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BLOODLINE: AIDS and Family

When you click on the photo for Bloodline: Aids and Family you will see a video of a mother who says:

I said, my children, you know what I have HIV. One day I will die and leave you my children. So you must be brave and look after yourselves and look after me.

www.mediastorm.org/0012.htm
“The AIDS pandemic continues to devastate sub-Saharan Africa. Two million people died from the disease in 2005 alone. Twelve million children have lost at least one parent.

The statistics are staggering.

“But we are not only talking of numbers here,” says Paddington Mazarura of Zimbabwe, a career professional infected with HIV. “We are talking of people.”

Kristen Ashburn’s BLOODLINE: AIDS and Family is the story of these men, women and their children.

Ashburn’s photographs are heartbreaking. But they also tell us of something more. They remind us of how tenuous our connection is to each other. In doing so, they show that what matters most is the care we give to those in need.”

Inspired

From NotPerfectAtAll - A blog from an early 30s woman recently diagnosed with HIV

I’ve been neglecting the blog, the gym, my hair, reading, all because of work. But on the bright side, it’ll be over and done with somehow (but how?!) less than a month from now, not work itself of course but this immensly stressful period. I know I should go see P’s family again when I am there, find the time, bring them something. It will be harder now because of the heat, less hiding possiblities.

I have thrush. That sucks and maybe is too much information but since it impacts my mood I thought I would write it here. Today I have been working on the presentation, not trying it out, just writing the damn thing (‘think “I have the opportunity to do this”, “I get to do this”; change your terminology and that will change your attitude’) jogging and meditating, did a bit of yoga, and all the time on my mind is the performance anxiety from the upcoming weeks. Why the F should I care? Surely I have walked or been pushed through the flames so many times that standing up in front of 3 different audiences (in an ascending size order) shouldn’t impact me. But it does. I think if I had to stand in front of even a 1,000 people and talk about having HIV or my life or things that I am passoinate about and wish to convince of, I wouldn’t be that nervous, but the way things are I feel as though I am just participating in a phony game, the game of science. It’s as though I am a kid again and try to make it look as if I have been doing the work when I know that I have been slacking off. In a sense, my job is robbing me of my adulthood.

I can’t write more without exposing what it is that I do completely on the net, and though my profile’s had only 131 hits so far, some of which are mine (but who’s counting) and I read somewhere that in the US alone there are as many blogs as there are AIDS orphans in Africa, I have to be cautious. I just wish something would come out of all this, this, this… ordeal. I have a lust for life, especially since I don’t know how long it’ll be (but then again, who does?). I want to do something meaningful. I am bored. But nevertheless, I want to make a good impression… Oh when will I break out of the closet, not the HIV closet exactly, but the day that I will stop thinking about wearing sleeves in public and positioning my arms hairy side up is the day that I will be free… or maybe just the day that I put pen to paper. I know I am happy now… P makes me very, extremely, outrageously happy with his cuddles and criossants and Nutella and sweet love. I don’t even mind his snoring much… I just drag myself out of bed and work and sleep during the day instead. I have a nifty new bike and I ride it around like a 10 year old boy (the one P bought me was vandalized). I am going home in April, to Venice in May. I am chubbier that I’d like and tatooed and scarred but making some kind of small reputation at work, I guess, no that is too stressful, don’t want to think about that. Being an outsider and a loner is tough, but I am used to it. I sometimes forget that I have HIV, that’s the advantage, because I am so used to piling up secrets in layers of discretion, and the most ironic thing is none of them, no amount of pain and bad sex and self destruction led to my infection. There has to be a lesson here somewhere. Just cos someone is paranoid it don’t mean they’re not being followed; just cos I was a - what exactly?- it doesn’t mean that I can’t get HIV through medical negligence. And I don’t have to pretend to be pure, cos I am not, and I don’t need to be a well-rounded, sense-making character, cos God didn’t set the scene for me that way. What I do need is to get my head out of my own butt and look at others and their real, or fictional, problems. And that is what makes me happiest. Being on the margins of involvement.

