If I kept it to myself - World YWCA

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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
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