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