SOS Children strives to reduce ignorance and stigmatization
08/11/2007
Talking, listening, counselling, explaining...SOS Children in Guinea-Bissau is doing everything we can think of to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and help people living with and around the virus.
Guinea-Bissau, like many other Sub-Saharan countries, has a very young population: 48% of the country's population is below 15 and 63.3% below 23, with more than 50% being females. With such a young population, the fight against HIV/AIDS is one the country's priority. Sensitization is a key issue in reducing the spread of the virus, as well as reducing stigmatization. Several organisations and SOS Children in particular are supporting many initiatives to increase the young population's knowledge on the devastating virus.
Not only are the SOS youths and children being focused through the SOS Children's Village and the SOS Youth Facility awareness campaigns and debates on HIV/AIDS, but the SOS Social Centre in Bissau and its family strengthening programme are also making sure the neighbours and friends receive proper information and support when needed.
18-year-old Jenabu thinks she's well informed on the subject. All the talks organised in SOS Children's Village Bissau and in SOS School Bissau, which she attends, have equipped her with a sound knowledge on how to prevent herself and how to behave with infected people, without fear and discrimination. "We have to support them, counsel them and stand by them. We are all vulnerable", says Jenabu.
Estrelina is 16 years old and HIV positive. She is one of the 'neighbours' of SOS Children and a beneficiary of the family strengthening programme. When asked if she ever suffers from any discrimination due to her status, the young girl explains she feels psychologically strong enough to not be affected by any form of discrimination. The people surrounding her know about her status and have received enough information to behave 'normally'. "I might be sick, but inside, I am not different!", she adds.
Estrelina wished all other infected people and children had the strength and will to do like her and overcome their 'complex'. "They should look for all the possibilities to live more positively with the virus", she says. With this in mind, she decided to support the family strengthening programme team to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS, hoping to reduce ignorance and stigmatization.
She and three other young HIV positive programme beneficiaries share their stories with children, youths and adults during all the sensitization sessions organised by the programme and by all the other SOS Children facilities in Bissau. They also support other family strengthening programme infected beneficiaries to live positively with the virus and give them sound advices.
In addition to all the awareness campaigns, the family strengthening programme of SOS Social Centre Bissau has also supported the creation of several associations of women living with HIV/AIDS. Together with other organisations working towards a similar target, SOS Children has given these associations all the technical support needed to set up their own general assembly and create a national network of HIV positive woman, giving them more power to spread their messages, to re-gain the respect they deserve and be accepted by all.