If I kept it to myself - World YWCA

If
I
kept
it
to
young women intervene
in a world with AIDS
myself

Acknowledgements: We wish to thank UNAIDS for supporting this publication as well as all the
inspirational young women, without whom this book would not have been possible. This book was
compiled and documented by Kanjoo Mbaindjikua, with the support of Lourdes Saad Olivera and
Kaburo Kobia. It was edited by Michelle Beg and Sophie Dilmitis and designed by Barbara Robra.
Copyright: World YWCA, 2006

If
I
kept
it
to
young women intervene
in a world with AIDS
myself

If I kept it to myself
Contents
3 Foreword: Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, General Secretary, World YWCA
4 Introduction: Kanjoo Mbaindjikua, Project Coordinator
5 Glossary of Terms
7 Good practices in Action:
7 Advocacy
8 • Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga - Bolivia
12 • Pen Moni - Cambodia
15 • Lydia Rwechungura - Tanzania
17 • Sybil Olivera - Argentina
20 • Frika Chia Iskandar - Indonesia
23 Tool Box: Speak Out
24 Tool Box: Fund-raising
25 Education
26 • Vidah Bossa - Uganda
28 • Tuwilika Heita - Namibia
31 • Alejandra Bustos - Chile
33 • Nakibuule Sylvia- Uganda
37 • Nastassia Ladzik - Belarus
39 • Mphatso Tambala - Malawi
42 Tool Box: Share Knowledge
45 Care and Support
46 • Constance Shumba - Zimbabwe
49 • Florence Masuliya - Uganda
51 • Phumzile Ndlovu - South Africa
55 • Agnes Njeri Wanjiku - Kenya
57 • Mwelwa Chibuye - Zambia
59 Tool Box: Give a Helping Hand
61 Media and Communications
62 • Princess Kasune Zulu - Zambia
64 • Belinda Ngwadzai - Zimbabwe
67 • Joya Banerjee - USA
71 • Felicita Hikuam - Namibia
74 • Sophie Dilmitis - Zimbabwe
77 Tool Box: Attract Attention
79 Pioneers
80 • Asunta Wagura - Kenya
82 • Fikile Dlamini - Swaziland
85 • Trinh Thi Thuy Ngan - Vietnam
88 • Promise Mthembu - South Africa
91 • Emma Tuahepa-Kamapoha - Namibia
95 Tool Box: Start An Organisation
96 Young Women intervene in a world with AIDS
2

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Foreword
Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, General Secretary, World YWCA
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Junior once wrote that ‘THE ULTIMATE MEASURE OF HUMANITY
IS NOT WHERE IT STANDS IN THE TIME OF COMFORT BUT WHERE IT STANDS IN THE TIME
OF CHALLENGE, CRISIS AND TRAGEDY’.
Humankind has failed to adequately address the gross social and gender inequities that continue to
divide us. It is in times like these that not only our kindness and compassion are on trial but our basic
viability as a species.
Despite hardship and challenges, women around the globe are at the forefront of interventions and are
changing the course of the HIV and AIDS pandemic through hard work and unwavering commitment.
Driven by their strength, some young women living with HIV have dedicated their lives to improving the
status of people living with HIV and AIDS in their communities and countries.
All YWCA programmes empower women and girls. Being independent and having a voice enables
them to take responsibility for their own lives and to provide leadership in response to HIV and AIDS.
The current statistics on the HIV pandemic and the fact that women, especially young women and
girls, are disproportionately affected by poverty and HIV and AIDS, were a wake-up call for the YWCA.
Since the early 1990s HIV and AIDS have been a priority in many YWCAs. With sexual and
reproductive health and HIV and AIDS programmes now operating in over 60 countries, health
programmes and community education strategies have been adapted to bring HIV and AIDS to the
forefront of YWCA advocacy work at all levels. The World YWCA Global Strategy on HIV and AIDS
provides the framework for these activities.
Our overall goal of educating women and girls around the world on HIV prevention methods and
offering skills and tools to women already infected with HIV promote their lives to be healthier, longer
and more productive. The YWCA believes that by providing safe places for open discussion around
sex and sexuality, we contribute towards women in particular and people in general to regard HIV
as a virus that we are all learning to live with, rather than seeing it as a punishment based on moral
judgements.
Much has been done but there is still a long way to go. Our focus must therefore remain unshakable,
and it is thanks to the relentless efforts of women such as the ones in this book, that the candle of
hope continues to burn.
Through this publication, the World YWCA and its partners highlight and honour these women leaders
of the world. Whether they are care-givers, heads of households, peer supporters, educators, founders
of organisations or ambassadors of hope, they have done all of this without asking for any reward
and most of them in the face of great adversity. Through hard work they are making changes and
alleviating the pain of women and girls infected and affected by HIV and AIDS and their communities
across the globe.
The World YWCA is a founding member of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS. As a member
of the Leadership Council of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, I wish to acknowledge their
support in publishing this book.
3

If I kept it to myself
Introduction
Kanjoo Mbaindjikua, Project Coordinator
Statistics clearly show that young women and girls are highly affected by the AIDS pandemic. While
the situation is serious, young women are by no means idly hoping for better days. At the YWCA,
we are seeing another type of response. This response is unique and challenging, and gives the
word courage a new, humbling meaning as we see young women treading upon grounds that many
only dream or dare talk about. Young women are the drivers and implementers of policies and
programmes, which are reaching out and touching lives and communities.
The World YWCA has documented these inspiring stories to highlight how young women are working
to alleviate the suffering caused by HIV and AIDS. However, this is not just story telling but a tool for
empowerment. We want other young people, and the not so young, to benefit from lessons learnt by
these courageous young activists. Whatever your background, age and social environment, you will be
inspired to take action.
In the pages that follow, you will meet young women from all over the world, who have shaken their
communities as peer counsellors and educators, as care givers, and as people living openly with
HIV and AIDS; giving hope to many and promoting a humanistic response to the pandemic. Other
young women are simply using their professional skills to create tools and platforms for dialogue and
empowerment.
From Bolivia to Zambia, “If I kept it to myself” is inspired by the work that has been documented in
this book. “It is our task to seek safety for our children not in quiet denial but in effective action. We
must break this silence now to save our children, our nation and the world at large,” to quote Asunta
Wagura, one of the pioneers recognised in this book. If these women remained silent and did nothing,
many of us would not be here today. We would not be inspired to take action or admit that HIV and
AIDS is something we can talk about and do something about.
With our focus on young women, we are not seeking to limit leadership only to the young but rather
to document the different ways in which leadership is being provided by those who are most affected.
From our experiences as one of the oldest and largest women’s organisations in the world, we are
bringing a non-traditional profile of leadership that comes from the heart of the community and takes
many forms.
In this book, leadership can be found in small gestures such as approaching national leaders to join
activities to recognise HIV and AIDS work in communities and to destigmatise the disease. It can also
be found in caring for a loved one, reuniting estranged families and burying friends who die of AIDS
with dignity and respect. Leadership is also about spreading messages of prevention, care, support
and respect for the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as women and children. The list
is endless but the goal is one: to alleviate the suffering and bring an end to the shame and guilt that
comes with living with HIV and AIDS.
The stories are clustered according to themes, which are followed by tool boxes on what each one of
us can do to bring about change in our own community. We encourage you to share this publication
with your colleagues, your family and your friends. Let it be a book that you can read to your children
to start a discussion and be a reference on how to engage in HIV and AIDS activities. “If I kept it to
myself» is an important history of the courageous steps and hard work of young women intervening in
a world with HIV and AIDS. It should motivate us all to action.
4

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Glossary of Terms
ACT
AIDS Care Trust
ALU
AIDS Law Unit
AMAG African Microbicides Advocacy Group
AFFESS-OVC African Extended Family Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
APN+ Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS
ARV
Anti-Retroviral Treatment
AYINET Africa Youth Initiative Network
CCM Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism
CCN
Council of Churches in Namibia
CBOs Community Based Organisations
CCM Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism, Malawi.
CD4 Count a measure of immune system status
CGJ
Columbia Global Justice
CPN+ Cambodian People Living with HIV and AIDS Network
CRP
Community Review Panel for the Collaborative Fund
CSWs Commercial Sex Workers
DART Development of Anti-Retroviral Therapy
GCWA Global Coalition on Women and AIDS
GIPA Greater Involvement of People living with HIV and AIDS
GNP+ Global Network of People living with HIV and AIDS
GYCA Global Youth Coalition on HIV and AIDS
GYP
Global Youth Partners Initiative
HBC
Home Based Care
HIPCs The world’s 50 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIVAN HIV and AIDS Networking
ICW
International Community of Women living with HIV and AIDS
IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
INE
Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas
IVF
International Video Fair
IYP
International Youth Parliament
KANHNHA Kandal Provincial Plha Network
KENWA Kenya Network of Women With Aids
MANASO Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organisations
MANET+ Malawi Network of People living with HIV and AIDS
MDGs UN Millennium Development Goals
MFMC My Future Is My Choice
MHAPI Mtojane HIV and AIDS Prevention Initiative
MTCT Mother to Child Transmission
NAEC National AIDS Executive Committee
NAMACOC Namibia Multi-Sectoral HIV and AIDS Coordinating Committee
NANASO Namibia Network of AIDS Service Organisations
NANSO Namibia National Students’ Organisation
NAPWA National Association of People living with HIV and AIDS
NGO Non governmental Organisation
5

If I kept it to myself
NYP+
NZP+
OIs
OIYP
OVC
OXFAM
PEPFAR
PITA
PLWHA
PMTCT
PWAD
PWH
PWHO
RAC
REDBOL
REDLA
REPSSI
SASO
SRR
STI
TAC
TASC
TASO
TB
UNAIDS
UNFPA
UNICEF
UNIFEM
UYP
VCT
WCC
WHO
YPLA
YWD
ZNPP+
Network of Young People living with HIV and AIDS
Network of Zambian People living with HIV and AIDS
Opportunistic Infections
Oxfam International Youth Parliament
Orphans and Vulnerable Children Care Programme
Oxford Committee for Famine Relief
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Support group for parents who have HIV positive children
People Living With HIV and AIDS
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission
Positive Women in Action and Development
Parliamentary leadership for Women’s Health
Positive Women of Hope Organisation
Regional Advisory Committee on Access to Treatment
Bolivian Network of PLWHA
Latin-American Network of PLWHA
Regional Psychological Support Initiative
Swaziland AIDS Support Organisation
Sexual and reproductive rights
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Treatment Action Campaign
The AIDS Information Support Centre
The AIDS Support Organisation
Tuberculosis
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS
United Nations Fund for Population Activities
United Nations Children’s Fund
United Nations Development Fund for Women
Uganda Youth Positives
Voluntary Counselling and Testing
World Council of Churches
World Health Organisation
Young Positive Living Ambassadors
Young Women’s Dialogue
Zimbabwe Network for People Living with HIV and AIDS
6

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Advocacy
7

If I kept it to myself
Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga
God had prepared a loving church that supported
my family and me from the moment they knew
about my HIV status.
I am Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga, a 28-year-old
woman from Bolivia living with HIV. I was born
into a protestant family. My father is a spiritual
leader; both my father and mother have founded
churches in Bolivia.
I went to church every Sunday but my heart
was far from God. While at university, I began to
drink alcohol and hung out with people who used
to smoke marijuana and take drugs. My family
suffered a lot during this time because they were
worried about the people I had made friends with;
they felt that they were a bad influence on me.
They could not understand how I was able to
make poor decisions to go out with these people.
This was not how they had brought me up.
In church, and from my family, I learned that I had
to remain a virgin until I got married. My parents
wanted me to marry someone from the church,
but I chose to date boys outside of the church
and started having sex with them. I knew about
the severe risks of becoming pregnant outside
of marriage and I knew what shame this would
bring my father, especially since he was such a
prestigious leader within the church. No one in
the church spoke to me about sex or sexuality
and all the problems that these issues raised. I
had to find information on my own.
At that time I did not realise how much at risk I
was of actually contracting HIV. I do not know
how long I could have kept living this kind of life.
I did not care about anything, neither my parents’
suffering nor my family’s credibility within the
church. I just wanted to do as I pleased.
8
My sister would help me sneak out of the house
to go drinking. One night I got home late but she

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
had not been home to read the note asking her to
open up for me at 2:30 am. I decided to look for
her in a pub she used to hang out in. I was really
drunk and did not realise that two men were
following me. They attacked me and dragged me
to an alleyway where they both raped me. I was
eighteen years old.
I could not believe this was happening to me, I
was so close to home. I felt my heart was being
destroyed. I was a child of God; I thought that he
had a duty to protect me. I told my older sister
what had happened but didn’t tell my parents. I
did not want to see them suffer. I was traumatised
for a long time. I would not let any man near me.
Even though I had experienced great pain with
this assault, it did not change my lifestyle. I used
to think that nothing worse could happen now, so
why should I care, I had already ruined my life.
It was in March 2000, when I had an infection
that would not heal, that I went to hospital for
tests. I was tested for many different illnesses
including HIV. When the HIV test came back HIV
positive, I could not believe it. I had not had more
sexual partners than most of my school friends.
I was simply a girl from university discovering
her sexuality. I never injected drugs and I was
not a sex worker. My first thought was how to tell
my parents. What was going to happen to me?
When was I going to die? How could I face the
people and their prejudices about AIDS? How
could I ever tell people from church that I was
HIV positive?
I decided to tell my parents even though I thought
that they would throw me out of the house. I
wrote them a letter and sent it with my sister
while I was staying at a friend’s house. If my
parents rejected me, life would not be worth
living. I went to see them afterwards. I will never
forget their tear stained faces. They had one
question written all over their faces: why did this
happen to our child?
My family did not reject me but received me with
open arms, and told me they did not want to know
what happened, they just wanted to be with me
and support me until the last day. This love was
just one of the gifts God has prepared for me.
In 2000 there were hardly any campaigns
in Bolivia on HIV prevention. The majority
of the population did not know the means of
transmission of HIV, nor basic ways of preventing
infection. Because of this lack of knowledge
and information, they stigmatised people living
with HIV and AIDS. I realised that if I were to
survive in Bolivia, I would need to fight against
the stigma and discrimination. To do this, it was
necessary to become a leader. I decided to
speak openly about my experience of living with
HIV and as a survivor of sexual violence so as
to make the population see that people living
with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) are the same as
everybody else. All my work since 2000 has been
in a volunteering capacity. I began my campaign
close to home - at my church.
My family and I decided to tell the church about
my HIV status. We were frightened of being
expelled. We prayed a lot but I must confess,
we did not trust God. We chose one Sunday
to tell the church. From the moment I stood up
to speak, I could not stop the tears. I was so
remorseful for causing pain, for being a bad
testimony for my church, for the shame I brought
to my whole family.
9

If I kept it to myself
God had prepared a loving church that supported
my family and me from the moment they knew
about my HIV status. My dear brothers and
sisters pray for me every week, asking God that
I finally be healed. They support me during my
trips to workshops and lectures by praying and
sustaining my family with words of hope. This
church that I love is a gift from God.
In September 2002, I was invited to a conference
on HIV and AIDS in Chiang Mai, Thailand. There
I met Leah Mutala, an African woman working as
a volunteer taking care of children orphaned by
AIDS. She taught me that God takes care of the
widowed and orphaned.
Together with our male counterparts, we began
the Bolivian network of PLWHA (REDBOL) in
2002. I am also a member of the International
Community of Women living with HIV and AIDS
(ICW) Bolivia. Since I completed my Bachelor’s
degree, I have been writing publications and
giving lectures on gender issues and the plight of
PLWHA. I also advocate and facilitate workshops
on HIV and AIDS as a consultant and researcher.
The terrible injustices affecting PLWHA in my
country, especially against women, encouraged
me to get involved. The most important fight
I have committed to is universal access to
Antiretroviral treatment (ARV). Medication is
not readily available in Bolivia. The other fight I
started was for gender equality in HIV and AIDS
leadership, particularly calling for the support and
involvement of women living with HIV and AIDS
in decisions that affect their lives.
Through REDBOL, we brought a case to court
against the Bolivian State in the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights asking for ARVs for 52
10
PLWHA who signed a petition. At the time, the
Ministry of Health decided who would be involved
with the distribution of ARVs. They did not have
any PLWHA on their committee, which led to
secrecy and bias in the selection of candidates.
They now have four PLWHA on their committee
of 30. Since then many more PLWHA have joined
the campaign for access to ARVs.
I was invited to give a speech at the closing
ceremony of the 2004 International AIDS
Conference in Bangkok. There, I had the
opportunity to challenge my fellow delegates; I
said we would not relax until there is universal
access to ARVs. I talked about the reality in
my country and the gender inequality that is
fuelling the HIV pandemic. I stressed that we
should address gender inequality and ensure the
universal access to education for girls.
In Latin America, the majority of PLWHA are
men who have sex with men. At the beginning
of my campaign it was very difficult to break
the barriers put up by men in power and to
demand a space for women. Some leaders were
determined to put up obstacles to our attempts
to include HIV positive women in decision
and policy making. With the help of important
networks like ICW, we finally managed to get
women involved at all levels. Today there are
visible changes regarding PLWHA. There are
more women involved in leadership and this
makes a difference since women know best
the needs of other women. This fight is for the
inclusion of HIV positive women, not only in
the community but also in government. Finding
people who specialise in women and AIDS and
in issues affecting HIV positive women is our
most difficult goal.

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
In 2004, I got financial support from HIVOS to
prepare the first meeting of ICW in Bolivia. It was
a historic moment because women found strength
when they came together. Up to that time, HIV
positive women were separated and afraid, and
it was difficult for women to access financial
resources. At that meeting I shared my vision for
HIV positive women’s leadership and encouraged
others to do the same. I am not the only HIV
positive woman in this fight; many others around
the world are fighting for the same objectives.
In 2005, with friends from ICW, I got support from
UNAIDS for a training project for HIV positive
women in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and
Venezuela. In counselling groups, we show the
important role of the family in helping PLWHA to
react to an HIV positive diagnosis.
After receiving a HIV positive diagnosis, I looked
for God again. He gave me freedom from blame
and shame. I found peace, forgiveness, hope and
eternal life. The Lord had a mission for my life,
despite my mistakes. I asked for forgiveness and I
gave God what I still had of my broken life.
Together with other colleagues, we set up a selfhelp
group for PLWHA. We work as volunteers on
prevention, advocacy, assistance for those who
are ill, and information for families, community
based organisations and the government. The Pan
American Health Organisation has referred to us
as a “successful experience on HIV and AIDS”.
I am now a public speaker on HIV and AIDS and,
as a leader of REDBOL, I appear on television
very often calling for the need for all women and
girls to have access to the information and the
means necessary to protect them from HIV and
AIDS.
ICW has delegated me to work with the World
Council of Churches (WCC) to promote the
greater involvement of PLWHA (GIPA) in religious
leadership and activities. I have also been
chosen by the Latin-American Network of PLWHA
(REDLA) to represent civil society at meetings. I
was invited to participate in the Global Coalition
of Women and AIDS (GCWA), a UNAIDS
initiative of which I am a founding member.
I am in the process of mentoring another young
woman to take over the leadership of ICW
Bolivia. It is very difficult because in my country
the needs are tremendous and women have to
maintain a paying job while doing advocacy. I
believe that we should continue to advocate for
ARVs and an end to discrimination and gender
inequality.
Born: 1977
Country: Bolivia
Organisations: REDBOL
(Bolivian network of
PLWHA); International
Community of Women
Living with HIV and
AIDS (ICW)
Campaigns for:
Universal access
to ARV and gender
equality
11

If I kept it to myself
Pen Moni
Being a young woman living with HIV, I have committed
to make things happen and improve the conditions of
our lives, even if it takes a long time.
I am the second child in a family of five children.
My parents were poor farmers, and always
fought. When I was seven years old, my dad took
a new wife and would drink and hit my mother.
Every day, I would wonder why he treated her so
badly; my mother was a woman, not an animal!
When I was nine, my father raped me and
threatened to hurt me more, should I tell anyone.
I never told my mum but tried to tell my brother,
although he could not fully understand what I was
saying as he has a disability.
In 2001, I married a good man who was working
for the immigration department. We planned
to have three children and bring up a family in
a nice little house in the countryside. In 2002,
we both tested for HIV and the results were
HIV positive. We promised to take good care of
ourselves, because we needed to do things for
others who were infected and affected by HIV
and AIDS, in particular women. I don’t want to
see the rest suffer because of HIV and AIDS. I
know how it feels.
12
In 2000, I joined Oxfam Hong Kong and
the Womyn’s Agenda for Change Project in
Cambodia, as an assistant to the Sex Workers’
Empowerment Programme. People believed sex
workers to be bad, and not worthy of the dignity
of the rest of society. I knew that we should not
stigmatise against this group. They are women
and if we isolate them, they will remain vulnerable
to HIV and AIDS and other issues.
During that period, sex workers faced many
problems including stigma, lack of power
to negotiate condom use with clients and
harassment, and their health status meant an
end of income from brothel owners. Mostly, they

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
lacked information on HIV, AIDS and human
rights. As a programme assistant, I supported the
development of the Women’s Network for Unity
and I was responsible for building the capacity
of and mentoring the Network, facilitating
workshops in areas such as strategies for
working with sex workers, leadership, negotiation,
facilitation, communication, information on HIV
and AIDS and women’s empowerment. For
three years, I worked with sex workers, gay men
and lesbian women. I came to understand their
situation well, earning their trust and enjoying my
work with them.
In my volunteer time, I am now a Consultative
Board Member of the Positive Women of
Hope Organisation (PWHO), the first group
in Cambodia to provide support by and for
women living with HIV and AIDS in Cambodia.
I joined this group because they can make
a change and improve the quality of life of
women, and address gender and HIV and
AIDS issues. My responsibility with the PWHO
is to seek appropriate funding for them and to
provide technical support for sustaining and
strengthening the group. I spend my weekends
working with PWHO. I am also on the Advisory
Committee of KANHNHA, a community based
organisation of men having sex with men. My
role is the same as the one with PWHO. I usually
attend their meetings once a month.
My work as a HIV and AIDS Junior Programme
Officer for the Policy Project is to work with
the Technical Advisor and Senior Programme
Officer to build the capacity of organisations for
PLWHA, including the Cambodian People Living
with HIV and AIDS Network (CPN+) and Vithey
Chivit NGO in order to strengthen their networks
and members on advocacy, public speaking and
access to treatment.
In Cambodia, it is estimated that one in 52
people are infected with HIV yet the level of
involvement of these people in HIV and AIDS
policy-making processes is limited. Moreover,
they experience stigma and discrimination, lack
access to information on treatment, education
and services, and have low income generating
activities and high unemployment. In addition, the
commitment from NGOs, donors and government
to the greater involvement of PLWHA (GIPA) is
low and access to medical treatment is limited to
the provinces.
Being a young woman living with HIV, I have
committed to make things happen and improve
the conditions of our lives, even if it takes a
13

If I kept it to myself
long time. Currently, I am working to strengthen
the capacity of people living with HIV and AIDS
to improve their lives and raise their voices in
advocacy for their rights. In doing this, I am vocal
in public, calling on government, the community
and different groups to join in response to the
pandemic, and end stigma and discrimination
against people living with HIV and AIDS.
Currently I am also a member of the Community
Review Panel (CRP) for the Collaborative Fund
and the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) on
Access to Treatment, which is responsible for
developing priorities and guidelines for funding
across the regions.
I am involved in many community initiatives and
advocacy activities at home. And since 2001, I
also work as a consultant on trafficking, women
and child development, gender and resources,
condom use, the media and many other issues.
I have told all my family including cousins, nieces,
nephews, aunts and uncles about my HIV status
and what I expect from them. They are supportive
in my work and encourage me to remain healthy
and continue with my commitment.
I am working very hard to see the involvement
of people living with HIV and AIDS. For the
upcoming International AIDS Conference
2006 in Toronto, Canada, I have submitted a
proposal to the organising committee to invite
potential donors for a closed door meeting with
representatives of PLWHA around the world. The
main purpose is to explore their commitment to
GIPA.
14
Born: 1980
Country: Cambodia
Organisation:
KANHNHA and
Positive Women of
Hope Organisation
Campaigns for:
empowerment of sex
workers and PLWHA;
greater involvement
of PLWHA

