Episcopal Relief and Development was recognized before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee for its support of an innovative program to teach HIV/AIDS prevention and pastoral care to seminarians in Africa.

In a recent hearing, Dr. Peter Okaalet, African Director of Medical Assistance Programs (MAP) International, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the role of faith-based organizations in the fight against HIV and AIDS. At the hearing, Dr. Okaalet commended ERD's work, saying, "Four Anglican seminaries in Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and South Africa have accepted the challenge and will integrate HIV/AIDS courses into their curriculum."

This curriculum offers hope to communities crippled by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It educates seminarians about the illness and its transmission, and teaches them how to deliver vital emotional and spiritual support to their local congregations. With this curriculum, future clergy and lay leaders will be equipped to supply life-saving information, help eliminate the cultural stigma of the disease, and provide pastoral care for those dying from AIDS, as well as care for their families and orphaned children.

Sandra Swan, Executive Director of Episcopal Relief and Development, elaborated further on this point. "ERD is committed to the fight against a disease that is devastating communities worldwide," said Ms. Swan. "We see the ultimate goal of the curriculum as providing future clergy with the tools necessary to educate their communities about HIV/AIDS prevention and to distribute quality care to those both suffering from the disease and affected by it."

Episcopal Relief and Development is the collective response of Episcopalians to help people in need. Its programs of emergency relief, rehabilitation, and long-term development are specifically designed to strengthen local communities in the United States and around the world.