Aids Orphan Takes On The World

From Health24.com - Click here for the entire article - Adapted from an article by Vida Li Sik, in Drum, March 2007

She’s just 23 yet she’s challenged Tony Blair, been on TV with Bob Geldof and bowled over one of the world’s most influential businessmen.

Meet Sibulele Sibaca, a dynamic young woman who refused to let hardship get her down and now has the world at her feet.

By age 17 she’d lost both parents to Aids and was bitter, rebellious and heading for a life of promiscuity. Yet Sibulele – or Sibu as everyone calls her – turned things around, thanks to her go-getter attitude and a brother who sacrificed a budding soccer career to help his sister.

Handpicked by Richard Branson
Today the inspirational young woman manages Virgin Active’s Corporate Social Investment Department in South Africa, having been handpicked by Virgin boss Richard Branson himself to join his initiative in Mzansi.

She promotes various charities dealing with HIV/Aids, malaria and TB, and travels the country holding workshops and meeting investors.

‘‘I’m very passionate about what I do,’’ she says. ‘‘Helping the less fortunate and making a difference in their lives means a lot to me.’’

Petite and attractive, Sibu lives in a stylish townhouse in Midrand, Gauteng, drives a gleaming black car with personalised number plates and looks every inch the savvy young exec.

Yet she’ll easily admit she had no idea who Richard Branson was, and at first turned down his job offer. He wasn’t put off – he just said the offer would always be open if she changed her mind.

Which, fortunately, she did.

A life turned upside down
Sibu was born and raised in Langa, Cape Town, where she and her older brother, Sonwabo, enjoyed a reasonably privileged childhood. Their mother taught at a school for children with special needs and their dad was a school inspector and pastor.

Sibu loved going to work with her mom and travelling around the Western Cape with her dad on his school visits. But at age 13 her life turned upside down when her mom died after a short illness.

‘‘My father tried hard to be mom and dad all in one and he did a great job,’’ she recalls. But gradually he too became ill, and passed away in 2000. It was a terrible shock.’’

Psychologist Vanessa Feldman says the loss of both parents at such a young age is extremely traumatic to any child. “It can create deep abandonment wounds,” she says.

Sibu didn’t know what had claimed her parents until she was riding in a taxi and heard women gossiping about her father. ‘‘They said he’d died of Aids,’’ she says softly. ‘‘I was devastated.’’

Sibu confronted her brother when she got home and demanded the truth. He told her their father had confessed the cause of their mother’s death and his own illness.

‘‘I was so angry,’’ she recalls. ‘‘I beat him with my fists, cried and asked him how he could lie to me.’’

Their once happy home life was shattered. To make matters worse, there was precious little money left as their father had cashed in his insurance policies to pay for antiretrovirals (ARVs).

‘‘I hated my dad’s guts,’’ says Sibu. ‘‘I held him responsible for what happened to our mother and I even hated our family name. I rebelled and did a lot of things I’m not proud of: hanging out with boys, being promiscuous.’’

Sibu’s rebellious behaviour as a teenager may have been her way of coping with pain, says Feldman: “Teenagers are very self-conscious and peer approval is critical at that age as they try and fit in with others their age. She was probably trying to find some sense of belonging and love.” Click here to read the entire inspiring article.

African woman appointed HIV/AIDS Special Envoy for Africa

Author: Hone Liwanga

Date: 24 May 2007| from www.alaffia.com

Summary: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s appointment of activist Elizabeth Mataka as the HIV/AIDS Special Envoy for Africa is an important step for gender equality in Africa, and for addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on women. On the same day, 21 May, the General Assembly reviewed progress towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and discussed the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls.

Botswana-born Mataka, who is currently the executive director of the Zambian National AIDS Network, takes over from Canadian Stephen Lewis, whose contract ended at the end of last year. It is exciting to note that her appointment comes barely a month after her election as vice-chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.It is clear that the fight for gender equality is yielding some much fought for results. Moon should be commended for being gender sensitive and recognising women as key partners in development. Mataka’s appointment should indeed encourage other international and national leaders to rise to the occasion and start appointing more women to key leadership positions.