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Lydia Rwechungura
Being young, we can make a difference and change the
world. Life has to go on and we have to show it!
I got married in 2000 and became pregnant
in 2001. In the second month of pregnancy, I
attended an unfriendly antenatal clinic and was
not convinced to test for HIV. In 2002, I gave
birth to my daughter and breastfed her. At that
time, I was beginning to have AIDS symptoms,
especially on my skin. I asked my husband to
go for testing. He refused and we continued
to have sex without using protection. After a
while, I told him that if he did not go with me for
testing, I would stop having sex with him. He
finally accepted and, together with our child, we
went for HIV testing. The following week, the
counsellor informed us that my daughter and I
tested HIV positive, and my husband tested HIV
negative. He was told to return for another test
after three months.
Since that day, my husband changed completely;
he moved out of our bedroom and refused to eat
the food I prepared. He told all of his relatives
in Dar es Salaam that I was HIV positive, and
that I knew my HIV status before and wanted to
deliberately kill him. As if that was not enough,
he then came with his sister demanding to know
who the father of our daughter was, as it could
not possibly be him, considering his status.
My husband went on stigmatising me and then
I became ill and was admitted to hospital. I was
retested for my CD4 count and found out that
I had only six CD4 cells. From the hospital, my
relatives took me to the family house to care for
me, but after a while my husband said he wanted
me back home, as he too could take good care
of me. I refused, and his relatives reminded us
that they had paid a dowry for him to marry me
through good and bad times, and that according
to our traditions and culture I belonged to him.
15

If I kept it to myself
I had no choice but to return. Things got worse
and I developed a fungus in my body; even my
heart was surrounded by tuberculosis (TB) fluid.
Back at the hospital, I told the doctor of my life at
home and pleaded with him to admit me for three
months to regain my strength. The doctor told my
relatives what was happening, so they talked to
my husband and took my daughter.
While in hospital, I recalled everything about my
life and realised that instead of getting support,
a woman can struggle at the hands of someone
she loves. I thought if a young woman of my
education who knows her rights can face stigma
like this, what about those who are not educated,
well off and do not know their rights? We women
do not have the power to refuse sex when we
do not want it. I prayed and promised God that
when I regained my strength, I would use my
experience and stand up for the rights of women
and girls.
I had spiritual counselling and forgave my
husband, but I knew that we could no longer live
together. I found a house and informed him that
we would be leaving in a few days. I have since
started a new life with my daughter, Iman, and we
are both on ARV medication.
With the advice and assistance of a lawyer, I
initially filed for separation, and after a year I will
be able to proceed with a divorce. I also got full
custody of my daughter. The lawyer also advised
me to prepare my will to identify a guardian for
her in the event of my death.
I am now a counsellor for different groups and
networks of people living with HIV and AIDS and
faith based organisations (churches and Muslim
groups). I am a Coordinator for the Network of
Young People living with HIV and AIDS (NYP+)
and the Association of HIV and AIDS activists in
Tanzania. I do home based care in partnership
with networks of widows and disabled women
living with HIV and AIDS.
With the Tanzanian Government Ministries and
the private sector, I facilitate HIV and AIDS
training in the workplace. With assistance from
peers who are living openly with HIV, we are
planning outreach to commercial sex workers
and other marginalised groups with the aim to
creating awareness on HIV and AIDS.
I organise a group of young women and girls
living with HIV and AIDS, and link them to
primary, secondary schools and the university,
initiating discussion of peers about HIV and
16
AIDS. Young women particularly struggle from
cultural upbringing, and families leave their
children to go out and learn sexuality issues
from the world. There is a myth that education
encourages young people to engage in sexual
activities.
Poverty makes young women anxious to have
better things. In Tanzania we have a situation
where girls and young women in schools and
university are being courted with the promise
of a better life. Some families benefit financially
from these relationships. I realise that the trust
built in these relationships keeps young women
from demanding safer sex. The rationale is that
if men are able to provide for them, they would
not do them harm. Among the students, I more
particularly work with five young women living
with HIV and AIDS who have been a source
of information to me in terms of their personal
experiences.
I am now working with the International
Community of Women living with HIV and
AIDS (ICW) as an Officer for the Parliamentary
leadership for Women’s Health (PWH) project
in Tanzania. One of my responsibilities is to link
HIV positive women to other agencies, partners
and parliamentarians, as may be appropriate
to enhance HIV and AIDS responses. This job
enables me to reach more people in different
regions and fulfil my goal of assisting women
and girls living with HIV and AIDS to benefit from
health services and be represented in policy
issues.
Being young, we can make a difference and
change the world. Let us as young women join
hands in different countries and make an impact
on HIV and AIDS. Life has to go on and we
have to show it, so stand up and move your faith
forward; put it into action. We can do it!
Born: 1976
Country: Tanzania
Organisation: Network of
Young People living with
HIV and AIDS (NYP+);
Association of HIV and
AIDS Activists; ICW
Tanzania
Campaigns for: HIV
awareness and access
to health services for
PLWHA

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Sibyl Olivera
... the only way to reach the community in an efficient
way is through the work of many people in an
organised way.
I am the daughter of a long serving member of the YWCA, so from my cradle I have been a part of
its activities and at the age of twelve I started to actively participate. As one of the first members of
YWCA La Banda, Santiago del Estero, I was selected to be a delegate to the Federation of YWCAs
in Argentina, and later, the youth vice-president. Currently, I am the youth coordinator of a project on
sexual and reproductive health and HIV and AIDS.
My parents are both doctors and since my teenage years, HIV and AIDS were words known to me.
However, what I thought I knew was completely different from reality. In the beginning, it was a disease
transmitted through sexual relations and related to homosexuals, and therefore posed no threat to my
family.
In 1990 at the age
of sixteen, I met Lisa
Martyn, a member
of the YWCA of
Brazil, who came
to La Banda to give
presentations in
secondary schools
about HIV and AIDS.
During that time,
every issue relating in
any way to sex was
raised. It was in these
discussions that I
learnt that AIDS was
not just of concern to
homosexuals; we are
all at risk of infection
if exposed to it,
including the rich, the
poor, homosexuals,
heterosexuals, men,
women, adults,
children and even
newborn babies.
17

If I kept it to myself
From this point on, I developed an interest in HIV and AIDS. It is a threat to the life of my community,
simply because methods of HIV transmission and prevention are unknown to us, making true the cruel
saying that ‘ignorance kills’.
We knew at the YWCA La Banda that the fight would be difficult; not only did we not receive support
from the Government, but also any NGO sexual education programme was considered suspicious. In
1998, we began a project supported by the World YWCA’s Women and Development Fund, to train
facilitators and community leaders to establish a business enterprise that is collectively owned and
managed for joint economic benefits in neighbourhoods of La Banda. This training had modules
on education, business entrepreneurship, health and sanitation, including HIV, AIDS, and legal
rights, which was the one I coordinated. The project mainly targeted people living in the poorest
neighbourhoods in our community, where public initiatives pay little attention to their needs. These
communities face many challenges, but we had courage and determination to bring about change.
For many participants, the issue of HIV and AIDS was completely unknown and for this reason, difficult
to handle. However, it was a big surprise for me to learn that some of my students were HIV positive.
It was then that I could understand the grief of a person living with HIV and that of their family; grief
that is spread from the embarrassment to the helplessness caused by not knowing where to go for
assistance, and the only certain thing being that it was a death sentence.
Witnessing the link between many social issues, we were inspired by this project to implement
another one in 2004 on reproductive health and HIV and AIDS. The World YWCA also financed this
project, which is carried
out by adolescents
for adolescents, with
the full guidance of
the professionals
that form the
interdisciplinary panel.
I am part of this
panel and serve as a
facilitator. The group
of 15 young women
goes to different
schools, public and
private, where they
give their presentation
on reproductive
health to adolescents
between 13-16, and
a more complex
presentation, which
includes HIV and
AIDS, to teenagers
between 16-20. There
is a module dealing
with prevention and
treatment of HIV
and AIDS, as well
as an orientation to
places of assistance.
Through our work in
local neighbourhoods
we have been able to
get through to the core
of families.
18

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
I am a lawyer by profession and my job will
always be to advocate for the common well being
of communities through electoral politics. I was
a political candidate in more than one election,
speaking always in my political platform about
education, prevention and the treatment of HIV
and AIDS.
I am committed to work on HIV because, by
preventing infections, we may save a life, and
saving a life is the first step to saving the entire
world. I also want to promote research to find a
cure or at least medicines that make the lives of
people infected by the virus better.
I will always be in debt to my mother, Dr.
Fernanda Acevedo and my sister Dr. Claudia
Olivera, not only because they shaped the path
I am following, but also because they offered
their experiences to help me avoid many
bad ones. In many ways they have been my
‘inspiring muses’ and I will always aspire to be
like them; extremely upright women, loving and
just mothers, and committed professionals.
The incommensurable love I have always
received helped me to have high self-esteem
and objectives. However, the simplicity of that
love allowed me to see that my vocation of
mother and head of the family were ways to find
happiness. It is through this combined profile
of a professional and a mother that I feel like a
complete woman. Today, they remain my guides
and are the two people who support me in the
most difficult moments.
I feel a lot of satisfaction when I meet people
from my community on the street and they stop
me, greeting me with great fondness. Sometimes
I do not remember their faces and they tell me
that they were my students in the YWCA project.
They always comment on how good things are in
the cooperatives that were created through our
first project, which now provides the main income
source for all of them.
Every time we go to schools and talk about
reproductive health and HIV and AIDS, all the
members of this project get excited to see how
these boys and girls open their minds and
their hearts to our message. This project is an
everyday accomplishment because it is the fruit
of a lot of work, time and passion.
From the YWCA I received much training when
I was one of the delegates to the Federation
of YWCAs, and at university, in the Faculty of
Law, we are trained to have a critical opinion
as well as to help create and promote social
changes.
I strongly believe that the only way to reach
the community effectively is through the work
of many people, carried out in an organised
way. Every person has a different attitude,
and a leader is the one able to recognise and
coordinate all these qualities. A leader not
only influences the life of those who work with
her but also reaches the community through
them.
In the YWCA La Banda, there are several young
people whom I mentor and with whom I enjoy a
good relationship. My age allows me to be the
link between older women and young women,
articulating activities by understanding what they
expect from each other. Our trainings are open to
all women who want to be part of our work, and I
have found many teenage girls who are eager for
knowledge and are just waiting for someone to
guide them towards their own destiny, working in
the community.
The HIV and AIDS project I am working on is a
YWCA project, although we do network with other
NGOs and with the Government. In Santiago del
Estero, the challenges are substantial: poverty,
ignorance and fear. The only way to overcome
these is to have a strong objective in a group.
From my experience, there are many things that
can be achieved when many people give support
to one another.
Born: 1975
Country: Argentina
Organisation: YWCA La Banda
Campaigns for: HIV prevention and treatment;
reproductive health education
19

If I kept it to myself
Frika Chia Iskandar
At the time, I did not know anything. All I knew
was shame, but now I am here to save lives.
Mostly because of peer pressure, at the age of
16, in my native Jakarta, Indonesia, I started
sharing heroin using hypodermic needles with
drug users who thought it was ‘cool’. When I
was 18 years old, I went into rehabilitation in
the Harapan Permata Hati Kita Foundation in
the Bogor region, which provides detoxification,
counselling, and therapy for young drug users.
Before I went into rehabilitation, I was treated
in one of the private hospitals in Jakarta. While
unconscious and undergoing detoxification in
the hospital, the doctor tested me for HIV and
Hepatitis C. It came out that I was co-infected.
I returned home. It was a horrible experience,
as I did not receive any information about HIV.
All I felt was fear, uselessness and anger. Not
long after that I was lucky to find a place, which
accepts drug users who are HIV positive for
rehabilitation, because there are many centres
in Indonesia that do not. It is here that I became
active in the peer self support group and learnt a
lot about HIV, Hepatitis C and drug use.
At the time, I didn’t know anything. All I knew was
shame, but now I’m here to save lives. Now I
feel that I can be something and useful for other
people again. I believe that by helping other
people, I am helping myself too.
Shortly after my rehabilitation, I joined the
Indonesia PLWHA (people living with HIV and
AIDS) Network and worked at the Spiritia
Foundation, which is the secretariat of the
network, as a field manager until the beginning
of this year. Spiritia is a non-governmental
organisation that has been working with and
for people living with HIV and AIDS since 1995.
It pioneered the creation of such a network in
20
Indonesia, and its vision is to provide quality care
and support, while respecting the human rights
of PLWHA in Indonesia. Spiritia is supporting the
involvement of PLWHA by organising training,
resources and information; this is tremendously
important in a country as large and diverse as
Indonesia.
Initially I experienced discrimination from
my family. They might have freaked out and
discriminated against me at home, but I came
to understand that it was out of fear and
lack of information. I believe that parents will
always accept their children no matter what the
situation. There is no such thing as an ex-child
or former child. And in 2003 we started PITA, a
support group for parents who have HIV positive
children. This is another peer approach that I
find really helpful. Parents also need to share
their feelings and experiences.
I do not live in the same house as them anymore,
as I am now married and we have our own home,
but we live in the same city.
I am now active with the PITA foundation, which
was officially registered in mid 2005. It carries
out support activities for PLWHA and affected
communities (including parents who have HIV
positive children, husbands, wives, brothers,
sisters) because I know that HIV positive people
should not live alone, as we need support and
love from our family and friends, and they need
support too. Using the peer prevention approach,
PITA also involves student volunteers from
university. The students develop information and
education communication material and write
newspaper articles. PITA’s activities include
counselling, providing buddy support systems

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
for treatment, and hospital referrals. We also
provide HIV and AIDS field training, on a oneon-one
basis, and home based care training
and assistance to families. We did not have
our own place for our programmes, but we did
get a space in the UNAIDS office to be able to
operate. Being a new and small organisation
with a large outreach, we are also challenged by
limited human resources. To address some of
these issues, we make ribbons and necklaces as
a way to raise funds and pay for the volunteers’
transport. Now we rent a very small space. Even
though it is small it is our own space.
With funds from the Asia Pacific Leadership
Foundation, PITA and Spiritia held a national
workshop for 35 HIV positive women from 10
provinces in September 2005. This was the first
workshop, which involved all women. It was
initiated by four women and we agreed to start
a national network for women living with HIV
and AIDS in Indonesia. We are planning to call it
Ikatan Perempuan Positif Indonesia (IPPI), and
are hoping that it will soon become a reality.
I got married in February 2005 to a man I love
and who is willing to accept me as I am. He
is HIV negative and we went through a lot of
challenges together. I’m grateful that he is always
with me to face difficult situations. He is a great
support to me in my work on drug use and HIV
and AIDS, and he helped me to register the PITA
foundation.
I am here today doing this work thanks to
the support I get from everyone around me. I
21

If I kept it to myself
started with the support group, and have been
developing skills and organisations along the
way. In March 2002, I was appointed as the
Indonesian representative for APN+ (Asia Pacific
Network of PLWHA), for three years, and also
selected as a co-chair. I am also a board member
of the Global Network of PLWHA representing
the Asia Pacific region, and have become an
advocate for PLWHA, especially for women in
the region. I am more outspoken outside my
country as it is easier, and my parents are not
yet ready, as they are afraid that it will affect their
business. Despite this, they are very supportive
of my work at home and abroad. It was not easy
at first because of my lack of confidence, but with
training at conferences and other platforms, I
became a speaker. I pay my bills by working part
time and saving on per diems received from my
work travels.
Drug use is the driving factor behind the
increasing HIV prevalence in Indonesia. This
makes our work challenging as families stop
coming to the support group when children
relapse into drug use. Until children are okay,
families are ashamed to come back to the group.
The other problem is that elders do not want to
listen to youth because they believe they have
more experience. The greater involvement of
PLWHA is therefore about involving the affected
community as well. This is why we have to focus
on developing the knowledge of parents about
HIV and AIDS and challenges facing youth.
The Global Coalition on Women and AIDS
(GCWA) is a good initiative because it focuses
on all regions of the world, not only Africa. I
was involved in the US women visits before
with another three women from other regions
in raising awareness for women and AIDS. We
have to continue building it, speaking out and
engaging women for it to be known at country
levels. Similarly, the UNICEF campaign Unite
for Children, Unite Against AIDS is crucial, and
has a strong link to what the GCWA wants to
accomplish, as you cannot separate women
from children. I represented young women of
reproductive age at the launch. It is true that
children are the missing face of AIDS, even
paediatric treatment is lacking. I am now working
as a consultant in helping UNICEF in Indonesia
for the Global Campaign on Children and AIDS,
‘Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS’
Occasionally I have been denied medical care
and may face discrimination at home once I
disclose my status. But I am still standing here. I
am a new face of HIV in Asia.
22
Born: 1981
Country: Indonesia
Organisations: Asia Pacific Network
of People Living with HIV and AIDS
(APN+),
Indonesian PLWHA National Network,
Global Network of People Living with
HIV and AIDS (GNP+), International
Treatment Preparedness, South East
Asia Treatment Preparedness
Campaigns for: support for PLWHA
and their families, and an end to
discrimination faced by HIV
positive injecting drug users

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
TOOL BOX
Speak Out
Being strategic will assist you to get your point across and have an impact.
You need to be heard in a significant way and reach as large an audience
as possible, mobilising your community with a specific message that will
encourage people to continue to advocate for a particular cause.
Steps to maximise your message
• Consider the issue that you would like to bring to attention
• Collect data that will help you back up your point with evidence
• Set your goal and objectives
• Create a short and precise message (Statement + Evidence + Specific
Example + Call to Action)
• Who is your target group (is your message for politicians, NGOs, civil
society or community members)?
• Who can you partner with to build support? Who are possible allies?
• How are you going to deliver your message?
• How are you going to implement your message?
• Monitor the process throughout so that you can learn what works and
doesn’t work for next time.
23

If I kept it to myself
TOOL BOX
Fundraising
There are many different ways of writing a proposal and below are just a
few guidelines to get you started.
Your proposal is more likely to receive funding if the potential donor’s
priorities are closely linked to the issues your project addresses. Read
funding guidelines from as many funding sources as possible. Include
NGOs, local and foreign governments, aid organisations and corporate
corporations.
Ensure that you have the following donor information:
• Proposal guidelines
• List of previously funded projects or annual report
• What is their minimum and maximum funding for programmes like yours
• Be aware of any other grant sources that you might be legible for.
Keep the proposal as short and concise as possible. Always submit your
proposal BEFORE the submission deadline, and confirm that it has been
received.
Your proposal could take this format:
• Project title
• Write a paragraph on the general background of the situation your project
will address
• Write a paragraph giving background information on your organisation
• Create a short mission statement or goal
• List your objectives
• Write a little about why you have this idea, stating what the problem is
• Define who the beneficiary population is
• Clearly state the results you plan to see and for each result an indicator
(how you plan to measure if you have been successful or not)
• What is your timeframe?
• Create an implementation plan.
The budget
A well-planned and correct budget reflects a well thought out project.
• Is the budget consistent with proposed activities?
• Is there sufficient detail and explanation?
• Make sure you have not over/under budgeted for anything
• If you live in a country with high inflations allocate for this.
24
Follow up:
Stay in contact with the prospective donor and keep track of the status of
your proposal. Whether or not your project is funded, thank the donor for
taking the time to assess your project. If possible, ask for feedback on the
strengths and weaknesses of your proposal.

Education

If I kept it to myself
Vidah Bossa
The peer to peer approach helps young people to share
freely and express openly their views about health,
social and economic lifestyles.
26
My name is Vidah Bossa, a 27-year-old woman
from Uganda holding a Bachelor of Science in
Commerce from Makerere University of Uganda
I joined the YWCA at the age of 15 as a youth
volunteer and served as a member of the youth
committee. As she was leaving the YWCA of
Uganda, the former youth coordinator encouraged
me to apply. She had so much trust and
confidence in me that although I was not really
interested in the position, I applied anyway. A few
weeks later, my friend died, and I decided to follow
in her footsteps, as she had desired.
As I started my work as youth coordinator,
a national survey carried out at voluntary
counselling and testing centres (VCTs) and
schools revealed that youth are not open to
discussing issues affecting their lives with
available educators because they do not identify
with them. Inspired by this research and realising
that young people do not have a voice, I started
a peer education outreach project in January
2004. The aim of the project was to give a voice
to young people by creating a platform in an
organised structure through which they could
express themselves. The project targets young
women and men in seven of the districts where
YWCA operates.
Each district has a coordinator and sixty youth
ambassadors; of which twenty are HIV positive.
The peer approach is conducted through training
of youth leaders in districts on prevention,
care and support, HIV and AIDS, life planning,
reproductive health and income generating activities. Participants are also encouraged to go for
voluntary counselling and testing so that they know their HIV status and lead responsible lives.
The trained peer ambassadors then train others within the district, who then do outreach within the
communities they come from.

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
This approach helps young people to share freely and express openly their
views about health and social and economic lifestyles. I visit the districts
on a quarterly basis to evaluate their progress and listen to their concerns.
This has enabled me to identify the most pressing issues and try to work out
solutions for them.
The peer approach has reached approximately five hundred young people
in each district in the past year. The target age group for training is 7-30.
Parents, community and religious leaders are involved in the initial stage,
which consists of sensitisation, building partnerships and networking.
Involving our elders helps each party share, understand and accept each
other’s views regarding young people’s outreach programmes. The district
leaders and ambassadors are responsible for running the activities in their
regions and take all the necessary decisions pertaining to the project. We
continue to follow up and monitor the training programmes through district
coordinators and ambassadors.
Through workshops, ambassadors emphasise the use of medicinal herbs
and better nutrition in the treatment of various diseases. This knowledge
has proved cost effective for those in the rural areas who cannot afford
medicines. The workshops usually involve group discussions and home
visits. The ambassadors also refer the sick to various hospitals and clinics
that provide treatment.
We find it difficult to use the training manual developed by our funding
body, as it does not include active roles for people living with HIV or all
of the activities needed. We plan on updating the manual with input from
ambassadors and district coordinators, as they are practically involved
in training and have valuable insights. We are also in the process of
fundraising with other donors and hope to be able to include more diverse
activities in the project to meet the needs of young people.
Nevertheless, participants still benefit from the training as currently outlined
by our donors. Participants receive instruction on the prevention of HIV and
sexually transmitted infections (STI) through the ‘abstain, be faithful, use
condoms’ (ABC) model. They are then taught how to give care and support
to those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
The challenge we face is that youth do not receive the abstinence lecture
very well. It is also difficult for us to measure the impact of this message,
which is faith based, and most of our target groups are not staunch
Christians and prefer the ‘use condoms’ option. Poverty is also pushing
young people to engage in sexual activities early. Young people who are
not in school are particularly vulnerable. We also face different challenges
dealing with young men and women. We are able to reach young mothers,
but find it hard to work with their partners.
Through this peer education outreach programme, the young people who
participate not only gain knowledge on HIV and AIDS but also receive skills
they can use in their daily lives. We are very grateful for this project and
hope to raise more support from different donors to help young people who
are involved in this pandemic that has so deeply affected our generation.
Born: 1978
Country: Uganda
Organisation: YWCA of Uganda
Campaigns for: Youth peer
education and leadership on HIV
27

If I kept it to myself
Tuwilika Heita
I found her there and she told me “little sister be a good
girl, don’t follow what I did. Take care of yourself and
be aware of HIV and AIDS. As you see me lying here it is
because of HIV and AIDS.”
My name is Tuwilika Heita, a 20-year-old woman
from Namibia. I became interested in HIV and
AIDS and youth issues while in high school.
Since we did not have a life skills guidance
teacher, nor did we receive education on sex
or sexuality, the only place I could get involved
in HIV and AIDS issues was in clubs and
associations. I joined an AIDS awareness club
and My Future Is My Choice (MFMC) as these
provided the only chance for young people to talk
about HIV and AIDS.
The AIDS awareness club was developed to
empower and support high school students
and was open to every interested student. This
club established a management structure that
included a facilitator. From the youth centre,
we obtained books provided by the Ministry of
Basic Education, Sport and Culture that were
used for debates, games, discussions and other
activities that mobilised and educated us on HIV
prevention and care issues.
By the time I joined high school, I had already
been affected by AIDS. My eldest sister died in
2002 from an AIDS-related illness. I was fifteen
years old when she first started getting ill. It
was a difficult time for our family; my parents
were separated and unemployed. Our family
of six, four girls and two boys was broken. My
eldest sister was supporting my siblings and me
by paying our school fees and meeting other
personal daily needs.
I lived with my sister at the beginning of her
illness. She started losing weight and getting
sick, and it seemed that every week she would
have to go to the hospital. Finally, she was
diagnosed with Tuberculosis. She was given
28
many tablets, but the sickness kept increasing.
We were very close then; she liked me a lot and
was always there for me when I needed help in
my schoolwork. Although we never discussed
HIV or AIDS, I began to wonder if she had HIV.
She had become pregnant the year before, but
her child passed away when he was only two
months old. Soon after, she was very sick and
stopped working.
My other sisters lived with other family members,
so I was the only girl around to take care of my
sister. Once her health got worse, I started high
school at a boarding school. Now, I could only
make it home on weekends. When I was home,
I always made sure that she ate healthy food
and took her medication on time. I used to pray
with her, sing spiritual inspiring songs, and show
her how much she meant to me and how much
I loved her. At the end of that year, I took her to
our church and she gave her life to Jesus through
me.
At the beginning of 2002, it was my final year in
high school and I had to be at school studying
most of the time. I had noticed that when my
sister was alone, her health would deteriorate.
I think that she would not eat well or take her
tablets according to the doctor’s prescription. I
hadn’t been to see her in two months when I got
a message from a neighbour that I must come
home immediately. My sister was in hospital and
had been asking to see me. I found her there and
she told me “little sister be a good girl, don’t follow
what I did. Take care of yourself and be aware
of HIV and AIDS. As you see me lying here it is
because of HIV and AIDS. Don’t go into the world,
stay with your Jesus in your heart and take care
of my only son. I love you. Tell your other sisters

