Action Call to Faith Leaders

posted: 08/04/2011

Religious leaders around the world are urged to really think about how faith communities help or hinder support for people living with HIV, in a new report.

The report, Prayer alone is not enough – people’s stories of HIV and Faith was published on World Health Day, 7 April. It gives first-hand accounts of people living with HIV, and of people working to support people with HIV, in poor and marginalised communities in Zimbabwe, Yemen, and El Salvador.

"The stories are deeply personal, often brutally honest and challenging, and share emotions that range from grief to encouragement, from despair to hope," said Christine Allen, Progressio's executive director.

Wide range of people

Interviewees, including Christian and Muslim faith leaders, child heads of household, sex workers, former gang members, and development workers, reflect movingly on their own personal experiences of faith in the light of HIV.

• Jane, a married woman living with HIV in Zimbabwe, said: "People living with HIV don't want church members to know because they will be stigmatised."
• Abdulla Mohammed El Qadesi, an imam in Yemen recalls: "I used to think HIV was a punishment from God… I changed my mind about it".
• Ana Deysi in El Salvador said: "As a person of faith working in the HIV community, I consider the HIV community to be my community."

Human Face for the Future
The report gives a human face to a diverse group of people living with HIV in difficult circumstances - all of whom have shared their experiences in the hope of building understanding.

Faith matters with HIV
Their personal accounts demonstrate that the attitudes and behaviours of faith communities really do matter and can make the difference between people living with HIV being able to access care, support and treatment or not.

"Mobilising faith communities to break the silence, confront stigma and condemn discrimination surrounding HIV is essential if we are to overcome this barrier" the report concludes.

Prayer alone is not enough is an invaluable insight to anyone willing to examine their own attitudes and reflect on how we, and faith communities especially, can play a positive part in an effective response to HIV.

Wanted - Positive Youth Camp Leaders

posted: 23/04/2010

Are you HIV+? Are you aged 18 - 24 on August 23 2010? Want to help run the first ever UK summer camp for HIV+ young people?

CHIVA (Childrens HIV Association) is recruiting fifteen Camp Leaders to help run the first ever CHIVA Summer Camp for HIV+ children and young people, in the last week of August 2010.

Along with staff and volunteers, Camp Leaders will help to run the Summer Camp. They will offer support to participants, organise events and activities and keep the camp running smoothly.

Training and Expenses Included
All Camp Leaders will need to attend a four day training session from Thursday 10th - Monday 14th June 2010. Alongside fun activities, Camp Leaders will receive accredited training from Youthforce on the 'Essentials of working with young people'. All expenses will be paid.

Over 25? - volunteer instead
If you are HIV+ and aged 25 or over in late August, consider becoming a CHIVA camp volunteer instead. Visit the Summer Camp webpage and download volunteering details and an application form - righthand column of web page.

Becoming a Camp Leader - apply before 30 April
For more information download the information pack and application form. The application form must be completed and returned by 5pm April 30 2010.

If you know or work with HIV+ young people please print off the advert about becoming a Camp Leader and pass this on to them.

If you would like any more information about being a Camp Leader please email Tom Burke.
 

Sustaining African Community Leadership

posted: 14/01/2010

Sustaining Community Leadership is the theme of the latest issue of the African HIV Policy Network’s Newsletter. It has pieces on

• surviving the economic downturn
• the importance of Africans and others making their voice heard by voting in the general and local elections (which will almost certainly be on May 6th)
• HIV positive people being leaders and making a community impact
• Africans disappearing from HIV clinics (by Chris Morley, George House Trust’s policy expert)
• Resources and working to improve Faith responses to HIV, (they have more information on their website)
• HIV and the workplace – meeting the needs of staff with HIV
• Their media toolkit for working with journalists – details and download it from their website
• Young people using the web and mobile phones for HIV messages
• Fighting HIV stigma
• Using SHoutloud to have your say about your local HIV and sexual health services.

This Sustaining Community Leadership issue

 Past issues of AHPN's newsletters