Great rejoicing took place on 31 October as over 100 people gathered for the opening ceremony of the "Partners in Hope" Medical Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. It was impossible not to be swept up in the excitement of the many people for whom this was the realization of a dream to bring hope in a country ravaged by the affects of HIV/AIDS.

The medical centre will not only provide medical services and specialized HIV/AIDS care, including provision of anti-retroviral drugs, but will also promote HIV/AIDS prevention through its Voluntary Counseling and Test centre and an "Action for Behaviour Change" Unit.

During the ceremony, attenders were reminded that God is in the business of rebuilding the broken walls of our lives just as Nehemiah rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem. It was everyone's prayer that God would indeed use this new centre to help rebuild lives and bring hope both now and for eternity.

For more detailed information on the Partners In Hope ministry or to support its work please visit www.partnersinmalawi.org or contact your nearest SIM office.

For information on AIDS-related work in other countries, visit SIM's HOPE for AIDS.