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
I love them.” That was the day she passed away. I was very touched by her words even though, at the
same time, I was very hurt by her death.
I had joined the AIDS awareness club and MFMC a year before. After her death, I was able to talk
about her illness more comfortably thanks to the clubs I had been involved in. The AIDS awareness
club encouraged everyone to participate. My other club members are my mentors, because through
their ideas and advice during meetings and discussions, I have grown and developed as a young
leader. In my final year of secondary school, I was selected as secretary of our club and my duties
were to keep minutes and handle documents. I was also writing reports on our club activities for
the youth newspaper. This is how I became comfortable and able to help others when they asked
questions.
When I finished secondary school, I continued to be involved in HIV and AIDS issues. With friends
from my church, we would go to hospitals and visit people who were living with HIV and give them
hope. By giving hope for another day, showing love, and sharing scriptures with them, we helped to
fight against discrimination.
Currently, I am volunteering with the National Youth Council of Namibia as an Assistant Editor of a
local youth newspaper ‘Open Talk’. It is a 4-page bi-monthly youth newspaper supplement produced
by four young Namibians. It is funded by UNICEF with support from the National Youth Council of
Namibia. The features include informative articles; interviews on various issues that affect youth; and
highlights from the programme, ‘My Future Is My Choice’ and the national HIV and AIDS campaign
programme ‘Take Control’. I am responsible for managing, controlling and collecting data on HIV and
AIDS, presenting programmes and assessing the distribution of the newspaper to different schools
and organisations countrywide.
As a journalist for our newspaper, I also go to places where youth gather, interview them and take
pictures for the newspaper. We have made arrangements to distribute the newspaper to all the
schools that are far away from the capital city, Windhoek.
29

If I kept it to myself
I am also a member of the YWCA of Namibia.
Since July 2004, I have been facilitating
workshops twice a week at different high
schools. In these workshops we discuss how
we can prevent HIV and AIDS infection, improve
communication between young people and
their parents, and improve our lives. The young
people who attend our workshops gain skills and
knowledge to educate others, and learn how to
give back to the community. At the end of the
workshop, everyone develops a positive attitude
towards family life education, sharing knowledge
on sex, sexuality and reproductive health issues,
and on HIV and AIDS issues.
I also work with the Council of Churches
in Namibia (CCN) to combat stigma and
discrimination in our churches and to mobilise
young people to use the Voluntary Counselling
and Testing (VCT) centres to know their status.
With the CCN, we educate pastors on issues
of HIV and AIDS and encourage them to talk
openly about it with their congregation. Churches
need to get involved by supporting people who
are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
In Namibia, there have been some churches
that prohibit their members from starting antiretroviral
treatment. We tell them that medication
is needed; they have to allow people to go for
treatment. People must be encouraged not to
judge people who are HIV positive, instead
we must give them hope. The Church has a
responsibility and an important role to play in
HIV and AIDS. Good morals and a change in
behaviour are needed among young people in
Namibia to curb the spread of HIV.
Since high school I have been committed to
fighting against ignorance surrounding HIV and
AIDS in Namibia. I have upheld my sister’s
wish for my life by becoming active in my
community.
To become an effective volunteer, I went through
basic computer literacy, counselling and peer
education at the YWCA and other centres. This
training has equipped me for the activities I
am currently involved in: designing the layout
of Open Talk newspaper, responding to letters
from young people countrywide regarding their
problems, and facilitating peer counselling in
schools.
30
Born: 1985
Country: Namibia
Organisations: YWCA, National
Youth Council, National Council
of Churches of Namibia
Campaigns for: an end to
stigma and discrimination
against PLWHA; HIV and AIDS
education among young people

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Alejandra Bustos
Our main message is to make students aware
that anybody can get infected if they do not take
preventative measures.
I am a psychologist at the Punto de encuentro
office of the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa
Maria, Valparasio, Chile. The office aims to
create a better quality of life for students at the
University by addressing and providing support
regarding issues such as drugs, sexuality and
HIV and AIDS.
My university participates in the ‘Programma
Alerta’, a HIV prevention programme involving
the four main universities in Valparasio. The
objective of this programme is to ensure that
each university student has ample information
on HIV prevention to make good decisions about
their lives. It is an education and prevention
programme. In addition to training and workshop
sessions, each participating university runs a
volunteer counselling and testing centre (VCT) on
their campus. The test is available free of charge
and on a voluntary and anonymous basis. In
fact, students have to sign a form declaring that
nobody obliged them to take the test and that
they have received counselling.
HIV tests are analysed at the University of
Valparaiso’s laboratory of immunology and, if
results are HIV positive they are confirmed by
the ISP (Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica)
in Santiago. Students must go for post test
counselling after receiving their test results. The
HIV positive results are shared with the National
Health Service, without names, for statistical
purposes.
Each month approximately 25 students take the
test. Many more students request testing but
because of budget restrictions we do not have
enough HIV test kits to perform tests on everyone
who comes to the centre. Once a year, however,
in preparation for World AIDS Day we offer 100
tests. Annually, about 700 students are tested.
Each one of the four universities participating
in the project gives a monthly contribution to
support the programme.
I am part of the programme as a counsellor
at the VCT centre offering counselling prior
to testing. I guide students through sexually
transmitted infections (STI) and prevention
methods, HIV testing window periods and
31

If I kept it to myself
responsible sexual behaviour, relieving their
doubts and fears.
I attended a school where working with the
community was very important. I was always
involved in social activities such as missions
and solidarity campaigns. This helped me
develop skills such as good communication,
assertiveness and leadership. In my vocational
training, I reinforced these skills and developed
an interest in sharing experiences and meeting
people. I think this put me in a good position
when I started to work on the prevention of HIV
and AIDS. I was able to focus on the people I
counselled instead of focusing on the problem or
situation itself.
The number of people getting infected by HIV
is increasing year after year and the most
vulnerable are young people. As a university, it
is a priority for us to deal with the issue head on
since we are in charge of young people in this
vulnerable age group.
Programma Alerta was initiated in 1992 through
the leadership of the late Dr. Monica Cornejo,
a professor at the University of Valparaiso. I
joined the programme in 2002 as they began
preparations for events to commemorate World
AIDS Day. In preparation for the main event, we
organised weekly meetings with guest speakers,
group activities, and visits to other university
groups working on the same issue. With other
students, we shared our life experiences,
behaviour changes in light of HIV and AIDS,
and our feelings and thoughts on the preventive
training programmes we were involved with.
32
At the end of the school
year, we select forty
students from each
university to become
monitors, ten of whom
are given active roles
in the programme.
Every year, these
monitors work with
at least four schools
with approximately
50 students in each
class, reaching over
200 students. A monitor
is required to be an
active agent among the
students, using the skills
learnt during training
to sensitize fellow
students on HIV and
AIDS issues. However,
participation is low because of academic
responsibilities.
We do not ask the monitors or other participants
their HIV status. We realise it is a personal
decision to disclose one’s HIV status, but if a
student is open about being HIV positive, we
provide all the information we have and we
support them psychologically and give medical
orientation.
Our main message is to make students aware
that anybody can get infected if they do not take
preventative measures. Young people must
be more responsible regardless of their sexual
orientation, socio-economic background or
educational level.
Born: 1976
Country: Chile
Organisation:
Programma Alerta
Campaigns for: HIV
awareness building
among young people

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Nakibuule Sylvia
I educate people from all walks of life about my status
and positive living. I want them to learn so that they
don’t follow my path.
I am 27 years old and living positively with HIV. I
have four children, three of whom I had with my
first husband.
I dropped out of school in 1992, in my senior
year, when I was 14 years old. My father, who
has 16 children and two wives to look after,
couldn’t afford to pay our school fees. Our family
was a typical poverty stricken one. Over 10 of
us were told to drop out after our father was laid
off from his job and there was no other income
generating activity to keep us in school. Those in
lower primary were spared since their fees were
much lower. The rest of my siblings who dropped
out of school began looking after themselves by
fetching water for people who paid them; and
all the girls got married to the village boys and
men. The man I got married to was a friend of my
brothers and both my parents knew him since he
always came home to visit. He was a fisherman.
I was 15 years old when my parents married me
off; Robert was 20. This was in 1993. We didn’t
have an official function; he only came home
for my parents and family to say goodbye and
to caution him to look after me well. He didn’t
pay any dowry, but my family asked him and his
family for ongoing financial assistance.
I had my first three children from this marriage.
However, in 1999 when my third child was only
a month old, my husband died in a motorcycle
accident. I was left with nothing. We didn’t have
any tangible assets; we only had household
property, which was shared by in-laws. I had
three children to take care of and my parents
back home were looking to me for their upkeep.
Being a housewife and a young girl, I had to go
back to the village where my parents lived.
In the village, life was so difficult that we barely
had soap to wash the children’s clothes. We had
bananas in the gardens, so I decided to sell them
in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. I used the
33

If I kept it to myself
money I made for transport back to the village
to bring more bananas, and with time and some
little profit, I bought other items like potatoes,
chapattis and fish, enlarging my stock by the
roadside.
Among my regular clients was a taxi driver, who
proposed to me. I accepted, as my business
needed more capital, which he promised to
provide. I thought I had hit the jackpot; my
business would grow, since I had a sponsor. I had
bigger plans, like becoming a businesswoman.
I knew I would soon be able to solve all my
children’s problems and pay for school for my
younger brothers and sisters, who were still in the
village. The little money he gave me attracted me
to him.
In January 2001, after a few months of courtship,
he suggested that we live together. This would
help me save some money to send to the village
to take care of the children’s needs. After two
months of living together, he stopped me from
working, promising to take care of all my needs
and those of my children back in the village. I
didn’t like the idea of stopping work but I had
already committed myself. He hadn’t introduced
himself to my parents, so he didn’t pay any
dowry. He was over 48 years old when we joined
houses. In December 2001, I gave birth to a baby
boy, who is three years and eight months old
now.
My partner’s major worry was that I would get to
know from other people about his HIV positive
status. He had been looking for someone to look
after him during his sick days, which since he had
lived long with the virus, he expected to come.
In March 2002, he fell very ill and was bedridden
for seven months. I became suspicious of
his health. When he went for treatment, I
checked around the house and eventually
found a receipt from an organisation where
they treat HIV positive people. I got so scared
and wondered what to do. I approached one
of my relatives whom I knew was a member
of this organisation. I showed her the receipt
and she confirmed my suspicion. However, she
counselled me and advised me to take things
in a simple manner since it was likely that I was
already infected. When my husband came back,
I couldn’t find the right words to ask him about
his status. I had heard that he was positive from
the neighbours, but I didn’t believe them since
he had looked so healthy. Besides, we lived in
a slum with so many idle people who will say
anything about people.
34
For the seven months while he was bedridden,
life was so trying. We had begun starving
because he no longer worked and the little we
had was taken away by paying his medical bills.
We decided to partition the house, staying in one
room and finding tenants to pay for upkeep. They
sometimes failed to pay but chasing them away
didn’t make much difference, as new occupants
were the same.
The neighbours always gossiped and laughed at
me. No one wanted to visit us since my husband
had Tuberculosis (TB) and it was believed that
TB could be spread to others in your midst. Life
seemed very unrealistic to me. I had less breast
milk due to lack of food and too much work
without rest. I always borrowed things from the
nearby shops and got drugs on credit from the
nearby clinic. We accumulated debts. I didn’t
want my parents to know about my “unknown”
husband’s health.
My mother always sent messages wondering
what had happened to me since I wasn’t

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
communicating as I used to. My children always
needed school fees, books and medication but I
didn’t have a penny, so I couldn’t help. I put my
parents to task since they had to plead with the
school authorities to allow the children to study
and promised to pay as soon as we got the
money.
My partner’s family only came to collect the flour
that we got from TASO and the cooking oil. They
didn’t want to look after him and always asked
why I didn’t just let him die. They complained that
whenever he got so near his death, I called the
doctor. To them, he had no right to still breath
since with AIDS it was a sure deal to die.
On January 1, 2003, my present to my husband
for the New Year was to ask him to give me
money to go for a HIV test. I was very confident
when telling him. I assured him that I knew he
was sick and was getting treatment though he
had never told me. This scared him so much
that he agreed to give me money for the test.
When I tested, the result was HIV positive. When
I showed him the result, he opened up and
apologised for having spread the virus to me. He
told me that he needed someone to take care of
him. Being a Christian, I forgave him; after all I
had already contracted the disease.
The counsellor was very helpful. He referred me
to many HIV care centres. I decided to join TASO
on the 6th of January 2003. Before testing for
HIV, I had little knowledge about it. I knew that
I would get it if I had sex with an HIV positive
person but because of my little knowledge and
lack of personal confidence, I never asked any
man to go for a blood test before we had sex.
In July 2003, my partner died. His relatives
wanted to share everything, and the other women
sent their children to me to look after because I
was now staying in his house. Even today, my inlaws
collect the money from the tenants and only
give me something once in a while when they
feel like it.
My counsellor at TASO, Swabrah Scovia, gave
me all the necessary information about HIV
and AIDS. She told me about the TASO drama
group and how it could help me cope with the
virus. I joined the group in July 2003. The drama
group members were so good as they shared
their experiences with me, and this made me
appreciate that I wasn’t alone and could still
live a happy life even with HIV. This is when I
began disclosing my status. At first, it was scary.
I didn’t want to tell everyone but my counsellor
encouraged me, which helped me a lot and made
my heart lighter. I now walk a free woman. No
one gossips about me since everyone knows I
am HIV positive. I feel better than before I went
public.
I educate other people from all walks of life
about my status and positive living. I share my
experience of living with HIV in villages, schools,
organisations and companies. I want them to
learn so that they don’t follow my path.
35

If I kept it to myself
I am happy because of my openness. I
always find people at my home who need my
counselling. The majority of them wonder how
I live as a widow with four children to take care
of. Many are HIV positive and seek advice about
how they can live like me. I always feel proud to
help others cope with the disease.
I joined the National Association of Women
Living with HIV and AIDS, where we help
positive women gain courage to live positively.
We also teach each other how to cook and
weave mats and baskets, and talk about our
challenges as African women, and how to
address these. We learn how to write wills and
memory books. I haven’t yet learnt enough
to write these but I hope to once I master the
necessary skills.
I am also an active member of the Uganda Youth
Positives (UYP). This is a club of people up to
the age of 30. Through the club we teach the
youth, both affected and infected, about the need
to abstain from sex, and to those who cannot,
to use condoms. We also encourage them to
use the opportunities of being in school if they
still have a chance. We advise them to always
test with their partners, three times in gaps of
six months before they engage in sex, and also
to be faithful to each other because it is the key
to living a healthy life. We also encourage them
to give other people information about HIV and
AIDS and assistance to the sick. This is a new
club and it is basically for information sharing
purposes.
I am currently making local hand bongos,
necklaces and other traditional ladies’ jewellery
from which I earn a living. I am looking around for
a job but nothing has yet come my way. However,
I am positive about life.
All my children are in school. The first three
stay with my mother in the village. The last one
is staying with my paternal aunt in Kawempe. I
want my children to study up to university and
get better jobs, but most importantly I want them
to make informed decisions because I believe
that if I had studied, I would have been able to
have enough information about HIV and make
informed decisions. I want them to be in good
schools but I have no money to pay for this.
Nevertheless, I will try my best as long as I am
living to give them an education.
36
Born: 1978
Country: Uganda
Organisation:
National Association
of Women Living
with HIV and AIDS,
Uganda Youth
Positives (UYP), TASO
(The AIDS Support
Organisation)
Campaigns for:
Voluntary Counselling
and Testing (VCT),
positive living

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Nastassia Ladzik
My background on HIV prevention started with raising
my own awareness, which helped me to overcome
fears and stereotypes on HIV issues. I worked on
building my self confidence and my ability to determine
my own path in life.
My name is Nastassia Ladzik, I am a 24-year-old
Belarusian woman. I have a Bachelor degree
in pedagogic sciences and have specialised in
social work. I am the coordinator of the project
“Counteracting the Spread of HIV and AIDS
among young people in the Republic of Belarus”.
I have been a YWCA of Belarus volunteer
since 2002 and became a member in 2003.
Previously, I was the Assistant Project Manager
on Prevention and Education of the Programme
“La Strada - Belarus: Prevention of trafficking
of women in Central and Eastern Europe”, and
a consultant on the hotline “La Strada”. I am
experienced in providing women with social
consultation on the risks of being trafficked,
the rules of how to protect oneself abroad,
international marriages, jobs and studies abroad.
My first encounter with HIV and AIDS was at the
age of 18 when I had various fears connected
to it, such as being infected, taking a HIV test,
and so on. I think I was mainly afraid because
I was young and had very little knowledge. My
background on HIV prevention started with
raising my own awareness. This helped me
overcome my fears and stereotypes on HIV
issues. I worked on building my self confidence
and my ability to determine my own path in life.
I found information on the Internet, in books and
at a centre led by university staff and students,
which provided useful information on HIV and
AIDS for young leaders.
During 1996 - 1997, the HIV infection rate was
increasing. At that time it was considered to be
a disease of potential risk groups (gay men, sex
workers and drug users). The age group that
had the highest infection rate was those 15-29
years old. Questions concerning HIV in Belarus
were relatively new and there were no education
programmes on prevention in secondary and
high schools. Furthermore, obligatory courses
for senior pupils on healthy lifestyles and
reproductive health were scarce. Most people
in this age group, therefore, did not have
necessary knowledge about the causes, ways
of transmission and consequences of HIV and
AIDS, and did not practice responsible sexual
behaviour.
In 2001-2002 I participated in a peer education
training programme organised by UNAIDS, and
led by specialists in the country and international
experts from the Belarusian Republic Epidemic
Centre. In 2003, I began developing a project to
counteract the spread of HIV and AIDS among
young people, and started implementing it in
September 2004. This project, which was an
individual initiative, is the result of complex
sociological research, combined with information
and educational work. The research is aimed at
studying the level of knowledge of the Belarusian
youth on the causes, ways of transmission and
impact of HIV and AIDS on their lives. It is also
to know the infection rate through drug addiction
and sexually transmitted infections, and the
current epidemical situation and HIV prevention
measures taken in Belarus. We looked at the
problems and personal experiences of people
living with HIV and also the problem of coverage
and HIV and AIDS presentation methods in the
Belarusian mass media. Four trainers and a
sociologist are part of this project. In October
2005 new ideas arose, such as translating
the World YWCA production ‘Women Are’ into
Russian and distributing copies to other NGOs.
We believe it will be useful to promote networking
with other NGOs.
37

If I kept it to myself
This project is funded through the World YWCA
women and development fund, and the Ministry
of Social Sphere and Labour. The Republic
Epidemical Centre also supports us.
During the first year of project implementation
our team carried out 20 training sessions for
400 pupils and students of special, professional
and higher education establishments in various
regions of Belarus, with the aim to impart
necessary skills and information on responsible
sexual behaviour. The target group is young
women and men from 14-29 years old. I also
took the initiative to hold an educational training
session for children in the orphanage, because
orphans are those who need true information on
HIV and AIDS the most, and should learn about
safe behaviour. The average age group among
the orphans is 13-16 and we also provide them
with information materials. All our trainees are
encouraged to then train others. We keep in
contact with the facilitators and their work.
I work with the community in different ways: with
young people to raise awareness about HIV and
AIDS and with women and men so that they may
benefit from the project through printed materials.
We link with local networks and promote the
exchange of experience of non-governmental
organisations such as the Positive movement,
and governmental organisations, working with
youth on HIV and AIDS prevention in all regions
of Belarus.
Participants of the project have become more
aware and involved, and have taken leadership
roles in the YWCA. One of the objectives of the
project is to develop social activities for young
women and men, as they are those who are
most vulnerable. In the framework of the project,
they received new information on HIV and AIDS
and were assisted in acquiring necessary skills
and responsible sexual behaviour. They now
have information about the YWCA movement
and understand its core work and usefulness in
society.
My personal experience, the above, as well as
the analysis of the epidemic’s situation in Belarus
demonstrate the little knowledge of youth on
HIV and AIDS. Information to and education of
Belarusian youth on HIV and AIDS still remains
unique, and is the main means of HIV prevention
where there is a lack of vaccines and no effective
treatment. Especially as the majority of young
people who contract HIV are girls. If more girls
were educated, this would empower them and
certainly secure their future. In order to ensure
38
that our objective is reached, we give them
brochures and booklets and evaluate each
training session with a final questionnaire.
I participated and won the 2nd place in the
countrywide UNHCR competition among
graduate and post-graduate students on the best
academic work on refugee, migrant and tolerance
issues.
Born: 1981
Country: Belarus
Organisations: YWCA of
Belarus
Campaigns for: Prevention
of HIV and AIDS among
young people.

