself to create awareness at the workshop and to let the pastors know how difficult it is to identify someone with the AIDS virus by merely looking at them," she said. She explained that the reason she looks so healthy is because she has access to anti-retroviral medication. "The workshop is good because OB is concerned about people in the rural communities who do not have access to the facilities which those living in towns enjoy, such as drugs, food, care and support." Lydia is currently learning how to knit in the knitting section of Faith Alive Foundation, a private Christian Hospital that provides training, care and support for people living positively. When she completes her knitting apprenticeship, Lydia hopes to use the money she realizes from sales of her knitted products to buy anti-retroviral drugs and fend for herself.

The 15 pastors all expressed their gratitude to OB for organizing this training as it has afforded them the opportunity to learn more about the AIDS virus and how to effectively counsel those infected while cautioning others on risky sexual behavior.

The workshop ended with the pastors participating in an OB Medical Mission in Uke local government of Nasarawa state where they were given the opportunity to put into practice all they had learned during the weeklong training.

During a Press Conference held to end the workshop, the CBN Regional Director for Anglophone West Africa, Felix Oisamoje remarked that OB sees the participation of Faith-Based Organizations in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic as critical. He went on to say that the church makes its appeal to the "heart of man" and unless the heart is touched, it is extremely difficult bringing about positive behavioral change. He asserted that the church remains the last hope of the infected, the affected and those at risk.

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