STOP The Stigma

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      So now I have finished teaching IT, which although turned out to be really good, wasn’t my direct area of interest. I have now started an incredible project created by another volunteer Pippa and myself. STOP THE STIGMA is a HIV/AIDS awareness and education programme. There are women groups in most villages around the area that are attached to the NGO. The original idea was a business project to help them generate an income through the sale of palm oil (an essential commodity in Cameroon). This is the initial project we are working on; basically giving them advice on how to manage the project – as this is the main problem with most groups.

    We then recognized that HIV/AIDS education was supposed to be part of the whole idea but with most of the groups nothing happened. Mainly because the women themselves know nothing about HIV/AIDS. 

    So our aim is to educate the women about the virus so that in turn they have the power to educate their friends, families and the rest of their village in their own culturally sensitive way. At first I thought it was a simple idea that would just take a few hours of us giving them a presentation. It turns out some of these women literally know nothing about HIV/AIDS and many people think the virus is a myth!!!

     This, of course is all down to the stigma attached to the virus. People have never been told the truth about the virus (mostly thanks to the corrupt government refusing to accept it as a problem and thus ignoring it and allowing it to become an epidemic) and therefore crude rumors have spread about it; for example you can catch it from touching someone…!? 

    It’s actually very moving… I did research about HIV/AIDS in Cameroon before I came here but I didn’t expect to see the effect of it right here before my eyes. The virus became a serious problem during the 1980s when the country plunged into an economic crisis. As a result the government focused totally on economic development and the social side got ignored. You can really see it here, in the rural areas where the government is investing NOTHING in social OR even economic development. A government official actually said investing in HIV/AIDS would be a great loss to the economy. It is crazy how blind they are to the effect of HIV/AIDS. The amount of AIDS orphans here is unbelievable. Most families have an extra few children because of the loss of their parents. 

   The one good thing is that the country provides is free ARV treatment. However – most people don’t even know it exists!!! Most people don’t even get tested because they have no clue what the virus is. Never mind that you can get treated. Most people think when you get it, it’s the end.

    It has been truly moving to work with these women and to see how informing them of the FACTS about HIV/AIDS is giving them so much hope. To let them know that if you take the treatment you can live a totally normal life. The women sit their clapping to us! As though, now they know, the stigma around it has already been lifted slightly. As they are no longer scared to accept it. 

     There have been some unique cases where I have particularly felt our education has completely changed their ideas about HIV/AIDS. For example, with one women’s group we brought condoms to hand out to demonstrate you should always use protection with sexual partners you’re not familiar with and you can also use them if your husband/wife is infected and have a normal sex life. When we presented them one woman said to us: “But they don’t work. We have known people who used them as contraception and they got pregnant; when the baby was born it had the condom wrapped around its body”. At first I thought, what? Then I realized people have been using condoms thinking you put them up the vagina and some how they disappeared – you don’t remove them. I was absolutely baffled! I guess if no one has explained how to use something, how are you supposed to know? Especially here when the men are in complete control and refuse to use them. The woman probably used it without him knowing. 

     Although I know us visiting them a few times wont change everything instantly, but planting these ideas or facts in there mind will definitely have a positive effect. The whole idea is that they will now hold their own workshops for the rest of the village and spread their knowledge. Also in the form of posters for those who don’t like to be told what to do, but might read a poster when walking around the village.

    There have been some quite emotional encounters. We are working with one women group who are actually all HIV positive. Even discussing the palm oil project with them was moving. The reason their business failed was because when they started making money they didn’t invest any of it back into the business, they put it towards taking care of AIDS orphans. It is a particularly difficult task telling a group of women; you can’t spend the money you make you have to invest it. When these women themselves don’t have enough money to feed themselves to keep them healthy never mind look after the 45 orphans they have from previous members who have died.

    With the other groups we are advising to do extra work to be able to contribute to the project. These women are too sick to do extra hard labor. Yet, they have an amazing spirit and willingness to help each other. They came together so they could support one another and share their experiences with the virus. They are incredible women; they all dedicate their lives to standing in parks and public areas and telling people the truth about HIV/AIDS. They are willing to do what ever it takes to reduce the stigma. It was truly touching meeting such motivated women despite their unfortunate circumstances. 

    There was one woman who really restored my faith in humanity. Her name was Mary Joan and when she first found out she had HIV she thought it was end; she became really ill, skin and bone and her husband left her with 8 children!!! She was on deaths door and then someone took her to the hospital and she found out she could get treatment and things started to look up. A researcher from Japan came to the hospital and met Mary. He was actually there to find a natural herb that treats HIV. He saw that she had had a terrible time with the disease but had pulled her self out of it. She was then inspired to change the lives of people with the virus. He took her with him and together they found ‘Artemisia’ which she now either gives away to people or if people can afford it they buy it. I have never met someone with such energy to help people! She honestly just wants to tell everyone about her experience and tell them IT IS NOT THE END! She said that when she first became HIV positive no one in Kumbo would speak to her or buy from her (she also sells other things, like palm oil and fish) but as she stood in the market and preached to people the truth about HIV, people now treat her as a normal human being.

    Mary has shown that the stigma CAN be removed, people just need the correct information.

    I am thoroughly enjoying this project. It has been incredibly eye opening and has allowed us to meet and experience many different places and people. We have traveled around each village receiving an unbelievable amount of hospitality.  People who have nothing will give you everything. I have spent some of the happiness, most peaceful moments of my life in these villages with these people. What an incredible experience this has been.