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Mphatso Tambala
As women living with HIV and AIDS, we recognised that
there is need to do something to improve our lives for
the better and improve our families’ living standards
through income generating activities.
My name is Mphatso Tambala, a 29-yearold
woman from Malawi. I started having an
interest in HIV and AIDS work in October
1998. That October, I had been involved in a
lot of Advocacy work on the rights of women
and children infected and affected by HIV and
AIDS. I joined the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) National United Nations
Volunteer GIPA project. In my capacity as a UN
Volunteer I have served as HIV and AIDS project
Coordinator for the workplace programme in
ADMARC Medical Services, promoting the
greater involvement of PLWHA (GIPA). I was
later hired as the ADMARC ADDS LIFE Project
Coordinator. My responsibilities included
facilitating the establishment of home based
care (HBC) and PLWHA support groups, and
formulating HIV and AIDS workplace policies
for ADMARC and its subsidiary companies.
I supervised the VCT Centre and Outreach
Services for ADMARC, and set up youth clubs. I
was responsible for resource mobilisation for the
project which to date is one of the successful
workplace HIV and AIDS projects in Malawi.
As I became more involved in HIV and AIDS
programmes, I began to realise that the issues
affecting women and girls living with HIV and
AIDS were not being adequately addressed
hence the need to established a network of
women and girls living with HIV and AIDS in
Malawi.
At this time I was serving as a Regional Support
Officer for the Malawi Network of AIDS service
Organisation where I was responsible for building
the capacity of AIDS service organisations
and community based organisation. In 2005
January I was recommended to work for Malawi
Network of People living with HIV (MANET+) as
a Programme Officer Capacity Building. I also
served on the board as the treasurer.
In December 2000 I attended the African Heads
Of States Development Forum in Addis Ababa
Ethiopia where I was part of the Malawian
Presidents Delegation.
I learnt of the roles of African leaders and how
they were responding to the epidemic and their
commitment to the work. I made a presentation
of the roles of young people and attended a lot
of meetings, which I had learnt a lot on how to
address issues affecting people living with HIV
and AIDS.
I have been involved at a national level
advocating for policy change. I actively took part
in defining the National HIV and AIDS Policy,
in particular guidelines for orphans, treatment
accessibility and workplace policy.
In August 2002, I joined the Southern Regional
Coordinating AIDS Service Organisations of the
Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organisations
(MANASO). My task was to promote networking
activities and capacity building among community
based organisations. This included training
CBOs in proposal writing, positive living and
survival skills, HIV and nutrition, project planning
and management. I also provided technical
support, mobilised resources and monitored and
evaluated CBO programmes.
When my husband died in 2003, my in-laws,
who are managing our properties, promised to
give me a monthly income so that I could look
after our two sons, but it has been quite a big
39

If I kept it to myself
challenge. Many women and children are facing
difficult situations. It was this realisation of the
hardship of women and young girls infected and
affected by HIV and AIDS that prompted me
to establish a specific Network of HIV positive
women. Members would meet rotationally at
each other’s homes realising that as women
living with HIV, there is need to help each other
with both psychosocial and physical support
and speak out on issues through Advocacy and
empowerment. As women living with HIV, we
needed to do something to change our lives
for the better and improve our families’ living
standards through income generating activities.
In addition, members wanted to work together
to overcome stigma and discrimination in our
community in an attempt to curb the spread of
HIV among young people.
Positive Women in Action and Development
(PWAD) was established to increase awareness
of social, sexual and reproductive health rights
and treatment literacy of women and girls
infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Our
country has a women’s rights and empowerment
policy but it is important to have it translated
into law. Currently the network and other stake
holders in women rights advocacy are lobbying
the Parliamentary Committee on Gender and
AIDS with the Centre for Human Rights. As
members of the International Community of
Women living with HIV and AIDS (ICW), we
receive empowering information materials,
which help our network in advocacy and women
empowerment skills. The Positive Women’s
Survival Kit, publications on positive women’s
rights and on Microbicides empowers women
to effectively discuss needs and influence the
advocacy plan.
40
I founded the PWAD Network in Malawi after
attending the Young Women’s Dialogue (YWD)
in Durban, South Africa (April 2004) organized
by ICW. The issues that were raised at the YWD
and WHO’s 3 by 5 planning meeting challenged
me to become more familiar with issues facing
positive women and girls in Malawi and find
ways to address them. After the YWD, I was
sponsored by the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to attend a women’s
exchange and empowerment study tour in
South Africa. This gave me an opportunity to
learn from others who are involved in women’s
organisations and doing work concerning women
and AIDS. Due to the problems we are going
through, I realised that I should make my voice
heard for the rights of women and girls living with
HIV and AIDS in my country.
Today, PWAD is a registered network of women
living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi, with 9
branches around the country. The Roman
Catholic Church in Lilongwe gave us some office
space to use until we are able to get a place of
our own. The other branches are meeting under
a tree or in traditional authority premises and
nearest schools or churches. Our organisation
has no funding for operational costs or for the
women’s programmes; however, we received
US$ 4,000 from the Global Fund to do home
based care (HBC) training and to buy HBC kits
and US$15,000 for the orphans and vulnerable
children programme and widows economic
empowerment. We have written several
proposals for our project and our main focus is
advocacy, empowerment, capacity building and
psychosocial support. With limited resource, the
women are producing handicrafts to support their
own activities.

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
PWAD now has 2050 women living with HIV and
AIDS and 27 orphan headed families that are
registered with the group. 80% of the support
group members are widows and are HIV positive,
while the remaining 20% are women who have
been abandoned or abused by their husbands
after their diagnosis. We promote voluntary
counselling and testing among women and girls,
and provide care and support to reduce the
pain and suffering of women, girls, and orphans
already affected by this epidemic.
Since June 2004, we have been referring our
patients to the district hospitals as they manage
opportunistic infections (OIs) and provide free
anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy. We are faced with
many challenges especially transport problems.
Walking to the hospital is the only option for
some of our clients; the nearest hospital for
some is 18-20 miles away. In Malawi, 85,000
PLWHA need to start treatment immediately but
the hospitals are only enrolling 150 patients per
month. Most women do not have the means to
travel, and therefore more men are benefiting
from treatment. We support our clients with
counselling and referrals, behavioural change
education, group therapy, treatment literacy,
nutrition and herbal treatment.
I facilitate Memory Book writing workshops. I
teach the women how to put together a book
of memories incorporating advice, important
information and fond memories to leave behind
for their children. We have trained a total of 300
women so far. We preach the word of wisdom,
positive living, survival skills, ABC messages,
advocacy skills and treatment literacy to women
and girls infected with HIV and AIDS.
I was once a member of the Global Fund Country
Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) in Malawi. I
have made presentations to policy maker’s
forums and meetings on the issues that affect
women and girls in my country.
Postscript:
Mphatso is currently a third year student at
the University of Namibia, studying towards a
Degree in HIV and AIDS Management through
Share World Institute. She holds a Diploma
in Marketing Management from SAIBM South
Africa, a Certificate in Professional Counselling
from K.A.P.C Nairobi, Kenya, and a Certificate in
Community Care on HIV and AIDS from F.A.C.T
Mutare, Zimbabwe and a Diploma in Social
Development studies form Kenya. Her vision is to
have a Masters Degree in Public Health or Social
Science.
Born: 1976
Country: Malawi
Organisations: ICW, Positive Women in Action
and Development (PWAD)
Campaigns for: Women’s social, sexual,
reproductive health rights, self support for
women and widows affected by HIV and AIDS,
greater involvement of PLWHA at national and
corporate level
41

If I kept it to myself
TOOL BOX
Sharing Knowledge
HIV and AIDS Education
The annual increase of new HIV infections annually shows that current
prevention messages are not as effective as we would like them to be.
For current information on what is happening globally, have a look at the
UNAIDS December 2005 AIDS epidemic update www.unaids.org
We live in a world where the people who need the information and
education are not receiving it. Access to education and information is a
human right and must to be available to all. Anyone, irrespective of who
they are, can become infected with HIV.
Help prevent new infections
Knowledge is power. If you know your HIV status, you can take action
through behaviour change and making the right decisions. Due to all kinds
of fear, most of us are unaware of our HIV status. We pretend that it’s not
a problem and perpetuate the ‘them and us’ situation with comments such
as ‘things like this do not happen to people like me.’ You can start just
by talking about issues relating to HIV and AIDS. What it is, how it is/isn’t
transmitted, and how people can protect themselves from new infections.
Information is useless if we do not put it into action. Gandhi said “Be the
change you want to see.” Teach people how to use information practically
by being an example for people in your community to follow.
• Suggest and practice safer sex. Find out how people can access condoms
and make sure they know how to use them.
• If you are injecting drugs use clean needles and never share!
42
Promote positive living by:
• Finding someone you can talk to and confide in. Being diagnosed HIV
positive is hard to deal with all alone
• Getting informed about HIV and AIDS
• Speaking to other HIV positive people and seeing how they have
managed to keep a positive outlook on life
• Taking responsibility for your health. We tend to blame others for
situations we find ourselves in, but often put ourselves at risk. The issue
is not how or where you contracted HIV, but accepting that you are HIV
positive
• Being checked for tuberculosis (TB) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
(STDs). In some countries TB accounts for more than half of AIDS-related

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
conditions, but the good news is that it is curable
• Researching your treatment options. What traditional, western medicine
or complementary therapies are available, accessible and will work for you
• Planning a future and putting it into action. An HIV positive diagnosis does
not mean that your life has to end. Set yourself goals, and start working
towards them
• Expressing your feelings and dealing with your emotions. Anger, for
example, can become destructive to your system if not well handled
• Managing stress
• Engaging in activities you enjoy. Find a reason to live. Living with HIV may
be a challenge, but you can also choose to live a very powerful life both
mentally and emotionally
• Staying fit. There is a direct relationship between health and fitness.
Exercise helps your state of mind, body and spirit
• Ending bad habits such as smoking and substance abuse, and starting to
respect your body. Change is a process that is never easy, but if you want
to live a longer and healthier life start making changes that will enable you
to do this
• Disclosing your HIV positive status only when you have accepted it, are
ready and are well informed about HIV and AIDS
• Having protected sex through consistent use of a condom so that you do
not re-infect yourself or your partner
• Trying as much as possible to ensure you have a balanced diet.
Reduce stigma and discrimination
Stigma and discrimination are often used in the same sentence, but if we
look more closely, they have different meanings.
“Stigma is not exactly the same as discrimination at least in terms of
connotation. Stigma has an additional connotation to discrimination, namely
of strong emotional rejection over and above structural inequity. ‘Stigma’
is characterised by overt fear, whereas ‘discrimination’ is not always overt.
We therefore propose that stigma is the extreme end of a discrimination
continuum.”
Taken from Self-stigma and HIV and AIDS by David Patient
We can deal with stigma and discrimination by:
• Finding out more about HIV and AIDS. If you are informed you will be
able to correct people’s myths and misconceptions, usually the root cause
of stigma. And don’t forget to look at your own beliefs and perceptions
43

If I kept it to myself
44
• Listening to HIV positive people who have dealt with stigma. We can
learn from people’s first hand experiences regarding stigma. How stigma
has changed their lives, what they would like people to know about living
with HIV and AIDS, and how they would like to be viewed and treated
• Supporting HIV positive people. If we continue to stigmatise and
discriminate against HIV positive people, and if we alienate them, we are
not preventing further HIV infections. We need to create a society in which
people are not afraid to get tested and feel that they can be supported and
loved irrespective of their HIV status. Most HIV infections occur among
people who are unaware of their status and too afraid to get tested
• Watching your language. Most of us use terms and expressions related
to HIV and AIDS that reinforce stigma. For example “victims, AIDS sufferers,
AIDS patients’. We can avoid perpetuating stigma by avoiding these terms
• Reacting to stigmatising material in the media. Write, call or e-mail!
Express your opinions and concerns and provide more acceptable
information that journalists can use. The media can be an extremely
powerful tool in preventing further HIV infections and breaking down stigma
and misconception about HIV and AIDS. It is imperative that we the general
public and PLWAs inform and educate the media so that they do not
continue to make the same mistakes
• Speaking up about stigma. When you overhear someone abusing a
term, for example ‘If you are promiscuous, you are likely to be infected with
HIV’ give him or her the correct information and dispel the myth
• Discussing HIV and AIDS. Talking openly about HIV is not something
that comes naturally. Some people struggle to say the word AIDS and
instead they refer to it as ‘the disease’ The more silent about HIV and AIDS
we remain, the more people will continue to believe that it is shameful and
needs to be hidden. Talking openly about stigma can also offer support to
people living with HIV and AIDS
• Being aware of Self-Stigma. We always hear people talking about the
discrimination and stigma that HIV positive people experience from an
outside source. Have we ever stopped to look within at the beliefs we carry
around and hold as the truth? One of the most debilitating issues around
finding out that you are HIV positive is that you suddenly think ‘Who will
want to be with me now?’ ‘Am I going to live the rest of my life alone?’ We
fear the rejection and the isolation and the ‘them and us’ scenario. Some
people choose to be victims and some choose to create the lives they have
always wanted. Don’t let anyone, not even HIV, dictate your life and how
you live it. Remember people will treat you the way you see yourself. If you
act like a victim, you will be treated like one.

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Care
and
Support
45

If I kept it to myself
Constance Shumba
Young women need to influence policy on HIV and AIDS.
The emancipation of young women by strengthening
participation in social movements and integrating
gender concerns in creating supportive and enabling
environments is key to the fight against HIV and AIDS.
In 2000, I wrote an essay for the Parliament
of Zimbabwe in which I clearly outlined that
parliament is not just a ceremonial body but
should enact laws that help curb HIV and AIDS.
I received a provincial and national award for the
best essay on parliament promoting democracy.
It was at this stage that I began to realise that I
had strong advocacy skills, which could increase
my sphere of influence.
I joined the YWCA in 1997, at the age of 15,
and was immediately trained to become a
peer educator on Family Health and HIV and
AIDS. I was actively involved in peer education
through my local branch Kadoma and was
branch President for a while. During that time,
I was elected to the National Youth Executive
Committee and in this capacity I attended
various youth trainings and meetings on HIV and
AIDS, which helped me develop my skills and
confidence in addressing this topic.
Over the years, the YWCA of Zimbabwe has been
instrumental in shaping my destiny; my passion
for HIV and AIDS work has increased since the
time I became a peer educator, and propelled
me to pursue a career. I now have a Bachelor of
Science in Health Education and Promotion from
the University of Zimbabwe. The course itself
was ideal as it recognised that improvements
in family and community practices are effective
ways of reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS and
dispelling myths surrounding it. It also helped to
better equip me on issues surrounding community
involvement, community participation and
sustainability of HIV and AIDS programmes.
During my time at the YWCA, we organised one
day peer education workshops for members and
46
youth from the community. I was able to partner
with members of Youth Against AIDS, who also
joined our workshops.
Through the YWCA I joined the Africa Youth
Initiative Network (AYINET) and I am currently the
chair of the Zimbabwe Chapter. In AYINET, I am
involved in advocacy and work with youth from
diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds,
raising consciousness through some of the youth
and development talks we hold.
At AYINET, we are primarily concerned with
the issues of social justice, gender and public
participation in HIV and AIDS. This makes up
part of the strategic plan we are pushing to be
included in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee
on Health. Another item on our agenda is
to put forward our recommendations on the
implementation of a workplace HIV and AIDS
policy for the private sector.
In October 2003, I joined the Ministry of Health
and Child Welfare Head Office as an intern for
a year in the Health Promotion Unit. During
that time, I took part in planning, monitoring
and evaluating various programmes. I also
participated in preparations for World AIDS Day
and the AIDS Week campaign, together with
the National AIDS Council, AIDS and TB Unit,
and other stakeholders. During my internship,
I worked as a member of the Information,
Education and Communication (IEC) material
design team for the World AIDS Campaign. My
duties included facilitating HIV and AIDS and
TB national workshops for the training of Home
Based Care (HBC) counsellors. I was also part
of the Red Cross Steering Committee for the
National Community and HBC Standards Kit

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
launch, where I successfully suggested the
chosen theme “Promoting and enhancing the
quality of community and home based care”.
My internship with the Ministry of Health and
Child Welfare provided me with an opportunity to
network with other AIDS service organisations.
I was able to work with the Zimbabwe Network
for People Living with HIV and AIDS (ZNPP+) in
their preparation for their biannual conference as
a steering committee member and chair of the
communications sub committee.
I was involved in significant research on HIV
and AIDS through the World Health Survey and
Provincial Medical Directorate in the Midlands
province and the Global Schools Health Survey
in Harare. It was while I did research on the
reproductive health needs of orphans and
vulnerable children in Manicaland and Masvingo
province in Zimbabwe that I realised that many
children are being left orphaned and in vulnerable
circumstances.
As I realised the magnitude of the problem of
child headed families I was really burdened.
Through my church, together with other young
women, we mobilised to give provisions to a local
orphanage. I, however, felt it was not enough.
We needed to do more to help. So, I was ecstatic
when the church decided to start an orphanage
and took me on the Board of Trustees of Glory to
Glory Children’s Home. I became the children’s
social welfare officer. I was elated. I am now able
to take part in the decision making process, and
at the same time, ensure that the needs of the
children are met.
Presently, the orphanage has ten school children
- five girls and five boys. The children were
orphaned as a result of HIV and AIDS, and
though there are many challenges, it is uplifting
to be able to give them more than just smiles
and hugs. The situation demands more than just
sympathy, it requires action. We need to take a
step in faith to bring hope to children who will be
the leaders of tomorrow. And like one man said,
‘It is our ethical responsibility to bring the greatest
possible amount of happiness to those around
us’.
In April 2004, I attended the international
steering committee meeting for the Development
of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (DART), the biggest
clinical research ever carried out in Southern
Africa. This helped me realise the need to be a
treatment supporter in my community. I learnt
that providing treatment in hospitals without
47

If I kept it to myself
strong links to community outreach weakens the
link between prevention and care. I immediately
put into practice what I learnt; I began to
refer people to health centres and strongly
encouraged people to take their medication as
prescribed. I support initiatives by local nongovernmental
organisations that distribute
food packs to those living with HIV and AIDS
and promote positive living through community
education.
I participated in developing the National Gender
Based Violence Strategy with the Ministry of
Youth, Gender and Employment Creation,
as a YWCA representative, in March 2005.
As a young woman, I contributed on how
gender based violence affects us and why it is
important to implement the strategy proposed.
I also recommended stiffer penalties for sexual
offenders so as to reduce the incidence of such
crimes.
Over the years, I have gained exposure to
emerging trends, debates and decisions made
in relation to HIV and AIDS. I have realised that
working with communities on HIV and AIDS is
a process that involves good practice, good
infrastructure and good skills to strengthen all
aspects of organized society. Young women are
at a greater risk of being infected and, as long
as we continue to take the back seat, the issues
that affect us will continue to be ignored. Young
women need to influence policy on HIV and
AIDS. The emancipation of young women by
strengthening participation in social movements,
and the integration of gender concerns in
creating supportive and enabling environments is
key to the fight against HIV and AIDS.
48
Born: 1982
Country: Zimbabwe
Organisation: YWCA, Africa
Youth Initiative Network
Campaigns for: effective ARV
treatment support for child
headed families and orphans

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Florence Masuliya
We want to change the lives of many more young
people engaged in sex work through support, training
and care.
I am Florence Masuliya, a 26-year-old woman
from Uganda. In 2003, I was bedridden and
weighed 25kg. After going through HIV and AIDS
counselling with a YWCA community worker,
I decided to go for an HIV test and the results
came back HIV positive. It took three months
of continuous counselling, comforting and
encouragement to be strong and confident before
I came to terms with my status. Even though it
was difficult, I was not discouraged but instead
decided to join hands with YWCA youth in fighting
the spread of HIV and AIDS among our peers.
Being born in the Bwaise, Saint Francis, a slum
area of Kampala city, with 17,000 inhabitants,
and highly burdened by HIV and AIDS, I know the
living standards of women and girls. Many young
girls join street sex workers in order to meet their
material and financial needs. In order to respond
to the needs of young people in my community,
I founded Tusitukirewamu (united we stand)
YWCA youth club. I have good support from the
programme officer and the youth coordinator.
The YWCA helped to register the club as a CBO
according to Ugandan laws.
Realising that sex work can place women
in situations that leads to HIV and AIDS,
Tusitukirewamu started sensitising this group of
young girls about HIV and AIDS. Most of them
are young mothers between the age of 15-25.
Currently, we have a team of about 70 sex
workers in the youth club and through the YWCA
we offer training in vocational skills to help them
identify different avenues of earning an income.
As an activist, I have managed to network and
link the youth club team with other stakeholders
such as The AIDS Support Organisation,
49

If I kept it to myself
ActionAid and Herbalists, all of whom provide
Antiretroviral (ARV) medication, treatment for
opportunistic infections, food and other material
support and services.
Through donations we received hair dryers and
now some members have opened hair salons.
We are in the process of negotiating sewing
machines with ActionAid. Coming from the same
area as my peers in the youth club, I am able
to interact with them freely and mobilise them
for trainings and sensitisation workshops. The
training and workshops are not open to parents,
community and religious leaders, or elders. In
this way, the young girls feel comfortable and
safe to express themselves among their peers
who understand the kind of situations, which
drive them to such work.
We want to change the lives of many more young
people engaged in sex work through support,
training and care. So far, 10 out of the 70
Tusitukirewamu members have chosen to take
up new opportunities. These young women have
gone for testing, declared their HIV status, and
now have a career in tailoring and hairdressing.
Many more have decided to go for HIV tests.
Continued sensitisation on behavioural change
is a long process but I hope Tusitukirewamu will
have an impact on my peers.
50
Born: 1979
Country: Uganda
Organisation: YWCA
Uganda
Campaigns for:
alternative livelihoods
for sex workers and at
risk young girls and
women who are HIV
positive

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Phumzile Ndlovu
I feel a great sense of pride when I can assist even one
lonely, frightened, afflicted person living in isolation here.
When I completed high school in 1998, I
volunteered with the World Vision Child Survival
Programme, a project in my community of
Bergville, that aimed to improve the survival
of children through education on child health
issues. I worked with them for three years
as a sexuality educator giving HIV and AIDS
awareness courses at local schools. Early on I
attended a youth conference at KwaSizabantu,
where a delegation of “Doctors for Life”
presented their work with patients who were
terminally ill with AIDS. The personal testimonies
of the doctors and patients had a profound effect
on me. The door to this vocation was opened
when I encountered a child orphaned by AIDS
who had been adopted by one of the doctors.
The plight of this child wounded my inner being,
but the example set by the doctors sparked my
interest in care work, and in helping to save
lives by introducing people to the health system.
Many people have died and others are still dying
because they lack the information they need.
When the funding for the Child Survival
Programme came to an end, the community was
offered support by the KwaZulu Natal Department
51

If I kept it to myself
of Health to train volunteer home based care
givers. I was 20 years old at the time, too young
to be accepted into the training programme as
a care giver. But I was eager to be involved and
consequently was assigned to administration and
public relations for the training programme. Since
late 1999, I have been co-ordinating the home
based care programmes in Bergville. We have 72
caregivers in a community of 140,000 inhabitants.
Our target groups are orphans, youth, widows and
HIV positive people. I mobilise and co-ordinate
NGOs and representatives from local government
departments to form an intersectoral team for
AIDS Action that meets every two months.
I work with community leaders by mentoring
and valuing HBC home based caregivers,
fundraising with church leaders and farmers, and
have an audience with political leadership. Our
government does not worry about continuum
of care outside health facilities, which is why
caregivers are not recognised for their work.
Yet they are very important women who help
our society to care for the sick and orphaned.
This is why in 2004 I addressed our Premier, Mr.
Sbusiso Ndebele, asking him to recognise the
hard work and dedication of volunteer caregivers
in our communities.
When someone has AIDS, the family usually
has no idea how to cope. Because of the nature
of the illness, the patient will suddenly develop
new opportunistic infections that can frighten the
family. The carers show the family how to deal
with these new symptoms in the best possible
way. As a result, clients and their families are
able to confide their fears and challenges to
carers, and that is often more important than
the little medical help we have to offer. Our
responsibility is also to help the clinic come to
the patient, when our clients are desperate for
help. Because the community doctors are in the
clinics most of the time, they seldom get to the
people in the rural areas who are too ill to walk
the distance.
52
Since September 2004, in association with the
caregivers and Dr. Moll from the Tugela Ferry
Church of Scotland Hospital at Umsinga, we
introduced an anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment
programme, involving over 30 patients. The
Bergville-Okhahlamba Hospital, which is
closest has no ARV treatment facilities but
through the relationship developed with the
hospital at Umsinga, 300 km away, many
people are now receiving treatment. The
treatment is free but they have to pay for
transport and food while they are at the
hospital. We don’t have a vehicle to transport
them so they hire private vehicles.
When we began providing treatment to our
clients the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) did
training with us. This helped us to understand the
issues of treatment and we incorporated these
into our HBC work.
The whole issue of disability grants provided by
the government is a difficult one. Most people
desperately need the money because they
are starving but are too ill to go to government
departments to fetch their money. They also only
qualify for a disability grant when their immune
system CD4 count is so low that they can barely
walk. I try to use my office telephone as much
as possible to sort out these problems, but the
system is not quick. Many people die before they
are paid their due.
We facilitated the distribution of 38 tons of maize
donated by farmers in the area. The HBC givers`
team identified the most needy households,
particularly those caring for children affected by
AIDS, and with no income or financial assistance
through social grants. The farmers also pay for
school fees and buy clothing for those children
who are not receiving government grants. The
government gives monthly grants for foster
care, child care and care dependency children.
I have helped one of our clients to secure the

