A YELVERTON woman, who has spent the last year helping to tackle the huge problem of AIDS in Namibia, is appealing for funding to continue her work.

Wendy Castle is working with the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) Church in the north east of the country, mainly in teaching preventative basic healthcare.

Wendy became a missionary four years ago and prior to Namibia completed a primary healthcare course in South Africa.

She is now the AFM church?s official trainer in AIDS awareness, counselling and home-based care and an advisor in helping to set up information centres.

Her latest newsletter revealed that more people had been motivated into becoming more aware of the huge problem there was in tackling HIV/AIDS where she was based in Grootfontein and to do something about it.

An AIDS committee had been set up in the town and the AFM church had formed links with the Red Cross, other churches and schools, nurses and social workers.

She said the AIDS virus was spreading rapidly throughout all of Namibia and was reaching crisis proportions.

It was estimated that out of a population of 1.6-million people, 400,000 would die from the disease. Already there were 6,000 orphans in the capital Windhoek and in the north grandmothers were bringing up around 22 grandchildren on their pensions of £20 a month.

?In this town which has 22,500 people there are nearly 500 beer outlets and 17 streets where prostitutes can be found, ? she said. ?Both alcohol and prostitution play a major part in spreading the disease.?

The AFM church was totally committed to tackling this problem through their AIDS information and advice centres, which were being set up in every church in Namibia ? 102 of them.

Wendy?s work in helping to develop these centres means she needs funding for her basic needs, travelling, teaching and administration costs and equipment for the home-based workers.

If anyone can support Wendy?s ministry, she would be grateful for any donations which can be sent to: Wendy Castle, AIDS project, c/o Barclays Bank, 6 Bedford Square, Tavistock, a/c No 20940216. Her e-mail address is: [email protected]">[email protected]