VOA双语新闻：8、哈林区非营利组织为非裔提供服务（在线收听）

哈林区非营利组织为非裔提供服务

New York City is home to hundreds of ethnic and immigrant groups from around the world, including Africans. But until recently, the African diaspora lacked a center dedicated to their needs, especially regarding HIV/AIDS prevention, counseling and treatment.

纽约市是许多来自全世界少数民族和移民团体的家园。不过一直到最近为止，散居在纽约的非洲裔居民还缺乏一个针对他们需求而设的中心，尤其是在艾滋病毒和艾滋病的预防、咨询和治疗方面。

Now, the Harlem-based African Services Committee offers testing and referral services for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and various sexually transmitted diseases, along with other immigrant support services specifically geared to New York's African community.

如今，有一个位于哈林区的非营利组织，就专门针对纽约的非裔社区提供艾滋病和艾滋病毒、肝炎和各种性传染病的测试和咨询服务，以及其他的移民支援服务。

More than 12,000 clients took advantage of the non-profit organization's free or low cost services last year.

去年有超过1万2千名顾客利用了非洲服务委员会的免费或低价服务。

The group was founded by Ethiopian refugee Asfaha Hadera in 1981, when there were no services geared to New York’s African diaspora.

这个组织在1981年由埃塞俄比亚难民阿斯法赫·哈德拉所设立。他说，当时并没有任何针对散居纽约的非裔人士提供的服务。

“It was a response to their need,” he said. “As a result, this has become the place where they come and share their experiences.”

非洲服务委员会创始人阿斯法赫·哈德拉说： “那是为了回应他们的需求，结果这里变成一个他们到此分享经验的地方。”

ASC now offers HIV outreach, education and testing. The program began during the 1980s in response to the AIDS epidemic.

非洲服务委员会现在提供艾滋病毒的宣导、教育和检验服务。这个项目在1980年代，为因应当时盛行的艾滋病而开始。

Often still a taboo

HIV/AIDS remains a taboo topic in many parts of Africa, where contracting the virus is often considered shameful. That attitude persists among many African immigrants in New York, said Mulusew Bekele, ASC's programs operations director.

艾滋病毒和艾滋病在许多非洲地区仍然是一个禁忌的话题，那些地方通常将感染艾滋病毒视为是可耻的事情。在非洲服务委员会工作的穆鲁苏·贝克里说，那种态度在纽约的许多移民中仍然存在。

“Until they get comfortable with the services we have, they tend to in a sense self-stigmatize until I sit down and explain to them that we are here to serve, and that the services are confidential,” he said.

项目经营主任穆鲁苏·贝克里说：  “在他们对我们提供的服务感到放心之前，他们通常会觉得自我羞愧，一直要到我坐下来向他们解释，我们是要为他们服务，而且这里提供的各种服务都是保密的。”

Bekele said that helping immigrants who are fearful or sick can be often be taxing. “But the most gratifying part is seeing someone come in, thin as a rail and see them over time flourish, gain weight, be confident and see them smile,” he said.

贝克里说，尽管为那些感到害怕或生病的移民提供服务非常劳累，不过贝克里说： “最令人欣慰的是看到有人走进来的时候像一条栏杆那么瘦，但过一段时间后却脸色转好、体重增加，变得有自信，并且看到他们带着微笑还会开玩笑。那是最让人欣慰的部分。”

Help for Harlem, then the homeland

In 2003, Asfaha Hadera secured a small grant to take African Services Committee to Ethiopia. He opened a clinic in the capital's main open-air market. The facility is staffed by locals but run according to U.S. best practices, including transparency, accountability, and quality service.

2003年时，创始人阿斯法赫·哈德拉争取到一笔小数目资金，让非洲服务委员会能够到埃塞俄比亚。他在首都的主要露天市场设了一个诊疗处由当地人担任职工，不过依据美国的最佳程序来操作。

“All services [are] in one [place] so that the poor don’t have to hustle from one corner to another. Reproductive health is there. Family planning is there. Nutrition is there. Counseling and testing is there, and also treatment,” he said.

哈德拉说： “透明度、问责制、高品质服务。所有的服务都在一个地方，这样贫困的人就不用麻烦地从一个地方跑到另一个地方。生殖健康在这里，生育计划在这里，营养服务在这里，咨询和检验都在这里，还有治疗服务也在这里。”

ASC Program Director in Ethiopia Hana Woldegabriel said her group reaches out directly to clients, most of whom are poor.

埃塞俄比亚非洲服务委员会沃德加布里埃尔说：

"Most them live on the street and most of them are HIV positive… Also, they are kids, HIV positive kids, who have no one. They don’t have a father to support them,” she said.

“我们在这里直接服务顾客，我们的顾客里有非常贫穷的人。他们大多数露宿街头，大部分都有艾滋病毒。你知道我们提供这方面的服务。还有，他们也是孩子，感染艾滋病毒的孩子。他们没有亲人、没有父亲来养育他们。”

‘Save a life and save a world’

Today, ASC runs fully equipped clinics in five regions of Ethiopia. Hadera said the clinics are not only a blessing for residents of rural areas where health care is sparse, but also for himself and ASC’s growing staff.

非洲服务委员会如今在埃塞俄比亚5个地区设有完善设施的诊所。哈德拉说，这些诊所不但对医疗服务稀少的乡村地区是一件好事，对于他和非洲服务委员会逐渐增加的职工也是一件好事。

“I thought that one person might not make a difference, but the fact that, if you [are] born to it, if you [are] dedicated, if you are focused, if you are responsible, if you manage resources effectively, it comes [down] to the Jewish principle that, ‘if you save one life, you are saving the world.’”

哈德拉说： “我以为一个人或许无法改变什么，不过事实是你注定如此，如果你专心，如果你有目标，如果你愿意负责，如果你有效运用资源，那么结果就像犹太法则所说的，如果你能拯救一个生命，那么你就拯救了全世界。”