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
documents required for his R32, 000.00, that he
had struggled to obtain for over two years.
As HBC volunteers, participated in the making
of a documentary about the realities of living
with and dying of AIDS related illnesses, called
“Deadly Myths”, which was produced by Jill
Kruger and funded by the Centre for HIV and
AIDS Networking (HIVAN). The documentary
intends to broaden awareness on widespread
misconceptions about the transmission of the
disease and to take the debate into communities
that are affected by HIV and AIDS. As part of the
documentary team, I assisted in co-ordinating
the care workers who chose to speak on film
about their daily lives spent caring for people
and families affected by HIV and AIDS in
Bergville.
The women I work with give up their lives to tend
to the sick and dying. These carers are not paid
for the job they do. This year we raised R27,
000.00 from a church in Australia to buy food
parcels for HBC givers as compensation for their
voluntary work.
In 2004, I won a Young South African Achiever
Award from Love Life for my work as a coordinator
of HBC program in the Bergville district.
Being 1 of 6 winners chosen out of over 5,000
entrants around the world, I travelled to Brazil
with the Director of Love Life, Jill Kruger, to
speak of my work. With the R5, 000.00 prize
money for the award as a starting fund, we built
a community centre where youth get training in
sexuality education, drama and art. The youth
volunteer at the centre get short-term contracts
with organisations doing work in our area. At
this centre, young people are recruited as
groundbreakers in the Love Life Programme. The
programme aims to reduce teenage pregnancies,
HIV infection and sexually transmitted infections
among young South Africans. I keep asking
people to raise more money for this project.
My mentors in home based care and child
survival have trained me and given me
opportunities, are the Project Manager, Ms.
Monika Holst, and Mrs. Busisiwe “Mama” Dube,
a retired nurse now involved in community work.
The youth at the centre inspire me with their
humbleness, fresh ideas and vision. I consider
myself a listener of people’s ideas.
In September 2003, we started a group of HIV
positive widows, which now totals 18 women and
functions as a formal support group. The widows
relate their stories on how HIV has impacted on
their lives. We encourage them by giving them
space and a chance to be listened to. People
like to be listened to and we are working towards
breaking the culture of secrecy. I believe the first
step is to establish a relationship with people.
As we approach the “end of the beginning” of the
AIDS pandemic, my vision is for a home based
care programme that will address existing and
emerging problems to treatment and care for
our communities. As all members of our team of
caregivers are illiterate, we need to invest in their
own educational improvement and sustenance if
they are to be effective in helping with the roll-out
of anti-retroviral treatment. I have also observed
that people living with AIDS are dying even
while on ARVs because of a lack of adherence,
and because of confusion surrounding the
compatibility of traditional remedies and ARVs.
I strongly believe that empowered caregivers are
a vital asset in supporting families to understand
ARVs, traditional remedies, nutrition, and other
factors that play a role in recovery and staying
healthy. Such an empowerment programme
would include:
• Intensive training for caregivers on the control of
opportunistic infections, anti-retroviral treatment
and other medical support processes
• Financial incentives for caregivers.
• An ongoing media project to document the
53

If I kept it to myself
work and development of home based care in
South Africa, through the production of historical
records, articles and a journal. This material
would be circulated to South African and
international organisations to keep them informed
and attract their support.
• The building of Arts and Culture Centres, to be
run in association with the HBC programme and
as infrastructure for support groups and their
income-generating projects.
• The establishment of a multi-service centre
or “one-stop-shop” in at least one rural area to
provide access to community health and related
services.
As a young South African, I know that this line of
work challenges one to remain humble, and not
to seek fame or material fortune. However, it also
presents one with opportunities to develop inner
greatness. I feel a great sense of pride when I
can assist even one lonely, frightened, afflicted
person living in the isolation here among the
Drakensberg Mountains.
Through my employment with HIVAN, which
partners with the Child Survival project, I am now
a researcher documenting the lives of the people
living at the centre of the AIDS pandemic in this
remote rural setting. Everyday, the work I do
motivates me and deepens my understanding of
the levels, causes and lessons of such suffering
in our society. The more I pursue my work and
study, the more I know what it is to be human,
and what humanity asks of me and gives to me.
54
Born: 1979
Country: KwaZulu
Natal, South Africa
Organisation: HIV
and AIDS Networking
(HIVAN), World Vision
Campaigns for:
Care and Support of
PLWHA, their families
and care givers

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Agnes Njeri Wanjiku
The issue of disclosure of HIV status, especially between
married couples, is very tricky. We have many cases of
discordant couples who suffer silently because they
fear rejection from spouses if they disclose their status.
My name is Agnes Njeri, a 27-year-old from
Kenya. I joined KENWA in 1999 after being a
care giver to my aunt who was a commercial
sex worker (CSW) and HIV positive. Because of
taking care of my ailing Aunt, my family wanted
nothing to do with me.
My family believed that my aunt had brought the
disease upon herself by doing sex work. To them
this was the consequence of immoral behaviour
and was therefore a much deserved punishment.
Despite this stigma I never gave up taking care
of her until she passed away December 26,
1999. My aunt had one son and a grandchild.
Unfortunately, the son was murdered one year
later. Through this experience, I felt it was my
duty to act as an ambassador in my community
to help people who are HIV positive through
counselling. Since October 24, 2004 I have been
the coordinator of KENWA’s drop-in-centre in
Mathare, where I have been reaching out to the
community.
The population in Mathare is around 700,000
people, and more than 150,000 people are HIV
positive. At the centre, we have 330 care givers
and 18 community health workers. The care
givers work on a voluntary basis and sometimes
we give them a small token of appreciation. The
feeding programme caters for 136 orphans and
vulnerable children. 110 of the children are in
school and 26 are under the age of five. We
feed them seven days a week, although due
to limited funding, we are only able to provide
breakfast and lunch. Some family members
claim responsibility for their relatives` children
as guardians, but some HIV positive people and
care givers are also parenting orphans.
Through KENWA we have managed to
provide vocational training in hairdressing and
dressmaking to young women. In my centre,
we took seven commercial sex workers (CSWs)
for vocational training, although unfortunately
two dropped out because of lack of interest and
commitment. We also gave two CSWs capital to
start small businesses and they are doing quite
well. 13 CSWs have also been introduced to
the Kenya rural enterprise project, which offers
micro-finance loans to KENWA members for
income generating activities.
Our centre has a young mothers’ club,
which mainly deals with fighting stigma and
discrimination, through songs, dance and drama
with messages specifically tailored to change
the behaviour and perceptions of people with
regard to HIV and AIDS related issues. The
young mothers meet every Saturday to share
experiences and encourage each other. During
sessions they are all given condoms, which
they later distribute in pubs, clubs and other
entertainment spots.
Beatrice Waithera is a young single mother
aged 24 years, with two children. She was a
commercial sex worker in Nairobi. I first met
with her in June 2004 at East Leigh, St Vincent
Antenatal Clinic in Nairobi where I had been
invited for a health talk session with expectant
mothers. She was then eight months pregnant.
Three days after meeting with Beatrice, she came
to Mathare drop-in-centre wanting to know more
about prevention of mother to child transmission
(PMTCT) because she had just learnt about her
HIV positive status. She gave birth just after
being introduced to the support group.
55

If I kept it to myself
As a HBC giver I continued taking care of her
at home, for she had no close relatives to look
after her. KENWA gave her vocational training as
a hairdresser in March 2005. After two months
she dropped out, claiming that her kids were
starving. Beatrice went back to her former ways
of earning a living. It was during this time that, out
of desperation, she tried to commit suicide. She
was completely unable to meet her children’s
needs. She swallowed some poisonous
chemicals but luckily a neighbour who heard
unusual painful groaning coming from Beatrice’s
house rescued her. KENWA offered a vehicle to
take her to hospital.
During her stay in hospital we stayed with her
kids at the drop-in-centre. She fully recovered
and I continued counselling her for a period of
two months. After much counselling, she thought
of opening a business. She told me she was
ready to start a new life although it took a lot of
will power for her to stop commercial sex work.
She thought that she had a genetic predisposition
to be a CSW.
I wrote a letter to the head of KENWA, Asunta,
humbly requesting capital to help Beatrice,
which Asunta responded to positively. Currently,
Beatrice is running a small green grocery kiosk,
although she tells me that she had a very hard
time adjusting to her new business. She is one of
our active group therapy members. She says that
sometimes when she goes a day without selling
she is tempted to go to her former business. She
keeps her strength by visiting the drop-in-centre.
As a community health care worker, I have
experienced some challenges with our clients.
First of all the Mathare area does not have
proper waste disposal facilities and toilets. This
56
makes the environment unhygienic, and general
communicable diseases are very common. There
are too many expectations beyond what we can
do, such as paying house rent and hospital bills,
and inadequate resources to nurse a client, like
soap for washing. Relatives and the community
sometimes expect KENWA to meet all the funeral
expenses when a patient dies, claiming that we
used to take care of her. We also have to report
and file cases of child abuse, child negligence
and child labour to the police.
There is also much fear and insecurity around
working hours. We are often called at night
to take clients to hospital. In addition, some
clients become sexually attracted to their care
givers, putting them in a very awkward and
embarrassing position. Some of the CHWS meet
arrogant drunkards while distributing condoms in
the local bars and lodges.
The issue of disclosure of HIV status, especially
between married couples, is very tricky. We
have many cases of discordant couples that are
silent because they fear rejection from spouses
if they disclose their status. Our work is quite
demanding. It requires total dedication, time and
commitment in client treatment follow-up.
Born: 1978
Country: Kenya
Organisation: KENWA
Campaigns for:
professional
reconversion, support,
training, counselling of
HIV positive people.

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Mwelwa Chibuye
I believe that one can do wonders even if you are HIV
positive.
I tested HIV positive in 1999, when I was 19-
years-old, and went into denial for almost three
years. Upon noticing that a number of my close
friends and relatives were dying from AIDS
related illnesses, it triggered me to do something
about my situation.
I became interested in working in HIV when
I realised that my life could still be full and
meaningful and that I had the potential to
contribute positively to interventions against HIV
and AIDS.
I told my bishop at church about my status and
asked him if I could disclose my HIV status to the
rest of the congregation. He was not for the idea.
Instead he assured me that we could pray God to
heal me. When Sunday came I was determined
to disclose because I knew I was doing the right
thing and it would help many who might be in
denial like I was before. I also wanted to convey
that HIV does not care whether one is a born
again Christian. If one indulges in unprotected
sex and does not stick to one sexual partner
who is aware of their status, one is at risk of
contracting the virus. So I disclosed and almost
everybody was shocked, as they did not expect
me to be HIV positive because I was normal and
participating in church activities. That was my first
experience in the line of HIV work.
HIV and AIDS has since become my life,
especially in the area of positive living. I believe
that one can do wonders even if you are
HIV positive. Having gone through a difficult
upbringing I still managed to live positively and
of course not forgetting what the Network of
Zambian people living with HIV and AIDS (NZP+)
has done by building my capacity.
57

If I kept it to myself
I have a Certificate in Social Work Methods from
the University of Zambia as well as certificates in
Psychosocial counselling in HIV and AIDS and
in support group training. I now work with NZP+
as the Lusaka District Coordinator, in charge of
coordinating 150 support groups of people living
with HIV and AIDS.
My own uncle, who thought he had the right to
abuse me sexually just because he was paying
my college fees, made me very vulnerable to
HIV infection. I work with NGOs, churches,
communities and schools, and with out of school
youth and other youth groups. I encourage youth
to acquire more information on sexuality and
try to break the silence on incest by telling my
own story. I also work with communities, and
especially help HIV positive people establish
support groups. I am also a member of a support
group of PLWHA.
I work with households by initiating topics on
HIV and AIDS, getting their views, and sharing
the little knowledge I have. I also feature on
the Buaze Radio Show produced by a youth
organisation called Africa Directions. On the
radio programme we try to bring out issues
affecting young people and use the time to lobby
the government to do something about specific
issues that need attention.
58
Born: 1980
Country: Zambia
Organisations: HCP,
Afya Muzuri, Africa
Directions, NZP+
Campaign for: raising
community awareness
of HIV and AIDS

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
TOOL BOX
Give a Helping Hand
Comprehensive Care and Support
With the number of new HIV infections rising in most countries, the demand
for care and support is continuously increasing, thus posing tremendous
challenges to healthcare services and community institutions and
organisations responding to the pandemic.
There is a difference between active participation and observation. Being
sympathetic is just not enough. It is time for action so that we can effect
changes that are necessary within our communities.
Women living with HIV and AIDS need:
• Access to information relating to HIV and AIDS and their sexual and
reproductive health and rights. Most importantly they need support to
access these rights
• Economic empowerment so that women can be free to make informed
choices about their lives and their health. Most women in developing
countries are economically dependent on their husbands or male relatives;
therefore they cannot leave when they are being exposed to HIV and other
STDs
• To develop negotiation skills as in many countries it is unacceptable for a
woman to ask her husband or partner to wear a condom or to stop him from
being in a relationship having more than one partner
• Access to medication that can prevent passing HIV onto their babies
• Antenatal and other friendly health care services, as being pregnant
exposes a woman to lowered immunity
• Support, as women are the main carers, but if the same woman is sick a
man seldom looks after her and when a female member of the family dies,
her children are generally passed on to other female relatives to look after
• Laws that protect them against wife inheritance and sexual cleansing
among many other traditions. The practices originally supposed to protect
women are now placing them at special risk and are common practice in
many African countries
• More research relating to women’s health issues and HIV and AIDS.
• Governments to ensure that women have access to treatment for HIV
and AIDS and also treatment for opportunistic infections, such as TB and
sexually transmitted diseases.
59

If I kept it to myself
Steps to be taken
Community-based projects can link with medical and social support services
to provide:
• Medical and nursing care, including an element of home based care
(HBC)
• Access to appropriate diagnosis
• Treatment and prevention of opportunistic infections, including TB
• Management of HIV-related illnesses
• Antiretroviral therapy
• Psychological support (counselling)
• Socio-economic support to families, children affected by AIDS, and key
populations vulnerable to HIV, such as children and youth
• Human rights and legal support, where human rights have been wronged
• Active community involvement
• Support for care givers
• Referral mechanisms.
Successful home based care programmes
• Uphold the rights and dignity of people infected and affected by HIV and
AIDS
• Ensure active participation of family and community members
• Provide space for equal partnership and mutual respect between family
and community members of the home based care team facilitators
• Build on the realities of living with HIV while maintaining hope based on
community collective action
• Maximize use of community resources while identifying and using
additional external resources as needed
• Have a strong element of confidentiality (shared)*
• Scaling up programmes to meet future needs.
*This is a situation where information and circumstances related to personal
life should only be available at the discretion of the individual. If the carer is
told something they must keep it to themselves. The right to share status is
withheld from the carer unless asked by the individual.
60

Media
and
Communications

If I kept it to myself
Princess Kasune Zulu
The Lord will turn something that was meant to break
you into a breakthrough
In 1986, I lost my baby sister to an AIDS related
illness. Then AIDS claimed my mother and
father. In 1994, at the age of 17, I dropped out of
school; I got pregnant and married my boyfriend,
a man 25 years older than me whose previous
wives may have died from AIDS. Two years
later, I gave birth to my second daughter. Now
I am a divorced young mother and have just
completed my high school diploma at the age of
29. I tested HIV positive in 1997. When I received
my test results, I was not traumatised but rather
filled with overwhelming peace. The doctor who
was counselling me was more traumatized, so
we ended up switching roles! Thankfully, my
daughters, Joy (11) and Faith (10) are both HIV
negative.
My diagnosis was a spiritual awakening and
I decided to go public with my status, against
the wishes of church leaders and my former
husband. I embarked on a campaign to educate
other Zambians to protect themselves from HIV
and AIDS. I would hitchhike with truck drivers
and talk to them about HIV and AIDS. I gave
seminars to major employers and worked with
primary and secondary schools. At that time HIV
and AIDS was rarely discussed, and my actions
exposed me to painful stigma and discrimination.
World Vision International’s Special Assistant
to the President on AIDS, Mr. Ken Casey,
was visiting my village when he first heard my
testimony. He was impressed by my story and
my ability to tell it. He said that when I tell my
story, the pandemic becomes real. As a result,
I became the international spokesperson and
AIDS educator for World Vision’s Hope Initiative,
a nationwide campaign to mobilise Christians
and the general public to take action against the
62
global HIV and AIDS pandemic. I train staff to
care for those with AIDS and teach prevention
measures to Zambia’s children and young
people.
I am the founder and chairperson of Fountain of
Life ministries, a charitable organisation for young
AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. Currently
we have more than 500 children. I am also a
co-founder and the current Vice Chairperson of
the African Extended Family Support for Orphans
and Vulnerable Children (AFFESS-OVC).
My radio programme called ‘Positive Living’, is
one way we help Zambian listeners address the
challenges of living with HIV and AIDS and caring
for their loved ones. We discuss and respond
to listeners’ questions on various topics. This
year the role of the church was one of the topics
we discussed and it attracted a big audience
and much enthusiasm. The church has a role
to play in the response to HIV and AIDS. They
have moved from discriminating to participating
but we want them to talk about HIV and how it
is affecting people, especially the church-going
community. Different denominations are coming
together to address HIV and AIDS. I have come
to realise that people from all walks of life are
affected and united by the AIDS epidemic.
This radio programme received honours from
the US Embassy in Zambia for excellence in
broadcasting on HIV and AIDS.
I continue to work with World Vision as an
international AIDS advocate who has dedicated
her life to fighting the global epidemic that has
claimed the lives of over 20 million people. I
have taken my message to the UN, across the
USA and Africa, to Spain, Romania, the UK,

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Ireland, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and New
Zealand, while raising millions of dollars for the
fight. I have met with senior government leaders,
including the UK Secretary of Development,
and the Irish Parliament, our own President
of the Republic of Zambia, and the wife of the
UN Secretary General. In 2003 I was part of a
delegation to the White House’s Oval Office that
met with President Bush and former Secretary of
State, Colin Powell.
I have also built a strong international media
presence with features in Cosmopolitan, the Wall
Street Journal, USA Today, Christian Today and
Ebony, and on Good Morning America, Fox News
and BBC, as well as leading Irish, Australian
and New Zealand media. At every opportunity,
I try to speak boldly about the AIDS pandemic
and its impact on orphans, but also about the
hope that is available for those affected by AIDS
because of the commitment of organizations like
World Vision. But this issue is too big for a few
organizations alone. A response to AIDS requires
all nations working together; that’s why I’m
delighted to be a guest speaker on the UNAIDS
Global Women’s Coalition on HIV and AIDS. I
hope to help people see the face of AIDS; the
affected are not just statistics, these are children
and mothers and fathers.
My first book, ‘I Will Not Die Before I am Dead
- a Memoir of Hope in the World of AIDS’, will be
published in 2006.
I was nominated for the Reebok Human Rights
award in 2004 and again in 2005 as a young
woman bringing change to the fight against HIV/
AIDS.
The Lord has been very good to me and every
day I glorify his name. I find my encouragement
in Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Isaiah 45:1-3: The Lord
said to me, “I chose you before you were born
I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”
“Do not say that you are too young, but go to the
people I send you to, and tell them everything
I command you to say.” The Lord can turn
something that was meant to break you into a
breakthrough.
I am now a pastor serving at River City Church
in Chicago, Illinois. In October 2006, I am going
to enrol in North Park University to study for my
undergraduate degree. I continue to commit
my life to the fight against HIV and AIDS, and
hope that as organizations and individuals come
together in this fight, we can one day make this
world an HIV-free place.
Born: 1976
Country: Zambia
Organisation: World
Vision International,
Fountain of Life
ministries
Campaigns for: HIV
and AIDS protection,
mobilisation of
Christians and the
general public, care
for AIDS orphans
and vulnerable
children
63

If I kept it to myself
Belinda Ngwadzai
People do not want to accept that HIV really exists until
it comes knocking on their door.
My name is Belinda Ngwadzai, a 21-year-old
woman from Zimbabwe. I have been HIV positive
for the past seven years.
I was orphaned when I was very young so I
had to go and live with my uncle and aunt.
Being the eldest in the new family, I would
sometimes have to look after the other children
while my aunt went to South Africa to sell
clothes. One evening my uncle abused me
and that is when it all started. My sexual
abuse became a police case and I had to go
through the motions of a rape victim. Although
the medical examinations revealed that I
was not pregnant, time was to reveal a much
worse lifetime sentence to bear. I discovered
that my uncle infected me with the HIV virus
as well as syphilis. I was given antibiotics for
two weeks. I visited a family support clinic
for abused children where I had to go for
regular checkups and counselling. The signs
of the STD disappeared before I had finished
my medication, but I was told to finish all my
medication as it could reoccur.
That was at the tender age of 14, when I didn’t
yet know much about HIV and AIDS. I was taken
to The Centre (an organisation for people living
with HIV and AIDS) for nutritional guidance,
stress management and post-test counselling.
After the result of my test, I was suicidal because
I thought I was going to die, but the counselling
changed my mind. I now have a lot of hope
and that is what I am giving to others who may
have already lost it. Lynde Francis (Director and
Founder, The Centre) and Esther Guzha (Chief
Counsellor, The Centre) helped me come to
terms with my status. I could see their strength
and I envied them.
64
I had been very close to my aunt before
contracting HIV. However, after testing HIV
positive, she started to stigmatise me, as she
believed that I was the one who infected her
husband. Her children would ask so many
questions but she would never respond. My uncle
was sentenced to eight years in prison. Once
he was imprisoned, my aunt left for her rural
home with her kids, but without me. I remained in
Harare with my extended family. After attending
a few support group meetings, I decided to
disclose my status to the rest of my family. We
had discussed the possible consequences after
the disclosure and how to handle them in the
group. My extended family members were very
supportive and I felt loved. I realised that people
understand you better when they know your
status. During the first few days no one wanted to
share anything with me due to lack of knowledge
about HIV. I used to go to The Centre to collect
some books about HIV and AIDS for everyone to
read.
I felt a lot of pain and loneliness when I was told
the test result. This made me decide to disclose
my status to other young people. I joined a
youth programme called ‘Choose Life’ (an NGO
started by Sophie Dilmitis) where we went to
private schools and talked about HIV and AIDS.
Youth have many misconceptions and questions
regarding the basics of HIV and AIDS, positive
living, and PLWHA. During our school visits, we
mostly discuss sexual and reproductive health
issues. As I was still in school, I did voluntary
work during the holidays.
After I finished my ‘O’ levels I went to the
Connect Institute of Systematic Therapy, an
NGO that offers training on counselling, therapy

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
and management for professionals like nurses,
teachers, police and army personnel. They offer
lunchtime training, support groups for members,
pre and post counselling with HIV testing,
therapy, workshops, home visits, and orphan
support through family counselling. I learnt a lot
while at Connect, and use the skills I learnt on a
daily basis.
I am now a facilitator with the International Video
Fair (IVF), which is an organisation whose aim
is to educate communities on crucial social
development issues through the use of video to
audiences without access to mainstream media.
IVF’s education focus is mainly centred on HIV
and AIDS, teenage sex and pregnancy, nutrition,
gender issues and on women who have taken up
the challenge of changing their lives and those of
the people in communities around them.
There are still a lot of misconceptions about
HIV and AIDS and other issues surrounding it.
I find that people feel free to talk about HIV and
AIDS issues with someone who has experience
with the virus. As an IVF film screening
facilitator, I have observed that the programme
has helped both those who have access to
mainstream media and those who don’t. In
2003, IVF partnered with STEPS to screen a
series of short films about HIV and AIDS across
Zimbabwe. The campaign lasted ten months
with repeat shows in some communities. I
participated as a discussion facilitator, mobiliser,
activist, peer educator, social worker and
actress. For ten months we discussed issues
around HIV and AIDS and I gave my testimony
of living positively with HIV to audiences around
Zimbabwe, reaching an average of 3,500 people
per show with 22 shows per month. Throughout
Zimbabwe I travelled to communities and public
gatherings giving my testimony before and after
video screenings. Many young women or girls
interested in more information would approach
me after the show and I was more than willing
to listen, discuss and provide literature. When
we returned to some communities for repeat
screenings I noticed that the question and
answer session was very different, the level of
questions showed more maturity and signs of
understanding.
As I look back at the shows we did here in
Zimbabwe, I always learnt something new and
this made the ten-month campaign interesting
and very educational. The unique thing between
the audience and me is that we all gained
knowledge both from each other and from the
films. As we moved from place to place we
learned about different cultural and religious
beliefs that contribute to the spread of HIV and
AIDS. Having these discussions made me realise
that there are still some Zimbabweans in denial.
People do not want to accept that HIV really
exists until it comes knocking on their door. Some
even say that people are using it as a way of
making money.
One of the main issues raised is that people find
it difficult to talk about HIV in their households
because of cultural or religious beliefs. The same
situation happened in the audience, especially
with the children; they limited their views because
of adults. I think children had a lot more to say
but they could not open up because of the mixed
audience. As a result of seeing these films and
having these discussions, I believe most people
have accepted that HIV really exists. People do
not want to change their sexual behaviour despite
65

