Kenya: SIMA helps to fight HIV related stigma
SIMA is a community based organization started in 1993 and registered in 1994 with the government of Kenya. Since its inception, SIMA has addressed issues related to HIV/AIDS and poverty. Due to wide field of operation, SIMA has found it necessary to collaborate with stakeholders and has since established its networks with registered organizations at grassroots, national and international.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has continued unabated despite efforts by individuals and groups to curb new infections; cases of suicide committed by HIV positive person’s and stigma & discrimination are on the rise. This calls for persistent efforts right from the grassroots level in managing the trends. The Trans-Nzoia district is among the top five in the Rift Valley province in Kenya. Especially areas such as: Matisi location, Waitaluk location, Kiminini division, Korongolo/Kampoi areas, Amuka Farm, Lukhome Sub location and Sivanga location needs diversified support to counter the diverse cultural, social, economic, religious and political attitudes & behaviour that tend to contribute to rising HIV infections trends: Since the district is cosmopolitan with over 31 tribes of the 42 tribes of Kenya.
AIMS & ACTIVITIES
SIMA’s programmes are aimed at reducing new HIV infections, offering basic support to people living with HIV/AIDS and AIDS orphans, and establishing an effective behavior change for positive living by 2006, counseling, training, home based care provision, education support, community mobilization/sensitation, legal representation of sexually abused, rape, IGPS development and capacity building.
“HIV infection is not what might kill me but the though of rejection and negative altitudes from most people a round me” said one respondent for a person with HIV/AIDS, the feeling of rejection by society and family is a devastating experiences.
Rejection is not always the result of judgment and censure on moral grounds. Often, it occurs because the family members, friends and neighbours do not know how to cope with a person who is suffering from AIDS and the misguided fear of contracting the diseases. They feel awkward, embarrassed and therefore, withdraw from the person who most needs their love and friendship.
Through visiting those people living with HIV and we have experienced, there is a lot of stigma associated with the disease and a lot of care and support is required to assist those infected and affected to help them LIVE more meaningful LIVES. As a result of one or more family members being infected or having died of AIDS, the surviving family members especially the children are greatly affected. The burden of providing for those infected and affected is enormous as there is a loss or reduction of income due to frequent illness; loss of employment with the closure of small-scale business due to stigmatization and or all the money from the business is spent on drugs and food.
Due to their frequent illness, people living with HIV/AIDS (PWHA) and their families are reduced to abject poverty. Their basic needs including food, medication, clothing, shelter and counseling are rarely met.
Through our experience again, many victims in the rural areas have to walk long distances (15 – 30 km) to get treatment and attend group therapy. It was noted that people who are living with HIV, respond to the news of the there HIV status with feelings of shock, fear, lonely, anger, guilt and depression. To cope with and overcome such feelings, accept oneself as a person with HIV and live a positive and meaningful life is not easy. It requires a lot of care and support from the family and community in large.
Many times, the family members do not know that one of their own is HIV positive. They get worried when she or he fails to get better and try all types of treatments to no avail. Unfortunately for others, when their HIV status is know they are rejected.
Another cases from a victim, “My father, mother and sisters assisted me in the beginning but when they realized I was HIV positive and was not getting better they slipped away – their visit are now in anticipation of my death”.
Stigmatization of those infected is rampant. HIV/AIDS related with stigma and discrimination presents a serious challenge to the effectiveness of AIDS prevention, control and care programmes. Those whose relatives, friends or neighbours know their HIV/AIDS status talked of being discriminated against.
In addition, manifestation of HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination differs by gender. In some areas and culture belief, in-laws regularly blame women in particular for the deaths of their husbands. In some cases women are accused of infecting their husbands as a result of their ‘perceived promiscuity’. The socio-economic status and financial security of the victims affect their stigmatization by enabling those with higher incomes access to better health care and confidentiality.
The guardians such as grandparents who are caring for their daughters- children said that it has been very difficult to care and support these children. Said one respondent whose six children’s died and left her with seven children, “we live in this small room, many times I feel very depressed, especially when the children fight for a food.”
Some of the women we interviewed admitted their husbands are repeatedly infecting them with sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) even when they know both of them are HIV positive. One woman said, “I know my husband has severally infected me with STI s but he has refused to go for counseling. I know he is HIV positive, positive like me but he tells me I am the one who is sick. He has threatened to marry another wife because I am not giving him more children. This annoys and worries me. I have tried to keep myself fit and well groomed but my husband is not appreciating.” Consequently, many of the respondents have taken measures to change their sexual behaviour. For instance over half of those counseling are currently abstaining from sex.
SIMA organises performance, theatre song & poetry, drama, traditional dancers, forming youth health clubs and other events to campaign for preventing HIV/AIDS by passing out information to the people in the entire community at the grassroots level. Also SIMA uses this information to sensitize the community affect of HIV/AIDS related stigma, discrimination and how to reduce it. So we would like to invite you, to come to discuss this further with those people living with HIV positive openly. We have a big problem in our community at grassroots level.
