HIV status just one part of someone’s identity
July 29, 2012 in HIV/Aids, LWF, Youth, Youth participation
(c) istockphoto/Jacom Stephens
By Hannah Ball-Brau, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America youth delegate to the 19th International AIDS Conference
During the International AIDS Conference, I attended a session discussing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), like diabetes and cancer, and their treatment among HIV-positive patients.
The diagnosis and treatment of these NCDs are often being overlooked in those who are HIV-positive. For example, in many countries in Africa, ART and other HIV drugs are often made available by charitable organizations, and yet insulin must be paid for out of pocket.
Though I pass no judgment on this imbalance, I cannot ignore it. However unintentional, it communicates a message that the HIV virus is more important than the patient.
This is an understanding that permeates today’s society. “HIV-positive” has become a method of identification and a source of discrimination just as race and sexual orientation have. We so often forget the person and see only the disease.
But why do we give a virus so much power? Is knowing someone’s status sufficient to understand him or determine his potential?
No! HIV status is just a part of someone’s identity. And it is imperative for the eradication of the virus, holistic treatment of the patient, and end of discrimination, that we acknowledge and discuss this fact.
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Am involved in intervening programs with orphans whose parents’ lives have been claimed with HIV/ AIDS Here is what I drafted explaining briefly what I intend to do.
In my community there are a number of orphans, both partial(those who have only one parent mainly single mothers) and total(those who do not have both parents). They are quite many to the tune of 300 orphans in the parish where I am serving. The church affords to support only 50 orphans in my parish in a national program called project 1001. The remaining orphans have no support at all. In my country there is tendency of families making big parties for their children during Christmass and it touches me painfully to see these orphans hanging around the homes where the parties are organized unattended and unserviced. I always compare them with the poor Lazarus longing to eat even the crumbs from the rich man’s table but could not reach due to his weakness. Therefore I have come up with a program to organize a party for these orphans during this year’s Christmas celebration. I need USD 2500 for this program but I can locally raise USD 1000 which will not be enough. If I organize the party with this amount then it means I will leave some orphans out, an act that will cause more pain.
Please find it in your heart to help me raise this fund of USD 1500 to enable me organize this event that will see hundreds of orphans celebrate with the rest of the world without the feeling of being left out. The program will entail preparing meals for them, buying new cloths and school uniform for those who do not have and other miscellaneous activities. May you find it in your heart to assist me help the orphans whose parents lives were claimed by the deadly HIV/AIDS. Please find it in your heart to help me in this program. You are free to share with your friends to help you in the fund raising. I will also attatch some pictures which might be of great help. I welcome any individual who can help even with 20 USD or more. I also welcome any Organization who is willing to support this cause to contact me on my email address.
May God Bless you in your work.
Yours in Christ
Rev. Jared