If I kept it to myself
knowing that HIV is there, so we emphasised the
use of protection to avoid getting infected with
other STDs. I sometimes demonstrated how to
use a condom as part of the discussion because
many people were complaining that the condom
would burst during intercourse.
“The Test”, a 21-minute video on my work, was
produced during the campaign. The film touches
on my personal testimony, the audiences’
disbelief of it, and the myths that come with
HIV and AIDS. My confidence in answering the
audience’s questions is confirmation of how I
have embraced my status and learned to live
positively with HIV. Even though I was confident
about telling my story before the campaign, going
to new communities in Zimbabwe and talking in
front of large crowds was new to me. It took me
about five months to gain confidence with the
audiences. The road show crew that I worked
with during the campaign, especially Charity
Maruta (Regional Director of International Video
Fair), made this possible by providing me with the
information I needed to gain that confidence.
Our crew comprised young boys and girls, and I
fitted in well with them. Working with fellow youth
made it easier to relate to each other. I must
say I am so lucky that they all love and care for
my well being. At this time, I encouraged one of
the crew members, Braveman Makhaza, to get
tested and disclose his status. I took him through
each stage telling him the advantages of knowing
his status. He was negative, what a relief! After
the test I gave him some counselling on how to
keep his status negative. Now he is able to stand
on stage and talk to his friends, relatives and the
country about HIV and AIDS.
Having seen “The Test” young people have
approached me asking where they could go for
advice. Some of them had been sexually abused
a long time ago and didn’t know where to go for
help. I think there are a lot more young women
and girls like that out there, who don’t get the
opportunity to see this kind of film that gives them
hope. Some of them are even infected right now
and have no idea. My main concern is to reach
as many young women and girls as possible.
66
Born: 1983
Country: Zimbabwe
Organisations:
International Video Fair
(IVF)
Campaigns for: involving
young people in dialogue
on HIV and AIDS

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Joya Banerjee
Young people and HIV and AIDS is by nature a highly
controversial subject as the majority of infections
worldwide occur through sexual intercourse, which is
taboo for many people...
I began working on HIV and AIDS issues
during my sophomore year at Barnard College,
Columbia University. I attended presentations by
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute,
and was inspired by his work on HIV and AIDS
in Africa. At the end of one of his presentations
he encouraged the audience to become active in
the HIV and AIDS movement, and suggested that
we begin a chapter of the Student Global AIDS
Campaign.
The idea was attractive to me because I had met
so many dynamic student leaders championing
causes such as conflict resolution in Israel and
Palestine and the rights of women of colour in
New York, but no student organisation existed
that dealt with HIV and AIDS or sustainable
development. A group of students and I came
together with the mantra of “health is a human
right” to found Columbia Global Justice (CGJ), a
chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign.
Through CGJ, I reached out to youth on campus,
in New York City, and worldwide, to raise
awareness with events every two weeks focused
on issues such as international debt and HIV and
AIDS, microbicides, vaccine trials and research,
US funding policies, gender and HIV and AIDS,
and other issues. Our membership grew to over
250 students, both undergraduate and graduate,
and our events were diverse ranging from panel
discussions to documentary screenings to
fundraisers to letter writing and calling campaigns
to government representatives.
With CGJ, I organised New York City’s first
Student Global AIDS Walk that raised thousands
of dollars for a grassroots organisation in
Zambia, a country where 16.5% of citizens are
living with HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS: 2003). We
collaborated with New York University’s New
York City Student Initiative for AIDS to host slam
poetry and hip-hop concerts, and sell hundreds
of discount cards for students to use in local
shops. The funds raised supplied grassroots
HIV and AIDS initiatives in the developing
world. That year, I also organised Columbia
University’s first World AIDS Week.
It was during the World AIDS Week that I
met Christian Gladel of the United Nations
Population Fund’s (UNFPA) HIV and AIDS
Branch. He managed the Global Youth Partners
Initiative (GYP), which builds the capacity of
young leaders in 30 countries to encourage
their governments to scale up HIV and AIDS
interventions for young people. I applied to intern
at UNFPA and they hired me to work on youth
participation in HIV and AIDS.
While working with the GYP, I was inspired by
their spirit of volunteerism and leadership. I was
involved in the important work of assisting young
people to effectively drive grassroots change in
their communities. I became aware that funding,
opportunities for employment and participation,
technical assistance, and collaboration exist,
but that young people face many barriers in
accessing these resources due to a lack of skills
and the general mistrust that adult leaders have
for young people.
Young people also lack access to youth friendly
prevention and treatment information and
services. They are at the mercy of conservative
government agendas that dictate programmes for
them that are ineffective and unscientific, such as
abstinence only education.
67

If I kept it to myself
In the summer of 2004 I attended the Oxfam
International Youth Parliament (OIYP) in Sydney,
Australia. At the conference, I met over 300
incredible progressive young people from all
over the world driving change at grassroots level.
The most common challenge that almost all of
us faced was a lack of resources to implement
our action plans on a large scale. Funding is
very difficult to come by for grassroots initiatives
spearheaded by young people. Similarly, young
people lack training programmes and manuals,
knowledge on how to design, implement,
monitor and evaluate the programmes more
effectively, and knowledge of what initiatives and
organisations exist.
Within UNFPA’s HIV and AIDS Branch, I found
a role model in Julitta Onabanjo, who was
then a technical advisor specialised in young
people and HIV and AIDS. She was keen on the
development of the alliance, especially to build
the capacity of young leaders in HIV and AIDS
worldwide. She spoke with representatives from
other UN agencies that make up the UNAIDS
Inter-Agency Task Team on Young People and
HIV and AIDS, and invited my colleague Mila and
I to Geneva, Switzerland to present to the Task
Team on Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS
(GYCA).
At the same time the initial Task Force of
GYCA decided to hold a needs assessment e-
consultation using TakingITglobal technology to
determine exactly what young leaders in HIV and
AIDS needed to succeed in their work. 365 youth
from over 60 countries participated in the month
long consultation, answering specific questions
each week via email, taking care, as much as
possible, to solicit feedback from young people
they worked with who did not have access to the
Internet. I facilitated the e-consultation with Mila
and we put together a report on the challenges
and goals of young people, and suggestions for
the structure and priorities of the alliance.
Our presentation to UNAIDS was successful
in enlisting the support of UN agencies, and
UNAIDS agreed to give GYCA a seed grant to
begin its activities. UNFPA pledged support by
creating a position for me within the HIV and
AIDS Branch and Adolescent and Youth Cluster
as a consultant to develop GYCA.
To begin the alliance, we selected 14 regional
focal points by a competitive application process.
They were selected on the basis of their
grassroots experience and their ability to reach
vulnerable youth, especially those who are not
ICT-connected. This was a crucial priority that
came out of the e-consultation, as youth without
internet access are often best positioned to
enact change in their communities, but lack the
resources and support needed to do so.
From the beginning, our main strength was
our e-forum, which now reaches over 1500
young people and grows each day. Through
the forum young people find out about events,
scholarships, job opportunities, training
resources, and the latest information about HIV
and AIDS. We have encountered many differing
opinions and a great diversity of people on the
forum. GYCA defines ‘youth’ as ages 15-30,
but we have people younger and much older
participating on the forum. They are diverse in
language, gender, religion, nationality, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, HIV status, physical disability,
and socio-economic status. Young people and
68

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
HIV and AIDS is by nature a highly controversial
subject matter as the majority of infections
worldwide occur through sexual intercourse,
which is taboo for many people, including some
of our members. It has been both a challenge
and a joy to see the amount of information and
debate on the forum.
As we grew and collaborated with TakingITglobal
to design our interactive capacity building
website, we were able to reward our young
volunteers sending them to international
conferences, by networking them together for
collaborative projects and fundraising, assisting
them with grant proposals, applications, CVs, and
abstract-writing, providing training opportunities,
highlighting their work, and creating mechanisms
for networking and partnerships.
In February 2004, we held our first global
advocacy campaign gathering thousands of
students. GYCA organized advocacy and
awareness-raising events in 18 countries. The
events ranged from HIV and gender awareness
sessions for young boys in Pakistan to a peaceful
protest in front of the World Bank offices in
Zambia calling for debt cancellation for the
world’s 50 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
(HIPCs).
After the success of February’s campaigns,
UNAIDS called upon GYCA to hold a brief e-
consultation to provide young people input on
their Prevention Strategy. We recommended
that UNAIDS scale-up efforts especially in the
areas of youth friendly services, life skills based
education, and behaviour change communication
for young men and boys. Members discussed
programmes that are successful in their countries
and those that are obsolete and must be
updated.
Concurrently we launched our global mapping
project, to make contact with local, national,
and regional youth led or youth serving HIV and
AIDS initiatives and networks. In addition to
adding these to our Global Directory searchable
by country, region and thematic focus, we are
working to develop partnerships with these
organisations.
12 country reports were submitted, and a young
intern at UNFPA’s HIV/AIDS Branch, Sunita
Grote, and myself, compiled and edited the
reports into a publication published by UNFPA
called “Our Voices, Our Future: Young People
Report on Progress Made on the UNGASS
Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS.”
In May 2004, I was invited to participate in the
International Youth Forum on young people’s
sexual and reproductive health and rights and the
Millennium Development Goals held in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. The forum was a wonderfully
refreshing opportunity for me to meet with 60
progressive young people from all over the world
who share common beliefs about human rights
and youth participation. We deconstructed four of
the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):
education, gender equality, maternal health, and
HIV and AIDS, and wrote a booklet on where
sexual and reproductive health and rights fit
into the MDGs and why youth are crucial to the
attainment of the targets by 2015.
On June 2nd 2004, GYCA and GYP, with the
support of UNAIDS, UNFPA, and the other
cosponsors, organised a Breakfast with Young
People. We sat with Ministers of Health,
delegates, ambassadors, and heads of UN
agencies to dialogue directly on the needs of
young people worldwide on HIV and AIDS, about
the findings of the report, and how governments
can scale-up HIV and AIDS interventions to
effectively reach us.
The Breakfast was so effective that our
recommendations were taken into account
throughout the day, especially in the Prevention
Roundtable when delegates from three nations
(Guatemala, Chile, and Gambia) mentioned our
report and the needs of young people and HIV
and AIDS.
This was an opportunity to speak frankly about
why and how young people are infected and
affected, and to encourage decision-makers to
look at the context that creates vulnerability:
poverty, unemployment, gender inequality,
conflict, and stigma and discrimination. It was
also an opportunity to challenge leaders on why
they have not committed sufficient resources to
HIV and AIDS interventions for young people
which are highly cost effective, and why they
have not made use of the large pool of young
activists eager to enact change and halt the
pandemic.
Currently GYCA is spearheading efforts for
the Toronto Youth Force at the upcoming XVI
International AIDS Conference in Toronto
(August 13-18) with many other partners. We are
organizing a three day capacity-building preconference,
training young people in advocacy,
assisted young people to write abstracts and
apply for scholarships through a free online e-
course, helping them to fundraise, developing
69

If I kept it to myself
an interactive website (http://youth.aids2006.org)
and working on post-conference follow up plans.
GYCA now has a North Secretariat based in
New York by the United Nations at the Global
Youth Action Network, and a South Secretariat
based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, at Development
Partnership International.
GYCA contributed to the youth programme at the
International Conference on AIDS and STIs in
Africa, held in Abuja, Nigeria, in December 2005.
At the Conference I connected with hundreds of
motivated and inspiring young people and was
able to see how much potential GYCA has to
build new leadership.
We are offering 3 free e-courses to young people
who apply on Project Management, Grant
Proposal Writing and Fundraising, and Political
Advocacy. Each course culminates in a nationallevel
project or campaign that GYCA staff (there
are now six full time staff members and two
interns) help to implement, monitor and evaluate.
GYCA’s 12 2006 Regional Focal Points are
continuing the mapping and global networking
process, and are in the process of choosing
National Coordinators, further building our
infrastructure. They are holding local gatherings
this summer to involve young people working on
HIV and AIDS at the grassroots level who may
not have access to Internet.
GYCA is also coordinating a Youth Summit
with Advocates for Youth and UNFPA for the
UNGASS +5 AIDS 2006 Review Meeting at the
UN. 60 young people from all over the world,
some of whom are writing national youth shadow
reports on their governments’ progress in
achieving UNGASS targets for youth, will come
together for an advocacy training and participate
in many events at the UN Secretariat in New
York. Five GYCA members are currently official
youth delegates of their governments for this
meeting. To supplement these efforts we have
been lobbying country missions to ensure that
young people and sexual and reproductive health
are included in their statements and in their
negotiations on the outcome document of the
meeting.
At the ground level GYCA has helped scale up
several projects, most notably a campaign in
Egypt where GYCA members have teamed up
with the National Democratic Party to initiate a
campaign against Female Genital Mutilation.
GYCA is currently holding and contributing to
trainings for young leaders in Poland and in
Trinidad & Tobago.
We continue to grow at a rapid pace and I feel
that we are truly capable of opening doors for
young leaders to realize their ambitions and to
become legitimate actors in response to HIV and
AIDS.
70
Born: 1982
Country: United States of America
Organisations: Global Youth Coalition
on HIV and AIDS, Student Global AIDS
Campaign, Columbia Global Justice
(CGJ), Global Youth Partners Initiative
(GYP), Oxfam International Youth
Parliament (IYP)
Campaigns for: assisting young
people to effectively drive grassroots
initiatives change in their
communities, using ICTs

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Felicita Hikuam
It was enraging to me that the world continues to
move on while millions of productive Africans and
young people around the world die from a preventable
illness, and one that can be treated to ensure a longer
productive life!.
I can remember being around 11 years old in
the late ‘80s when the first cases of HIV were
registered in Namibia and my mother was talking
about colleagues who were diagnosed as living
with HIV. Fear tactics were the order of the day
for HIV campaigning and my mother’s way of
explaining HIV to us was bringing home a book
of people with STIs and dying of AIDS-related
illnesses: These images are still quite vivid in my
mind.
I had known about HIV in our community since
I was a girl; however by the time I was a young
woman and returned to Namibia after my studies
abroad, the pandemic was hitting much closer to
home. Over the past five years I’ve buried many
of my relatives due to AIDS-related death and
am increasingly dealing with the effects of HIV on
my life and my family’s livelihood. I work in HIV
not because it is helping ‘the beneficiaries’, but
because I am living with HIV in my family. It is my
reality and not something out there somewhere
affecting other people, but right here with me
every day.
I decided to go into the communications field,
and particularly development communication,
because, from a very young age, I was aware
of the power of information in transforming
people’s lives. I realised that to contribute to
the overall development of my country I had to
work in a field that I was passionate about and
use my communication skills to contribute to the
response to a disease that was negating our
development and affecting me so personally.
One of the most moving experiences with
HIV in my career was on my first field trip to a
home based care project run by the Namibian
Red Cross in the north of Namibia. On the
second day of the trip we had the opportunity to
accompany a care facilitator on her visit to one
of her ‘clients’, an 18 year old woman living with
HIV. This young woman was bedridden with an
AIDS related illness. She could not visit the toilet
or wash herself and was relying heavily on the
support of the care facilitator and her family. I
saw humanity working first hand through this
Red Cross volunteer to protect the dignity of
this young woman. It was enraging to me that
the world continues to move on while millions of
productive Africans and young people around the
world die from a preventable illness, and one that
can be treated to ensure a longer productive life!
This experience fuelled my resolve to contribute
in some way to the empowerment of women and
young people who might not be living with HIV
yet, but also to protect the dignity and human
rights of those who are living with HIV.
71

If I kept it to myself
At the Namibia Red Cross I managed a health
and development communication partnership
with a South African NGO called Soul City. This
partnership aimed to encourage behaviour
change through high quality communication tools
including radio, television and print material.
In Namibia, over 90% of the population cite
radio as their primary source of information.
Mass media reached the people and kept
them informed, as well as influenced the public
agenda. In relation to the HIV pandemic in
Southern Africa, mass media has already proven
to significantly increase public awareness and
influence attitudes. My technical knowledge
and experience with radio, television and
print material development was a significant
contribution to the five year Desert Soul, Health
and Development Communication Project. In the
two years I was there, we developed the media
plan and mapped which vehicle to use for which
audience, and which health and development
topics were most relevant to the Namibian
context. We researched and developed a brand
for the project, which would be the driving force
behind the credibility and recognition of the
products. I coordinated formative research for the
adult HIV and AIDS booklet, ‘AIDS Action Now!’
and commissioned the television aspect of the
project, the production of a Namibian children’s
segment. I negotiated the radio partnership
and the layout of the print booklet, with over 1,5
million copies printed.
The Desert Soul Project was created from the
development, in 2001, of a youth booklet by
the Namibia Red Cross called ‘Choose Life’.
With 400 000 copies printed and distributed to
all corners of the country, this booklet had the
biggest print-run of any print material in Namibia.
An evaluation of the booklet has shown that
‘Choose Life’ has been quoted by a majority of in
and out of school youth as one of their primary
sources of information on AIDS, issues affecting
orphans and vulnerable children, and on general
life skills.
At the end of 2003, two years after joining
the Namibian Red Cross I moved to Geneva,
Switzerland to join the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) Secretariat as Coordinator for the
Federation’s global HIV and AIDS Anti-Stigma
Campaign. ‘The truth about AIDS - Pass it
on...’ campaign works to reduce stigma and
discrimination against people living with HIV
and AIDS (PLWHA) through partnerships with
the global network of people living with HIV
and AIDS (GNP) and its regional and national
72
affiliates. With advocacy for the human rights
and empowerment of PLWHA as one of its main
objectives, this campaign supports national Red
Cross and Red Crescent societies in making
use of advocacy opportunities to reduce stigma
in their communities.
As coordinator of the campaign, I coordinate
global coherence of Red Cross and Red
Crescent anti-stigma campaigns, produce
resource material, and support national societies
in implementing activities. Since beginning
work on the campaign, I have developed
two communications packs, three campaign
newsletters, and coordinated three key date
events, which include supporting National
Society events for World Red Cross and Red
Crescent Day and World AIDS Day. At the XV
International AIDS Conference, in 2004, I also
contributed to our partnership with PLWHA
and raised the significance of the greater
involvement of PLWHA in all aspects of the HIV
and AIDS response.
The bulk of our anti-stigma work is implemented
by volunteers and staff and aimed at reducing
stigma within the organisation and in
communities. With more than 200,000 PLWHA
within the organisation, the Federation itself has
had to go through a significant change process to
become a better home for PLWHA and a better
partner for GNP+.
I help raise the profile of people living with HIV
and AIDS by creating a platform for their voices to
be heard at international fora. One such an event
was the marking of the 10th anniversary of the
greater involvement of people living with HIV and
AIDS (GIPA) Principle on the 1st of December
2004 through a joint project with GNP+. I also
support the voices of people living with HIV and
AIDS through media materials including press
releases, opinion pieces and stories for different
internal and external audiences.
I work very closely with young people in the
Red Cross and Red Crescent who have great
enthusiasm and commitment to the cause. In
many countries our stigma reduction work is
driven by young people who use innovative
activities like ‘riding the bus’ in Jamaica,
concerts, candle light marches and sporting
activities around the rest of the world. Because
of their enthusiasm, commitment and creativity,
young people have been able to examine their
respective contexts and identify issues of stigma,
and ways these can be addressed in their
communities. Because our movement is built on

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
volunteerism, our HIV and AIDS work is driven
by committed and dedicated people in different
communities around the world.
National societies work with PLWHA, youth
and community members through advocacy
opportunities such as World Red Cross and Red
Crescent Day or World AIDS Day, organising
activities such as marches, speeches, concerts,
community meetings and sporting events. They
use the credibility of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent emblem to show solidarity with PLWHA
and through communication tools work to break
down the myths and fears surrounding HIV.
A recent evaluation of the Federation’s Global
HIV and AIDS Programme has identified that
the Red Cross and Red Crescent, because of its
mandate as the largest humanitarian organisation
in the world, is considered a logical choice to
spearhead the fight against HIV related stigma in
partnership with PLWHA.
Two thirds of the 181 national societies have
campaigned for the reduction of stigma with the
support of the campaign coordinator in Geneva.
The global anti-stigma campaign is appreciated
by external partners who often utilise resources
developed by the campaign.
The strength of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
network is its community base. With 97 million
volunteers around the world it has household
access to communities where most other
organisations do not. National Societies work
with community leaders and political leaders to
advocate for the empowerment and involvement
of PLWHA in their own care and in the overall
HIV response.
Red Cross and Red Crescent leadership has,
from the Federation governing board level to
National Society management level, stood
side-by-side publicly with PLWHA leadership,
giving the message that PLWHA are crucial
to the global AIDS response. The anti-stigma
campaign encourages and supports this work
with resources and technical support to national
societies and their partners.
The greatest testimony to the success of the
campaign impact is in the words of a woman
living with HIV and AIDS in Savannakhet
province in the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic who explained that “until the Red
Cross came to visit and bring these activities,
our families would not let us eat or join the
family or the community.”
Born: 1979
Country: Namibia
Organisations: Namibia
Red Cross, IFRC
Campaigns for:
empowerment and
dignity of women and
girls; change behaviour
and health care
73

If I kept it to myself
Sophie Dilmitis
It was important to ensure that no one would go
through this terrifying period of desperate uncertainty
and stress that I went through.
I am now 30 years old and have been living with
HIV for 12 years. In 1999, receiving an HIVpositive
diagnosis was like receiving a death
sentence. The complete lack of information
and knowledge available left me ready to give
up. It was only with strong family support that
I gathered information on HIV and AIDS. I
communicated with specialists all over the world,
read every publication available and spoke to
every experienced HIV-positive person I could
speak to.
It was important to ensure that no one would
go through this terrifying period of desperate
uncertainty and stress that I went through.
Although I was spreading the information
collected on a one to one basis with other newly
diagnosed patients through my doctor, it was
clear, that this was not enough.
Attending the 13th International AIDS conference
in Durban 2000 changed my life. The information
I received from the lecturers and HIV positive
people, the positive attitudes and the vast
information which suddenly became available,
sent me back to Zimbabwe with an enthusiasm
to take up this challenge, in an open and public
manner, breaking the silence that surrounds HIV
and AIDS.
I disclosed my status with a series of
newspaper articles and radio interviews,
tackling a section of the Zimbabwean
community, which was being neglected by
the overworked AIDS prevention groups
(themselves struggling to stay afloat in the tide
that has hit this country). Apart from giving
talks to support groups, management and staff
of many companies, I began talking to school
74
children and the response was incredible with
more and more schools asking me to address
their children, class by class.
Following many recommendations and
discussions, in February 2002, Choose Life was
registered, according to the laws in Zimbabwe as
The Choose Life Trust.
To date, the organisation has spoken with
over 7000 young people and implemented
programmes in over 29 schools throughout
Zimbabwe.
Choose Life is affiliated to other organisations
that deal with HIV-positive youths directly. Most of
it’s work is in schools with young people who do
not know their HIV status.
Choose Life’s goal is to live in an environment
that nurtures and protects young people, with
the hope that they will have accurate information
about their sexual and reproductive health and
rights. All young people should be able to protect
themselves against HIV infection and have
information on all issues relating to HIV and
AIDS.
Through education, knowledge can be passed
on, thereby conquering the fear, ignorance and
silence that surround HIV and AIDS. Knowledge,
accompanied by young people talking about
changing their behaviour and receiving support
from their community institutions can make a
difference. Choose Life hopes to reinforce and
support the process of change that all young
people have to go through if they want to take
responsibility for their actions and live healthy
positive lives, irrespective of their HIV status.

