The work of FBOs began to emerge as a specific area of study and discussion in global
health, thirty years ago. Despite much work, repeated calls for more clarity, theoretical
frameworks, data and empirical evidence, there are still major gaps in knowledge, that
impede Africans, their Governments and the international community from making the best
choices to improve public health in Africa, especially in this era of HIV/AIDS .In Botswana,
the population is being ravaged daily, posing a serious developmental challenge .This study
investigated the responses of certain faith based ministries in the Kanye village, Botswana,
towards the disease. Cloud and Fire ministries was utilised as a case study. The study was
prompted by the observation that the faith community seemed to build wall of silence around
the disease with no sense of urgency to act, despite repeated calls by the government, for
multi-sectoral interventions .
The study utilised an ARHAP research framework, which recognises the role of religion in
health care, to argue that churches have intangible assets that can be useful in alleviating the
suffering caused by HIV/AIDS. The Walt and Gilson‟s policy triangle framework was
modified to replace actors with content in the middle, in order to explore how actors, process
and context interact to shape the policy content of FBOs.The study adopted a qualitative and
exploratory design. Data was collected through focus group discussions as well as in depth
interviews with some key informants. Data analysis was corroborated by research questions
that guided the study as well as the thematic areas that emerged .The literature review
revealed a wealth of intangible religious assets that can be utilised to alleviate the suffering
caused by HIV/AIDS, as well as how certain cultural elements and African health worlds can
influence the health seeking strategies of most Africans. The study Results confirmed that
Cloud and Fire ministry had not responded adequately to HIV/AIDS mainly due to stigma,
and lack of a mission statement for HIV/AIDS .It is hoped that this study will contribute to a
deeper understanding on how to engage effectively with FBOs, especially in scaling up care
initiatives for PLWHA and their carers.