Over 84% of Malawians live in rural villages far from medical care making it difficult for those who are sick to access HIV testing and treatment. Through GAIA's Home-Based Care (HBC) program, Caregivers regularly visit sick patients bringing food, medicine, supplies, comfort and care.

To make medical care more accessible, Caregivers dispense transportation stipends and when appropriate, travel with HBC patients to medical appointments where they explain medical testing, diagnosis, and treatment to sick villagers. Caregivers frequently accompany sick children to medical appointments. Without someone to help them navigate the complex, multiple bus routes necessary to reach doctors and without money to pay for transportation, orphaned and sick children are unlikely to receive medical care, explaining why mortality rates are high among village children. The presence of a Caregiver helps alleviate the anxiety felt by children who are frightened and ill and often unaware of their HIV-positive status.

When villagers are HIV-positive, Caregivers use their influence to lobby for their patients' medical, educational and recreational needs. This is particularly important for HIV-positive women and children who face life-threatening dispossession, discrimination and ostracism due to intense HIV stigma. Caregivers work closely with village elders, chiefs and local religious leaders to combat HIV stigma ensuring that HIV-positive villagers do not suffer negative treatment as a result of their illness.

Through regular visits with patients, Caregivers identify other family members who may be HIV-positive and encourage them to avoid risky behavior and to be tested regularly. Home visits from Caregivers often turn into counseling sessions, where advice is given, assistance is offered, and the health of the entire family is monitored. Frequently, families caring for HIV-positive children are overwhelmed and the support of Caregivers is crucial-they provide psychosocial support to children who are anxious about their condition and help parents and guardians who are caring for large families. Caregivers provide advocacy, companionship, basic nursing care, supplies and medicine helping to bring sick villagers back to health and supporting families that are under tremendous stress.

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