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
On a personal note, I began Choose
Life because I wanted to protect other
young people from being infected
with HIV and I wanted to give them
the information and education I never
had concerning HIV and AIDS.
Although there are limited
studies portraying HIV infection
rates amongst youth generally
in Zimbabwe, figures show that
80% of all new infections occur in
young women and girls, (UNAIDS;
Facing the future together, July
2004), yet they are often ignored
in debates about treatment, stigma
and discrimination. Contrary
to some studies showing that
awareness of HIV and AIDS in
Zimbabwe is high; some people
still lack basic knowledge about
this virus. Currently there are very
few educational programmes being
implemented in schools around
Zimbabwe, perpetuating this lack of
knowledge.
Who better to teach young people
about what it is like to live with HIV
than someone who is young, HIV
positive and not ashamed or afraid
to talk about it? I wanted to give
HIV a face, making it realistic and
something they could relate to. I
did not want them to think ‘this will
never happen to me’ like I did! I also
wanted other young infected people
to know that being HIV positive did not have to
be a shameful thing and that there are many
things that you can do to prolong your life. In
the process I was not only helping others but I
think I was assisting myself come to terms with
my own HIV status. Even though it is tiring and
very draining being able to connect with people
on such a deep level makes it worth it!
Choose Life has a very strong focus mostly on
prevention. HIV positive people hold the key to
prevention. We can either choose to carry on
spreading the virus or choose not to. Most people
who transmit HIV do it because they have never
been tested and do not know their HIV status.
I believe that by talking openly about my status
and showing people that there are things you
can do once you know your status, and that it
does not have to be a shameful thing to have
HIV, more people would be tested, and access
the support and care they need, and the infection
rate would decrease.
I would be lying if I said there weren’t more than
a few days in a year where I think to myself ‘life
would be so much easier if I did not have HIV’
but looking back over the past seven years, if
someone gave me the chance, I don’t know
how much I would change. My experiences,
both positive and negative have been so rich
that I often ask myself ‘Where would I be
had I not faced my fear, been tested for HIV
and discovered my status?’ Once I collected
information about HIV and dealt with the fact
that someday I am, like all of us, going to die
and came to terms with the fact that I was HIV
positive, life as I knew it did change, but for the
better.
There are always two sides to a coin and it really
is our choice which side we choose to accept
as our reality. We can either carry on being the
‘victim’ or rise above it all and become the ‘victor’
of our lives. Knowing my status helped me to
take action and be proactive. Most people see
75

If I kept it to myself
an HIV positive diagnosis as a death sentence. It
became my ‘Wake up Call’!
We don’t always realise the value of life until it
is threatened so remember to always respect,
protect and love yourself and your body. Every
time I find myself getting down about life I remind
myself that today I am healthy and well and I
have today!
Even though life at times is hard, I am excited
about my future and all the opportunities and
difficulties that will come my way. As Saint
Francis of Assisi once said, “GOD grant me the
serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can and the
wisdom to know the difference.” HIV is not the
enemy and has and will be my greatest teacher
in life.
Most importantly, take responsibility for your
life and your body. Always remember this is
your life and your body! Make sure you make
informed choices. Know and understand the
consequences of your actions and remember
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER but it is useless if you
do not use it!
76
Born: 1976
Country: Zimbabwe
Organisations: Choose
Life, ICW
Campaigns for:
young people’s
involvement in HIV
and AIDS campaigns,
informative and positive
representation of HIV
and AIDS in the media

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
TOOL BOX
Attract Attention
Media
There are two key elements in making news. Your article or story must
be fresh and something that will interest people or that they will be able to
relate to. The media can play an extremely powerful role in HIV and AIDS
but often they don’t and sometimes they need to be educated on issues
relating to HIV and AIDS.
The media want information to be:
• Relevant
• Educational
• Informative
• Interesting
• Unusual
• Supplemented with graphics and images
• Honest
• Fair
When talking to media people, be prepared and persuasive. Have in mind
three key issues that you want to come out of that interview. Be accurate
and ensure there is a follow up.
When working with the media:
• Correct them if they use incorrect language for example often reporters
talk about AIDS victims and sufferers or AIDS patients when referring
to people living with HIV and AIDS. Explain terms like PLWA’s and CD4
counts... etc.
• Break barriers of silence, dispelling myths and misconceptions
• Give new sources of information
• Keep it fresh. If something is happening don’t wait five days for it to hit the
news
• Plan ahead and have a media strategy
• Be proactive. Contact the media and tell them you have an interesting
story for them
• Involve them from the beginning of your project so that you develop a
relationship with them
• Be clear about who you are representing. Are you doing this in your
personal capacity or are you representing an organisation
• Always make sure you feel comfortable about the location that the
77

If I kept it to myself
interview will be held
• If you are going to be on television, wear clothing that is simple, without
large patterns, so that it is not distracting
• Think ahead about whether you would like to be photographed and if you
are not comfortable with this, don’t let anyone pressure you
• Try and obtain information of what kind of questions they will ask so that
you can prepare
• Use the KISS strategy. Keep it Straight and Simple
• If there is a question that you do not want to answer don’t feel pressured
• Always remember you can stop an interview any time you want.
Answering techniques
• Be brief
• Answer all questions directly relating to the question
• Use words that come naturally to you
• Try not to use acronyms, as people might not know what you are talking
about, but if you do, make sure to explain them
• Avoid Yes or No answers, always expand your answers so that it becomes
a conversation.
Journalists might ask you questions that are
• Factual – who, what, where, why, when and how
• Explanatory – In what way....
• Justifying – What do you think....
• Leading – Should we consider...
• Hypothetical – Suppose we did it this way...
• Alternative – This is intended to make a decision – should we do this....
• Coordinating - Paving the way forward, can we conclude that this would be
the way forward...
Additional things to remember in an interview and/or
presentation
• Be aware of using ‘them and us’ language, when referring to HIV positive
and negative people
• Remember a boring speaker can make a two minute speech seem too
long but an interesting speaker can make a five hour long speech seem too
short!
• If you are standing, stand up straight, don’t lean on a ledge
• Use notes and don’t read your speech. Look up and connect with your
audience
• Maintain eye contact with everyone in the room and not just with one
person
• Only use humour if you have to, this applies to irony and sarcasm.
78

Pioneers

If I kept it to myself
Asunta Wagura
It took me several months to come to terms with the
bitter truth and the reality. ... At the beginning I was
in shock, then anger, anger mounted to heartbreak,
heartbreak to grief, grief to surrender and, finally,
acceptance.
Since 1984 when the first case of AIDS was
discovered in Kenya, it remained a mystery.
Those suspected to be infected were taken to
be sexually immoral members of the community.
There was so much fear and stigma and people
were dying miserably, without support from their
families, hospital staff and the community at
large. Religious leaders were up in arms that HIV
positive people were sinners and fornicators, who
were responsible for other people’s suffering.
In fact, they had only themselves to blame for
their suffering and they deserved what they were
going through.
The single hardest day of my life was in 1988,
when I heard with my own ears, “Asunta, I am
sorry, you have AIDS”. I was told that I had six
months to live. Everybody including the pastor
and my own family were preparing for my death.
I did not fear dying from the disease, but I feared
living with the truth. It took me several months to
come to terms with the bitter truth and the reality.
I kept saying, “it isn’t possible! This can’t be real!
It can’t be me.” Many times I wished I were in
a dream. For three miserable and dark years,
I suffered the faces of agony. At the beginning
I was in shock, then anger, anger mounted to
heartbreak, heartbreak to grief, grief to surrender
and, finally, acceptance.
Once I had accepted the truth, I expected
everyone else would accept it too. I was wrong.
It turned out that instead, I received rejection,
isolation, anger and humiliation. I was not at all
prepared that everyone who loved me would go
through the same issues. This however did not
stop me. I had a duty towards Kenyans and the
whole world. I did not choose to be infected with
this dreaded AIDS virus.
80
As cofounder of KENWA, my mission has been
to ensure that nobody experiences the same
stigma and isolation I faced when I tested HIV
positive. In my endeavours, I preach compassion,
dignity, courage, awareness of risk, the need for
unity among people infected with HIV, and the
promise of hope. I want others to realise that
this virus can infect anyone and that those living
with it are no less human. It is for this reason
that I have gone public, and I am willing to be a
living example to others. No matter what others
say about me, I need not make myself a victim.
I detest the term “AIDS Victim”, which is at times
used to describe me.
It was against this background that in 1993 four
women and myself, all living with HIV and AIDS
started a meeting group. We decided the time
was ripe for us to do something about our HIV
status and that of the wider community. We felt,
especially as infected women, that we had to do
something to protect our children from what we
were experiencing.
Little did we realise that we were about to start a
chain reaction reaching deep into communities
and creating hope for other people living with the
infection. Consequently, we gained recognition
and respect that further boosted us to push for
registration of a non-governmental organisation:
Kenya Network Of Women With Aids (KENWA) in
1998.
By creating this organisation, we knew that at
long last we had a platform to air our views, our
pain of being discriminated against, stigmatised
and isolated. It also served as a forum to further
seek acceptance and solidarity from our families,
relatives and community in coping with infection

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
treatment and referrals to health centres, and
food assistance. We also visit affected families,
give home based care for those who are
bedridden and create opportunities to alleviate
poverty. KENWA involves people living with HIV
and AIDS as resource people in its advocacy,
education and community mobilisation, which
includes sharing their experiences of living with
HIV and AIDS.
and mitigating its spread. To achieve this we sold
our ideas to the government, donor communities
(both local and international) and any other
parties, religious groups and individuals who
would listen.
During this period we operated from a small
office, which the landlord kindly gave us. Besides
this, we were kept afloat by nominal funds from
well wishers and deep voluntary commitment
from our members. As we progressed, luck shone
our way in 2000, when Pathfinder International
and the Catholic Organisation for Relief and
Development Aid (CORDAID) supported our
programmes.
With their support, we have been able to start
drop in centres in three slum areas, in Nairobi,
namely, Mathare, Soweto and Korogocho. We
chose these areas because they are where the
majority of the founding members come from. We
are now receiving calls and demands to expand
and initiate similar activities in other districts.
Today, KENWA has a membership of over 4000
positive women and extends a helping hand
to well over 400,000 women and their families.
To better serve the needs of our members, we
mobilised local administration and the community.
The President’s office, community and religious
institutions, among others, came to our aid
and soon we were receiving relief food from
government, and free treatment for people living
with AIDS in special programmes, while donors
helped us to start a medical facility in one of our
drop in centres.
With the support of many volunteers KENWA
provides support and counselling, medical
We tell those we help, if KENWA has helped you
to live one more day, you must do the same for
someone else. This works well, as HIV positive
women are anxious to help others when they
have been empowered to live productive, hopeful
lives. People often come to me and say, “Asunta,
I no longer need you to provide food for me. I am
able to take care of myself now and I can also
provide food for two orphans”. KENWA’s children
receive material and psychosocial support. We
also encourage mothers to prepare their children
in advance before the event of ill health or death
by preparing their will and identifying a future
guardian.
I would like to say that some of our greatest
achievements, which are also mine, are that we
have given AIDS a human face and have earned
the respect and acceptance of our families
and the entire community. Today we talk about
sensitive issues like sex, condoms and AIDS,
thus ending stereotypes and ignorance.
In 1999, when we called on the government
to intervene, AIDS was declared a national
disaster. We have seen every sector involved
in the fight against AIDS since then. This was
another breakthrough. Presently our network
is involved in eight Constituency AIDS Control
Council Committees, while one of our members
represents the interests of people living with
AIDS at the national level.
Born: 1969
Country: Kenya
Organisation: KENWA
Campaigns for:
advocating acceptance
and compassion;
protection of children
and alleviation of
poverty
81

If I kept it to myself
Fikile Tengetile Dlamini
I continued to tell people about HIV and my experiences
because I wanted them to start talking and face the
reality in their own community.
My name is Fikile Dlamini. I became involved in
work on HIV and AIDS after I tested HIV positive
in 1990. When I was 14 years old, I was in a
relationship. After my first sexual encounter, I say
that I got “the three in one” meaning he broke
my virginity, gave me HIV and got me pregnant”
Three months later I had herpes zoster and
abscesses and was admitted to hospital. They
did an HIV test without my consent. I had no idea
what the ‘HIV positive’ on the card hanging on
my bedside meant, but I noticed the change in
attitude from the nurses. Before my diagnosis I
had been the nurses’ favourite patient but after
the test, with the exception of two nurses, no
one would come close to me. When they had to
administer my medication they would just push
it to me. I was unable to tell my parents, and
instead, I talked to my cousin about what had
happened.
My situation was difficult as I knew no one else
living with HIV and was desperate to meet
another HIV positive person. At that time there
were no positive messages anywhere; the only
posters that were available would show a fat lady
captioned ‘before’, followed by a very skinny lady
captioned ‘after’, and then it showed a coffin that
meant you get HIV and you simply die!
After I left the hospital, I went to The AIDS
Information & Support Centre (TASC) to confirm
my HIV status. Indeed, I was HIV positive. I was
troubled, being young and having no one to talk
to. I didn’t know where or how to meet other
people living with HIV. For years I felt alone and
confused. In 1992, I gave birth to my second
child and I was even more troubled than before
thinking of death every moment of my life and
having no way of protecting myself. During this
82
time I decided to commit myself to listening to
the radio shows presented by TASC on HIV
and AIDS. Through my troubled times God was
working out a plan for me – a hopeful life was to
come.
It so happened that my sister’s daughter was
having the same problems as me. She went
to deliver her child at the same hospital as I
had been admitted to. She was also forced to
have a HIV test and it came back positive. She
too couldn’t cope with her HIV status, and my
family asked me to take care of her, although
they did not know what was wrong with her.
Coincidentally, she lived only a few kilometres
from TASC. I moved into her house and this
gave me a chance to visit TASC almost every
day. Both my niece and I didn’t know about each
other’s status, we kept it confidential.
In the meantime, I became a full time volunteer
with TASC. I was trained on HIV counselling
but I would become even more desperate each
time I saw someone else struggling with living
with HIV. “Is she HIV positive?” I would ask the
other counsellors whenever someone left their
office. I was always reminded of confidentiality,
but my heart would sink at the thought. I started
watching videos on HIV and AIDS and they
helped me to understand the issue better and to
remain calm. Gradually, I became empowered
by the information I was receiving and I decided I
wanted to start a support group for people living
with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA).
I shared my idea with one of the counsellors at
TASC and she referred me to the TASC Director.
Surprisingly, the director had the same thought
but no one had been willing to tell others that

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
they were HIV positive. So she took the idea to
the counsellors’ support group and asked them
to start informing their clients about the support
group. It so happened that my niece was one of
the clients. One day, she came back home with
the information she had received at the centre
to educate me about HIV and AIDS. It was still
too difficult for me to tell her my status. Finally,
she asked me to accompany her to TASC. I was
so confused. I consulted with my counsellor,
who offered to pretend that they didn’t know
me. That day at TASC we both told each other
of our status and initialised the support group
concept. This is how our national support group,
Swaziland AIDS Support Organisation (SASO)
started.
The first HIV positive person I counselled was a
man who wanted to commit suicide because of
the stigma he was facing at his workplace. We
watched the films that helped me and we both
wept, but afterwards I felt relieved since I had
accomplished my goal. The most important thing
was that he knew that, while our situations were
different, I was another person living with HIV.
This man is still living positively and in control of
his life without medication. I last saw him on April
30, 2005 at the wedding ceremony of my niece
with whom we started the support group.
One day, I accompanied the Director of TASC
to a meeting of directors, programme managers
and donors. My director thought I could make a
pledge for our support group, and introduced me
to the then Programme Manager of Swaziland
National AIDS Programme (SNAP). The master
of ceremonies was told about my presence as
a person living with HIV, and in her remarks
she said: “Ladies and gentlemen, today we are
very grateful, having talked among ourselves
about HIV and AIDS that TASC has brought us
someone who has AIDS.”
Automatically it was clear that the person was
me, sitting next to the TASC Director. The SNAP
Programme Manager whispered to my Director
saying that since the MC had made a blunder,
I mustn’t say anything to rectify the situation.
The TASC Director wrote some notes but to no
avail, I had to speak. I stood up and repeated the
words of the MC. That was the beginning of my
public life. There were 55 people in that meeting,
including the Minister of Health, Dr. Von Wissel,
now the Director of the National Emergency
Response Committee HIV and AIDS (NERCHA).
NERCHA is the driving force on HIV and AIDS
in the country. Also among them was a health
educator from the Ministry of Health who asked
me to participate in a radio programme that same
day.
At 12.30pm on February 24, 1994, I became
the first person in Swaziland living with HIV to
disclose her status on national radio. I have
never looked back since that moment. The
negative perspective of the media was my first
encounter with stigma. I thank God for the TASC
director who protected me. I continue to live
positively and openly, driven by the anger I had
towards my boyfriend who didn’t want to admit
that he had infected me. I ask myself, how many
more young women will become infected and
later be rejected as I was?
Political and religious leaders reacted differently.
Some suggested that I should be branded and
placed in quarantine so that people could be
protected. Some would invite me and then mock
me saying AIDS is a punishment from God; I
should repent my evil ways, God is able to heal
me. Thanks to the staff of TASC, I was never
alone during these difficult times. I remember
one pastor invited me to give a testimony and
during the church service he quoted some verses
from the Bible saying it’s a curse from God.
He then asked me to stand up and said,” here
she is, look at her”, then asked me to sit down
without allowing me to give my testimony. I felt so
humiliated, but as an advocate for change I had
to remain courageous.
83

If I kept it to myself
In the community, my mother helped by talking
to other mothers, sadly some would say we
shouldn’t come near their families because
I would infect them. The discrimination and
stigmatisation continued like this until I decided
to consult with our chief who called a community
meeting to address the issue. I continued to tell
people about HIV and my experiences because
I wanted them to start talking and face the reality
in their own community. Today, things are much
better and the very same people who were
mocking me now need me the most. I have since
started the Motjane HIV and AIDS Prevention
Initiative (MHAPI), which involves members of
my community, in building awareness of HIV and
AIDS.
I am a community worker and I do home visits
for PLWHA. During my visits I not only provide
emotional, psychological, and spiritual support,
but I also do physical work like collecting
firewood, cleaning the house, bathing and
feeding the clients. I also provide referrals as
needed.
The MHAPI leadership works closely with my
community chief, Chief Sipho Shongwe who at
the time was the country’s Minister of Health.
We did all we can to get influential individuals
involved in our campaigns against stigma and
discrimination of PLWHA. I first met the Minister
of Health at a HIV and AIDS workshop organised
by UNICEF. At the time, he was the Regional
Administrator. I used the opportunity to talk
about HIV and AIDS in our community. He was
impressed and introduced me to his inner council.
Since then, three members of his council have
declared their status to the community. Working
with the chief has been very interesting and
has given us the opportunity to reach different
committees. He has also helped mobilise
funds for our project and brought specialists to
volunteer with us. Now, other communities are
inviting us to help get their leaders involved.
MHAPI was the first initiative involving a chief in
advocating for the community, and the impact
has been great.
My public life has led to wonderful opportunities
to get involved at all levels. When the
Ministry of Health was putting together its first
manual for implementation of HIV and AIDS
programmes, I became involved by collecting
data for a number of surveys. The manual,
‘Behavioural Surveillance Survey’ (B.S.S)
provides programme managers with ways to
implement HIV and AIDS prevention intervention
programmes that respond to trends in risk
84
behaviour. I was also involved in the national
surveillance on HIV and AIDS.
I have also been involved in the development of
national guidelines on HIV and AIDS policy and
participated in national, regional and international
conferences on HIV and AIDS. In developing
the national guidelines and policy, I brought the
voice of the community and the experience of
living with HIV to the process. We considered
how the policy could address issues by not
only concentrating on the medical aspects, but
also on the social aspects. We also stressed
the greater involvement of PLWHA at all levels
of interventions. I am happy that the guidelines
and policy address confidentiality and disclosure
alongside treatment, care and support.
As people living with and affected by HIV and
AIDS, we are benefiting from the roll out of antiretroviral
treatment and are seeing stakeholders
advocating and lobbying for comprehensive care
and support. The country is doing its best even
though some components are not in place; lack
of skilled manpower is contributing greatly to the
delay in implementing activities. As per policy
requirements, nurses are being trained in antiretroviral
treatment, and I am delighted to be one
of the trainers.
I strongly advocate for unity among HIV positive
people, we must show love and support to each
other. If I do not do good to others today, no one
will come to my rescue in my time of need. It is
important that we practice what we preach and
be role models in our society. Our support group
is growing daily; membership has grown to 580.
We have 20 groups and I work closely with group
leaders by visiting them in their regions. Our
commitment to others is to maintain our dignity
and value one another until the last day. The
community is motivating all members to be in
control of their lives and we encourage PLWHA to
have ownership of these activities.
Born: 1975
Country: Swaziland:
Organisation: TASC,
SASO
Campaigns for:
psychological, and
spiritual support;
national guidelines on
HIV and AIDS

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Trinh Thi Thuy Ngan
I made my first public appearance while pregnant, and
became a leader in mobilising other pregnant women
and helping them to access the medical services they
needed.
At the age of 20, I moved to Ho Chi Minh City to
work and study office and business management
at Van Lang University. I then moved back to
Hanoi where my family lives, and got married in
2002. In October 2004, I gave birth to a baby boy
and now live together with my husband’s family in
Hanoi. I did not know about HIV and AIDS until I
became pregnant in March 2003 and discovered
that I was infected. I was constantly reminded to
protect my unborn child. I found ways to learn
about HIV and AIDS. Through this process, I
have gained experience and have had a chance
to work in HIV and AIDS.
The HIV epidemic is expanding all over
the world and everybody is at risk of being
infected. It is my pleasure to work on HIV
because I believe that we should think about it
as a disability, and should make life better for
everyone, especially for those living with HIV
and AIDS
I am one of the first women in Vietnam who
spoke out in public about the need to fight stigma
and shame in the community. When I participated
in meetings with leaders of Quang Trung ward,
Red Cross staff and youth representatives from
other wards, I emphasised the need to support
HIV positive mothers to stay alive and take
care of their families. I made my first public
appearance while pregnant, and became a
leader in mobilising other pregnant women and
helping them to access the medical services they
needed. I even mobilised other new mothers
and their families to join the support group in
the delivery room when I was there for the birth
of my own child. After taking part in the group,
some members still wavered and I encouraged
them by talking with them and their families on
the phone and visiting their houses. A month after
the delivery I was back at the Sunflower support
group for young mothers to encourage them and
mobilise new members.
Sunflower is a support group for mothers.
However, there are some activities in the
programme supporting their children, husbands
and families. We meet once a week to share
our experiences and encourage one another.
Apart from working with the group, I participate
in exchange sessions to share experiences with
other HIV positive people in Hanoi and other
provinces. In this group, HIV positive women and
their families are provided with comprehensive
care and support. This includes economic and
social support, free vaccinations for children,
income generating activities, and facilitating a
referral system for the treatment of opportunistic
85

If I kept it to myself
infections and providing information about Antiretroviral
(ARV) treatment. The medical staff
also supports us with medical check-ups, ARV
treatment, providing information related to HIV
and AIDS treatment and introducing support
services.
This support group also involves sharing
experiences with other mothers and solving
conflicts between women living with HIV and
their families. In this way, mothers are able to
participate in social activities and speak out in
the community to fight stigma and discrimination
among people living with HIV and AIDS.
I have also been instrumental in mobilising
husbands to support their wives, and in
convincing health care workers to provide ARV
medication for fathers who were drug users. I
told them my story and how my husband and
I were infected. I also agreed that if only the
wife receives ARV medicine, she will share it
with her husband. This is not a good way for
treatment adherence, but it’s done because
the wife does not have the heart to see her
husband without medicine. We should therefore
encourage husbands, by providing medicine and
opportunities, to take part in activities relating
to HIV and AIDS. Many have joined the support
group and they attend some activities such as
speaking with the community, and participating in
the nutritional training courses.
Together with my friends from the Sunflower
support group, I distribute clean syringes and
needles, and collect dirty ones as part of our
efforts to reduce harm. This year, we received
funding from PEPFAR, which does not allow us
to distribute clean needles or talk about condoms
to those under 15. Now, we are working with the
District Health Centre to send two members of
Sunflower to collect used needles and syringes.
We also distribute condoms and host awareness
raising activities to reduce the transmission of
HIV in the community.
We attended the Innovation day held by AusAid
in Hanoi, and presented our project with the
theme: “The things I wish to tell you” - Fighting
stigma and shame against HIV positive mothers
and their children in Dong Da, Hanoi. We also
participated in the «Warm hug day» programme
organised by FHI and the Hanoi health on
November 31, 2004, where members of the
Sunflower group spoke openly on living positively
with HIV and AIDS. I take part in workshops
organized by Care, Policy, FHI and share
information and experience in communicating
on HIV and AIDS. In February 2005, I attended
a workshop at the Press Club, Hanoi, organized
by UNAIDS and Policy and where the host was
the National Women’s Union. This workshop was
to introduce a new magazine and documents
about fighting stigma and discrimination with
PLWHA. Although I did not do a presentation at
this workshop I had an opportunity to meet with
influential people as an HIV infected person. I
also visit members to help them prepare their
applications (i.e. business plan, etc) for a loan for
income generating activities.
The first time I participated in these activities,
I felt hesitant. However, thanks to the
encouragement and support from project staff
and friends I overcame my inferiority complex of
the “disease”. What makes me feel excited while
86