Contact Information:
Johnstone Sikulu Wanjala
Programme coordinator
Sima community based organization
Email: sikuluj@yahoo.com
PO BOX 1691, Kitale 30200 Kenya.
+254-733 453 339
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has continued unabated despite efforts by individuals and groups to curb new infections; cases of suicide committed by HIV positive person’s and stigma & discrimination are on the rise. This calls for persistent efforts right from the grassroots level in managing the trends. The Trans-Nzoia district is among the top five in the Rift Valley province in Kenya. Especially areas such as: Matisi location, Waitaluk location, Kiminini division, Korongolo/Kampoi areas, Amuka Farm, Lukhome Sub location and Sivanga location needs diversified support to counter the diverse cultural, social, economic, religious and political attitudes & behaviour that tend to contribute to rising HIV infections trends: Since the district is cosmopolitan with over 31 tribes of the 42 tribes of Kenya.
AIMS & ACTIVITIES
SIMA’s programmes are aimed at reducing new HIV infections, offering basic support to people living with HIV/AIDS and AIDS orphans, and establishing an effective behavior change for positive living by 2006, counseling, training, home based care provision, education support, community mobilization/sensitation, legal representation of sexually abused, rape, IGPS development and capacity building.
“HIV infection is not what might kill me but the though of rejection and negative altitudes from most people a round me” said one respondent for a person with HIV/AIDS, the feeling of rejection by society and family is a devastating experiences.
Rejection is not always the result of judgment and censure on moral grounds. Often, it occurs because the family members, friends and neighbours do not know how to cope with a person who is suffering from AIDS and the misguided fear of contracting the diseases. They feel awkward, embarrassed and therefore, withdraw from the person who most needs their love and friendship.
Through visiting those people living with HIV and we have experienced, there is a lot of stigma associated with the disease and a lot of care and support is required to assist those infected and affected to help them LIVE more meaningful LIVES. As a result of one or more family members being infected or having died of AIDS, the surviving family members especially the children are greatly affected. The burden of providing for those infected and affected is enormous as there is a loss or reduction of income due to frequent illness; loss of employment with the closure of small-scale business due to stigmatization and or all the money from the business is spent on drugs and food.
Due to their frequent illness, people living with HIV/AIDS (PWHA) and their families are reduced to abject poverty. Their basic needs including food, medication, clothing, shelter and counseling are rarely met.
Through our experience again, many victims in the rural areas have to walk long distances (15 – 30 km) to get treatment and attend group therapy. It was noted that people who are living with HIV, respond to the news of the there HIV status with feelings of shock, fear, lonely, anger, guilt and depression. To cope with and overcome such feelings, accept oneself as a person with HIV and live a positive and meaningful life is not easy. It requires a lot of care and support from the family and community in large.
Many times, the family members do not know that one of their own is HIV positive. They get worried when she or he fails to get better and try all types of treatments to no avail. Unfortunately for others, when their HIV status is know they are rejected.
Another cases from a victim, “My father, mother and sisters assisted me in the beginning but when they realized I was HIV positive and was not getting better they slipped away – their visit are now in anticipation of my death”.
Stigmatization of those infected is rampant. HIV/AIDS related with stigma and discrimination presents a serious challenge to the effectiveness of AIDS prevention, control and care programmes. Those whose relatives, friends or neighbours know their HIV/AIDS status talked of being discriminated against.
In addition, manifestation of HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination differs by gender. In some areas and culture belief, in-laws regularly blame women in particular for the deaths of their husbands. In some cases women are accused of infecting their husbands as a result of their ‘perceived promiscuity’. The socio-economic status and financial security of the victims affect their stigmatization by enabling those with higher incomes access to better health care and confidentiality.
The guardians such as grandparents who are caring for their daughters- children said that it has been very difficult to care and support these children. Said one respondent whose six children’s died and left her with seven children, “we live in this small room, many times I feel very depressed, especially when the children fight for a food.”
Some of the women we interviewed admitted their husbands are repeatedly infecting them with sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) even when they know both of them are HIV positive. One woman said, “I know my husband has severally infected me with STI s but he has refused to go for counseling. I know he is HIV positive, positive like me but he tells me I am the one who is sick. He has threatened to marry another wife because I am not giving him more children. This annoys and worries me. I have tried to keep myself fit and well groomed but my husband is not appreciating.” Consequently, many of the respondents have taken measures to change their sexual behaviour. For instance over half of those counseling are currently abstaining from sex.
SIMA organises performance, theatre song & poetry, drama, traditional dancers, forming youth health clubs and other events to campaign for preventing HIV/AIDS by passing out information to the people in the entire community at the grassroots level. Also SIMA uses this information to sensitize the community affect of HIV/AIDS related stigma, discrimination and how to reduce it. So we would like to invite you, to come to discuss this further with those people living with HIV positive openly. We have a big problem in our community at grassroots level.
Contact Information:
Johnstone Sikulu Wanjala
Programme coordinator
Sima community based organization
Email: sikuluj@yahoo.com
PO BOX 1691, Kitale 30200 Kenya.
+254-733 453 339
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 11:28 pm
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