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
doing the job is that I am still the same person
– optimistic and happy. Many people stand by to
share, encourage and support me when I have
to cope with challenges. This is a small job but it
brings happiness to a lot of people. What makes
me happiest is that I am still a productive person
in society.
For almost two years now, I have been the leader
of the Sunflower group. I manage, plan and
coordinate activities of the support group, and
liaise between the support group, project staff,
the government and other organisations.
I have a lot of difficulty working with communities
and households as the majority still stigmatise
HIV positive people. Sometimes I go to houses
of HIV positive people with influential people to
talk with their family, and guide them about how
to best support and care for their HIV positive
loved ones, and how to avoid becoming infected
themselves. I invited staff from the Red Cross
and the Women’s Union to the house of a group
member who was successful in her income
generating activities. The purpose of this visit was
to observe and appraise a successful method
of income generating in order to introduce and
support other group members in the same
activity.
I brought the opinion of HIV positive people to the
draft Amendment of the Ordinance on the Rights
of People Living with HIV and AIDS and I also
attended international organisations’ meetings
representing the Sunflower group. I have also
had a lot of discussions and coordinated with
the management of hospitals to set up referral
systems between support groups, communities,
the hospital and other support organisations.
I am now working as a core member of the
Sunflower group in the field of counselling and
am coordinating a project, funded by Medical
Committee Netherlands Vietnam, known as the
Community based comprehensive care for HIV
positive mothers and newborns, in the Dong Da
District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Born: 1972
Country: Vietnam
Organisations: Mother
to mother support,
Sunflower
Campaigns for:
assistance to and
mobilisation of mothers
87

If I kept it to myself
Promise Mthembu
Many young people shy away from being tested and
from talking openly about HIV infection; thus we have a
silent, underground epidemic. These young people are in
school, in tertiary institutions, and in the productive and
reproductive years of their lives.
My name is Promise Mthembu, a 31-year-old
South African women living with HIV. I learnt
about my HIV status in 1995 when I went for
my tuberculosis (TB) check up. I was 20 years
old at the time. I think I was infected when I was
15 years old as my child, who is now 14, is also
living with HIV. Doctors speculate that she was
infected at birth. When I received the result of my
test, I was shocked and angry. I had been part of
an HIV and AIDS project while in school, I knew
about HIV, but I did not think it could happen to
me. I had only one sexual partner and was from
a religious family.
Anger led me to start attending HIV and AIDS
meetings. I wanted to change the way HIV and
AIDS work was done. The campaigns at the time
were not working; after all, if they were, I would
not have been infected.
Five months after receiving the devastating
news of my HIV status, I began to talk openly
about living with HIV. In an effort to challenge the
approach of organisations working in the field,
I decided to actively participate in those areas
I found lacking. I began with the Department
of Health Regional Office offering one on one
counselling and handling written requests on HIV
and AIDS education. Later, I volunteered for the
Prince Mshiyeni Hospital as a counsellor and
educator. During my time there, I established a
support group, the first of many I was to initiate in
the coming years.
Between September 1996 and April 1997,
I acted as the Durban regional coordinator
for the National Association of People Living
with HIV and AIDS (NAPWA). With NAPWA, I
coordinated support groups in the Durban region,
88
giving lectures and presentations. I also carried
out office administration as required. During
my tenure with NAPWA, The National AIDS
Convention of South Africa KwaZulu Natal offered
me a full-time position as a regional advocacy
task team coordinator. It was in this position, as
I organised advocacy team meetings and gave
presentations to provincial parliament, that I
established myself as an activist.
In 1998, the South African Youth Commission
offered me a position as a project coordinator for
Positive Ambassadors. Although there has been
plenty of HIV and AIDS education in South Africa,
it had not managed to change the behaviour
of young people. The South African Youth
Commission identified its role in the campaign
against the AIDS epidemic, and decided that
it would adopt the Commonwealth Youth
Programme’s concept of Young Positive Living
Ambassadors. YPLA is aimed at young people
between the ages of 14 and 35.
It had become evident that many programmes
aimed at young people were not owned or driven
by young people. In response to this gap, young
people living with HIV drove the YPLA project. Its
focus is behavioural change and positive living;
working not only with HIV infected youth, but also
with untested youth, vulnerable youth, and HIV
negative youth as well.
HIV infections among women younger than
20 years of age have been increasing in the
KwaZulu Natal region. Young people who have
tested HIV positive face huge discrimination in
many sectors of society. Many young people
shy away from being tested and from talking
openly about HIV infection; thus we have a silent,

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
underground epidemic. These young people
are in school, in tertiary institutions, and in the
productive and reproductive years of their lives.
While women are the most affected by HIV and
AIDS, few campaigns are aimed at them. The
‘use condoms’ campaigns, for example, are
largely aimed at men, as female condoms are not
freely available. In poor communities it is difficult
for a woman to convince her partner to use a
condom if he does not want to. In my campaigns,
I stress the importance of giving women skills to
negotiate what they want in a sexual relationship.
The YPLA identified human rights issues as a
focus for their campaigns, and we took these up
within the relevant structures.
In my experience, there is an assumption that
all women living with HIV practice safer sex.
The reality is that as much as we want to, we
may not be in a position to do so. However, all
women have the right to reproduce. This includes
women with HIV. In May 2000, I joined the HIV
and AIDS Treatment Action Campaign of South
Africa, (TAC) as their national advocacy project
coordinator for the prevention of mother-to-child
transmission (MTCT) project. My main duties
were project management, advocacy, facilitating
training workshops, staff management, including
MTCT researchers and volunteers, report writing
and fundraising.
I coordinated a TAC demonstration held during
the AIDS conference in Durban. The peaceful
demonstration aimed to highlight treatment
access, improved health infrastructure and
prevention of HIV transmission from mother to
child. The AIDS 2000 conference organisers
were in full support of the demonstration as
these issues are of utmost importance in global
terms. More than 200 organisations representing
millions of people across the world endorsed
the call to march. These organisations and
individuals demanded the lowering of all HIV and
AIDS medication prices and the rights of people
with HIV and AIDS to nutrition, health care,
education and employment. Our unity across
the globe is a breakthrough in the fight against
the excessive power and profiteering of drug
companies. As a single mother living with HIV, I
emphasised that most of us die only because we
are poor.
Currently, I am the global advocacy officer for
sexual and reproductive rights (SRR) for the
International Community of Women Living
with HIV and AIDS (ICW). My duties include
project management, drawing and implementing
89

If I kept it to myself
advocacy plans for SRR, coordinating research
projects and development of information
materials, contracting and managing research
consultants and associates. I represent ICW’s
views and calls on SRR in key strategic and
policy meetings and at other international
events. I highlight the stigma, discrimination,
and hardship that women living with HIV face in
the context of sexual and reproductive rights at
events that I attend.
As a young woman living with HIV and AIDS, I
affirm the need for reproductive health services
to support young women on issues around
sexuality. Sexual pleasure is a right even for
those who are HIV positive. I am disturbed that
when a young woman discloses her positive
status, it is taken for granted that she has ceased
to be sexually active. The situation is worse
when we wish to have babies. When HIV positive
woman is found to be pregnant, she can expect
to be asked, “How did you get pregnant in the
first place?”
The research undertaken by ICW on sexual
and reproductive health for women living with
AIDS in French speaking African countries has
revealed that HIV positive women’s sexual and
reproductive health is not a priority in national
and international policies in the response to HIV
and AIDS in the 12 countries studied.
I act as an advisor on SRR issues to ICW
partners; women’s organisations and UN bodies
like UNAIDS, WHO and UNFPA. HIV positive
women lack access to knowledge about their
status and they face obstacles in preventing
and terminating unwanted pregnancy. Many
lack access to prevent mother to child (PMTCT)
transmission and they are normally stigmatised
and discriminated against when seeking
reproductive health care. I believe that there
should be no separation between HIV and AIDS
and reproductive health services because people
need the right information to decide their future,
given that more than 90 percent of adult HIV
infections, particularly in Africa, occur through
heterosexual transmission.
Although each woman living with HIV and AIDS
has her own story to tell, many of our stories
are similar and reflect the position of women in
society. HIV can take away your health, but it
cannot take love away. As a woman living with
HIV, I still have relationships with friends, family
and colleagues. Sometimes these relationships
are destroyed because of fear and lack of
knowledge about HIV and AIDS, however, things
are not all negative. It is possible to live a positive
life with HIV. Stigma and discrimination can be
overcome.
Postscript
Promise Mthembu is the founder of the African
Microbicides Advocacy Group, the Gender AIDS
Forum of South Africa. She is also a steering
committee member for the Global Campaign for
Microbicides of the Global Coalition on Women
and AIDS, and is a member of the South African
Youth Council, Treatment Action Campaign,
Young Women’s Network, the Global Network of
People Living with HIV and AIDS, the KwaZulu
Natal Cerebral Palsy Association, Society for
International Development, Reproductive Rights
Alliance of South Africa, Catholic Institute for
International Relations, AIDS Legal Network,
and an advisory member on HIV and AIDS and
women for the Ethical Globalisation Initiative.
90
Born: 1974
Country: South Africa
Organisations: ICW, TAC,
African Microbicides
Advocacy Group (AMAG)
Campaigns for: sexual
and reproductive rights
of HIV positive women

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
Emma Tuahepa-Kamapoha
I believe that engaging religious and traditional
leaders on HIV and AIDS issues is imperative in helping
communities deal with stigma and discrimination.
I had just completed high school and went to
college to do a Diploma in Education. After
having an HIV test the result came back
HIV positive. I was just 21 years old when I
was raped. My innocence, my future seems
unsecured and in addition to this, I did not
have counselling. I am not sure I understood
what stigma would mean. I was more ashamed
of myself and about what people in my own
community would think about me. At first, I felt
like a complete failure and I needed to lead
myself in the direction of healing. The reality
was I have been living with HIV and I now had
conformation. I knew there was life after being
diagnosed HIV positive. Beside these positive
thoughts, I was angry and still felt like killing
myself. However, I am the first born of five
children, I did not want them to become infected.
I was raped and could not forget that it needed a
measure of sacrifice.
I have life shows on radio and TV and I continued
with my studies. I felt my efforts already were
appreciated. I wanted to know more about HIV
and I wanted to do much more.
My first regional trip was to Botswana where I
had an opportunity to meet other women living
with HIV and AIDS at the SWAA conference.
These women encouraged me, pushing me to
do more advocacy work. I was supported by
UNAIDS Namibia and travelled with the UNAIDS
Country programme representative, Mrs. Mary
Guinn Delaney, who later became my mentor and
In Namibia, the culture does not allow women to
speak out but I could no longer be silent. At that
stage, I still believed I was going to die soon so
I was committed to saving at least one person’s
life.
In November 1996 I became the first Namibian
to disclose my HIV status to the nation on
television. This reality shook the nation because
I still looked very healthy. I got support from
the Founding Father of the Nation Dr. Sam
Nujoma by then the President of Namibia, Dr.
Nicky Iyambo and The Minister of Health Social
service by then Libertine Amathila. Since then,
I have had the opportunity to visit all 13 regions
of Namibia, spreading messages of hope and
encouragement to young people in university,
schools, colleges and vocational training centres.
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If I kept it to myself
supported me in many ways, including providing
access to Antiretrovirals, when I needed them,
as these medications where not yet available in
the country. It was at this meeting, that I spoke
for first time to an international audience, where
Ms. Bridgett Pickering of On Land production,
(instrumental on the documentary Emma Story);
approached me to run a story of my life.
Through this documentary, Namibians across
the country shared my experience as a
young woman living positively with HIV. This
documentary went beyond Namibian and was
translated in Portuguese and other languages. I
was then invited to neighbouring countries and I
started to work with young people in the region.
I have accomplished much work in Botswana,
as I did work with Barclays Bank youth caucus
touring throughout Botswana.
In January 1997, I met others and made a
decision to unite, supporting each other. In 1998
I met with David Lush, a white Namibian man
living with HIV and he disclosed is HIV status to
me. We agreed to talk to counsellors at the state
hospital and rally together those who volunteered
to speak, joining with other PLWHA. A few weeks
later we gathered at his house for a meeting of
affected people. At a follow up meeting, which
was strictly for HIV positive people, we shared
our experiences, and realised that we had
particular needs but few resources. It became
apparent that we would need to set up a formal
organisation for HIV positive people in Namibia.
Supported by AIDS Care Trust (ACT) we put
together our first event for HIV positive people.
About 15 people came and it was a fantastic
experience. Initially, we called ourselves Positive
Nation. The groups existence was threatened
as the entire group, (except for me) was not
open about their HIV status in public so it started
slowing down. As the public started knowing
about the group, because of stigma many
withdrew from the group, however AIDS care
trust continue to support us. We met behind
closed doors and the group started to grow
again. The group was renamed Lironga Eparu,
which means, “learn to survive” in Rukwangari,
a Namibian language. The inspiration from late
Teresia Masoja who said after an HIV positive
result we are learning again how to survive.
Lironga Eparu was registered in 1999 as a trust.
In 2000, others and myself completed a country
tour where we mobilized and managed to recruit
more HIV positive people to join us, supported
by VSO-Namibia. By the middle of 2001, we
92
held a strategic planning meeting attended by
representatives of HIV positive groups from
around the country. With the support of AIDS law
unit, Ms. Michaela Clayton assisted with technical
expertise and also co-facilitated the meeting. She
assisted in securing resources for this meeting.
At this meeting we agreed to set up a national
association of people living with HIV. A larger
group endorsed the name Lironga Eparu.
I started at Lironga Eparu as a volunteer
from 1999 to 2002. Today I am the national
coordinator and represent HIV positive people
on HIV and AIDS governing structures such as
the National AIDS Executive Committee (NAEC)
and the Namibia Multi-sectoral HIV and AIDS
Coordinating Committee (NAMACOC).
In 1999, the Health Minister, Dr. Libertine
Amathila, planned to make AIDS a notifiable
disease. This would, by law, require doctors to
disclose a patient’s HIV status to their relatives.
David Lush, three others and myself (all HIV
positive) went to see the Minister of health. The
Minister was excited to meet with PLWHA and
we had a fruitful meeting. We were asked to
draft some guidelines on how we felt the ministry
should handle the issue of confidentiality and
notification. We were successful and this did not
become a law in Namibia.
A huge project began as various organisations
pooled their supporters to write a draft policy on
confidentiality and notification for the government.
We included the Internet forum af-aids in our
discussions. The AIDS Law Unit (ALU) of the
Legal Assistance Centre also became involved
holding workshops and discussion forums across
the country. The policy, drafted by ALU, with
contributions from HIV positive people and other
organisations was adopted by Cabinet in 2002.
Although the current policy has been heralded
for balancing public health priorities with the
need to protect the rights of PLWHA, it appeared
to have had limited impact. In 2003 Lironga
Eparu conducted a study called The Treatment
Consultation, which revealed that HIV positive
people experienced severe discrimination and
breaches of confidentiality in government clinics
and hospitals around the country.
I believe that engaging religious and traditional
leaders on HIV and AIDS issues is imperative
in helping communities deal with stigma and
discrimination. I spearhead many community
activities bringing together leaders and HIV
positive people to confront matters of importance.
In September 2001, a group of more than 100
HIV positive people gathered in Kavango to make
their HIV status public. We organised this historic

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
event with the Lironga Eparu leader of the region,
Roswitha Ndumba, the Basic Education Minister,
John Mutorwa, and the Governor of the Kavango
Region, Sebastian Karupu with Support of
Catholic AIDS Action. That day we recommitted
ourselves and vowed to end the stigma attached
to HIV and AIDS.
At the same event, I appealed to the Ministry
of Health and Social Services to ensure that
members of Lironga Eparu who made their HIV
status public at the weekend received material
and financial support. A 25-year-old mother
of two, who desperately needed medication
to see her children grow, particularly moved
me. At that time the government had started
a pilot project to provide ARV medication
to HIV positive mothers and their babies in
two hospitals in Namibia, but the hospital
in her area was not one of them. I therefore
appealed to the President of Namibia, Dr. Sam
Nujoma, to ensure that the provision of antiretroviral
medication to HIV positive people was
expedited. I was able to speak with conviction
as the members who had declared their HIV
status that day motivated me.
In July 2003, business people met in Windhoek
to discuss the difficult issue of coping with
the increasing costs of AIDS prevention and
care. At the meeting, I pointed out that people
living with HIV had not noticed the significant
change in the cost of medication that the
pharmaceutical companies had promised. My
desire, nevertheless, is to see ARV medication
distributed free throughout Namibia. I know that
it is possible. What we need is a multi sectoral
approach. This requires a well-drafted budget
proposed by individuals, companies, and the
government.
In February 2002, during his first visit to Namibia,
I met Stephen Lewis (The United Nations
Secretary General Special Envoy on HIV and
AIDS in Africa). During his visit we shared with
him our wish for an office where PLWHA could
gather, share, support and give each other hope.
On November 29, 2002, we were so proud to be
able to invite him to the opening of our offices, in
the presence of the Health Minister Dr. Amathila.
The Red Cross Society of Namibia generously
donated office space rent-free, and the British
Council donated furniture and equipment. The
office is known as the House of Hope and always
has a candle of hope burning. It is here that
PLWHA come to share their experiences and to
lend each other support when faced with stigma
and hardship.
I with Ms. Kanjoo Mbaindjikua have lobbied
participation of leaders in our events with the
support of Mrs. Joan Guriras. We lobbied the
wife of the former Prime, Mrs. Joan Guriras, and
on World AIDS day, Lironga Eparu organised
a walk of hope. The former Prime Minister of
Namibia, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, his wife and
all parliamentarians joined us. At this event
the Prime Minister paid tribute to me for the
courageous step I took in speaking publicly about
my HIV status years ago - an act that helped
demystify the condition and helped towards
changing perceptions towards HIV and AIDS in
Namibia. I was elated and emotional to see many
HIV positive speakers from different corners
of the country tell of fears and difficulties they
encountered on first discovering their HIV status.
We have come a long way, but women are not
appreciated in the fight against HIV, and now I
speak to men to dialogue and help work against
the disease.
As the first Namibian to disclose my HIV status,
I enjoy good relationships and support from
top officials. A few to mention are Minister
of Health, Dr. Kamue and his team, Prime
Minister Nahas Angula, Deputy Prime Minister
Dr. Libertine Amathila, the speaker to cabinet
Theo-Ben Gurirab and many others. We have
established a good working relationship and are
partners committed to the well being of PLWHA
in Namibia. The government appreciates our
input and advice, and calls on us to help with
programmes on the prevention of mother-tochild-transmission
and anti-retroviral therapy.
They involve us at policy formulation and all other
levels.
I have worked with courageous HIV positive
people including the late Simon Elago and
Maureen Katjatako, who died as true advocates
but never enjoyed the fruit of their work. They
believed that providing medication alone would
not curb the negative impact of HIV and AIDS.
From experience, they understood that the
counselling system needed to be expanded and
people needed to be economically empowered.
These were the issues they strongly advocated
for. Today, Lironga Eparu members are
counsellors at hospitals and sit on the ARV
medication committee.
Having discovered my HIV status as a young
person, I am also committed to awareness
campaigns among youth. With the support and
blessing of the Namibia National Students’
Organisation (NANSO), I established AIDS
awareness clubs in schools around the country.
93

If I kept it to myself
I have contributed towards the publication of a
booklet called ‘Let’s talk about HIV and AIDS’,
distributed in Namibian schools.
Currently we are busy with a treatment literacy
programme. I have been behind the role out of
Antiretrovirals in Namibia and believe access
to all who need it, should have it. Equity is the
principal. The potential for and power of involving
PLWHA-including children is recognised but
largely unrealised.
It is unfortunate that HIV and AIDS has the face
of poverty and especially of women and young
girls. In Namibia some Ministers, top officials
and business people who are HIV positive can
prolong their lives because they have access to
good medical schemes. I call on them to come
out in the public to help fight the disease.
Born: 1974
Country: Namibia
Organisations: Lironga
Eparu, (National
Association of PLWHA)
Campaigns for: universal
and free access to ARV,
positive living for PLWHA
94

Young women intervene in a world with AIDS
TOOL BOX
Start an Organisation
This is one of the most powerful ways to effect change and improve
conditions in your community. If you want to start an organisation, chances
are you have already identified an area in which you feel there is a growing
need, but what next?
You can
• Start a club, a youth group or support group as an effective channel to
empower women in your community
• Start an organisation with friends or peers who have the same passion as
you do
• If you cannot find people motivated to start an organisation with you
remember you can start on your own and encourage others in the process.
Founding members
An important first step is to identify and bring together the founding
members of your organisation. Keep it initially small.
Some qualities to look for are people who you:
• Would like to work with
• Can learn from and share experiences
• Know will listen to you and also voice their opinions
• Have a common goals and visions with
• Know will have the relevant technical skills that you will require
• Can trust and make important decisions on an advisory board.
Implement
Now that you are ready to start:
• Select a name and register your organisation according to the laws of your
country, to give you credibility
• Get informed - gather as much information on your field as you can
• Network - interact with people who could support or partner with you
• Decide how often to meet
• Select a facilitator for each meeting
• Remind each other about the next meeting and the objectives or tasks set out
• Set out goals and evaluate your progress consistently.
Build membership
Promoting your organisation to build the right type of membership is important:
• Advertise; in the local paper, radio station, or other media
• Word of mouth: tell your friends and family and ask them to tell their friends
• Hold open meetings to introduce people to your organisation
• Mentor new leadership for succession.
95

If I kept it to myself
Young Women intervening
in the World of AIDS
VISION
A world where young women are intervening
on HIV and AIDS at every level: educating
themselves, mobilising peers, preventing further
HIV infections, advocating for justice, equality
amongst men and women, caring for their
communities and pioneering change.
WHO
Young women, HIV positive and negative, from
all cultures, backgrounds and beliefs Everybody
is living with HIV and AIDS. It is all around us and
we cannot afford to keep it to ourselves.
HOW
• Safe spaces
• Mentoring and role models
• Peer education and training
• Volunteerism and leadership opportunities
• Capacity building
• Support and learning networks
• Documenting good practices
• Resource young women’s leadership.
It is only by having a safe space to express
oneself, to explore issues that are taboo, sensitive
or stigmatized, and transform the personal into
the political, that we create the breeding ground
for young women’s leadership. This leadership
can be fostered through mentors and role
models who inspire and motivate young women
to believe that we have the power and the ability
to be agents of change. Messages that speak the
language and reality of young people are essential
in motivating new generations to take leadership
in a world of AIDS, which means peer education
and training is crucial.
Once informed and inspired, young women
require space to grow into leaders through
volunteer and leadership opportunities in all
sectors of society. Young women also need and
want the skills to be effective leaders of change,
which makes capacity building essential. By
coming together and sharing knowledge, we
create support and learning networks that
are essential in building effective strategies and
leadership. Documenting effective programmes
and lessons learnt can help to inspire other
young women and enable good practices to be
replicated on a much larger scale. And most
96
importantly, we must resource young women’s
leadership as a clear and viable solution in the
response to HIV and AIDS.
An investment in young women’s leadership is an
investment in the future. In some countries young
women and girls make up almost 80% of new
HIV infections. For this reason young women’s
leadership in designing and implementing strategies
are essential. Young women know best about their
needs and through their existing peer networks have
the capacity to change the course of the pandemic.
WHAT
AIDS is calling for leadership, however there is
no one size fits all approach to developing this
leadership. To be effective agents of change,
leaders require a firm foundation in the prevention
and transmission of HIV and AIDS; project design
and implementation; fundraising; and organising
and mobilising others. Beyond this, various
skills and knowledge must be developed among
many people to provide leadership at different
levels. Some of these include: public speaking,
organisation development, writing, media,
facilitating, training, legal rights, gender equality
and human rights, counselling, negotiating safe
sex, behaviour change, project management,
home based care, organising people, policy
making, political leadership, positive living, income
generation and campaigning.
WHERE
Everywhere HIV and AIDS exists there is a place
for leadership
WHY
We cannot afford to be silent. The leadership of
young women is vital if we are to have any impact.
Through this book, personal experience has been a
primary motivator for young women’s leadership; in
many cases and particularly for young HIV positive
women, the experience of injustice, stigma and
discrimination has enabled leadership to emerge
out of suffering and desperation. Networks of
support have also been instrumental in motivating
leadership; and for some, faith has been a driving
force. Whatever the starting point, young women
have and will continue to intervene in the world of
AIDS because they realise that they must not keep
the reality of HIV and AIDS to themselves. Young
women have the power to change the face of AIDS.

In this book you will meet young women from all over the world,
who have shaken their communities as peer counsellors and
educators, as care givers and as people living openly with
HIV and AIDS; giving hope to many and promoting a humanistic
response to the pandemic.
Global Coalition on Women and AIDS
20, avenue Appia
CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Tel: +41.22.791.5412 Fax: +41.22.791.4187
Email: womenandaids@unaids.org
http://womenandaids.unaids.org/
World YWCA
16, Ancienne Route
CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex
Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41.22.929.6040 Fax: +41.22.929.6044
Email: worldoffice@worldywca.org
www.worldywca.org