Reacting to her appointment by Moon in Lusaka recently, Mataka noted that her new role brings her to the forefront of the challenges facing the continent when it comes to HIV/AIDS.

“I am overwhelmed by the magnitude and the recognition of my work at the level of the UN office. I see this appointment as an opportunity to be more effective in the service for Africa on the specific challenges confronting the continent regarding HIV/AIDS, children and women,” Mataka said.

She added, “I see myself as an advocate who will speak very strongly to leverage support to the African continent. I also see this as an opportunity to engage African leaders to see that the continent pulls support towards fighting HIV/AIDS.”

Since Africa has remained the hardest hit continent by HIV/AIDS, Mataka should use her appointment and election as vice chairperson for the Global Fund to work with all Africans to reduce prevalence rates.

UNAIDS reports that women and girls living in sub-Saharan Africa account for almost 60% of adults living with HIV. Efforts to focus on promoting equal access to care and treatment, ensur­ing universal access to education, addressing legal in­equities, reducing violence against women, and valuing women’s care work within communities, are vital to addressing fundamental gender inequalities that are fueling the epidemic.

Violence against women continues to threaten women’s health and safety, no less when it comes to HIV. According to a report produced by the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, Studies from Rwanda, Tanzania, and South Africa indicate that the risk for HIV among women who have experienced violence may be up to three times higher than among those who have not.

During the review session, General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa encouraged UN Member States to recognise the feminisation of HIV/AIDS. She noted that there are some very practical things that can be done to make a tangible difference in women’s lives.

Stephen Lewis was undoubtedly a high energy, outspoken leader, noted for his commitment to women and girls on the continent. Yet to have an African woman as Special Envoy, the first appointed from civil society, is an example for the continent.

There is no doubt that Mataka would discharge her duties as UN special HIV/AIDS special envoy for Africa diligently. A social worker by training, she is a tested leader whose 16 years working experience in HIV/AIDS related work will benefit Africa. As a policy maker and activist, she has worked with Government as well as in the private sector and non-governmental organisations.

As a personality, Mataka exhibits striking maturity and exceptional commitment in her role as a social worker. She has all that it takes to perform to the expectations of Moon and all Africans.

Heads of State in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have affirmed their commitment to ensuring 50% representation of women in decision-making positions. This means not just ensuring that women are in leadership position in politics, put also in business, social development, and everywhere where decisions are made.

There are so many qualified women in Africa, who are denied influential positions in various sectors of societies by virtue of their gender. Such tendencies are retrogressive and inhibit development in countries. It is time to eliminate the myth of key leadership positions being solely a man’s domain and realise that women are key partners in development, so that the world can move forward.

Hone Liwanga is a journalists and member of the Gender and Media Southern Africa (GEMSA) Network in Zambia. This article is part of the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service that provides fresh views on everyday news.

Social network for HIV/AIDS community

March 28, 2007 | By Minic Rivera | From www.blogherald.com

HIVConnect.net, a social network for the HIV/AIDS community, was launched to serve as place of free dialogue for people with HIV/AIDS, AIDS services organizations, community based organizations, researchers, among others.

“My goal is to create an environment of comfort, and deepen the social interaction between clients and the various organizations and individuals that seek to support them,” Stephan Adelson, founder of the nonprofit project, said.

There are three types of membership available on the site. One profile type is for those that are HIV-positive, a second for organizations, and a third for friends and family members. To ensure the privacy and comfort, HIV-positive members family and friend profiles do not have access to the HIV-positive community. HIVConnect.net includes a place for member profiles while offering a comprehensive library with topics related to HIV/AIDS.

Long term survivors of HIV/AIDS are becoming isolated environments, where medication and mutations of the virus are creating distinctive responses in individuals. Their doctors often face unique situations, yet sharing these experiences is often difficult and time prohibitive. HIVConnect.net provides a place for authentic communication while ensuring the privacy of the individual. To further assure privacy, no identifying personal information such as name or address is collected.

Lifeboat: A Woman’s Guide to HIV-Positive Motherhood

Andrea Lynch, RH Reality Check, Nicaragua & England on February 26, 2007 - 8:50am

Published under: STI/HIV/AIDS Prevention | Women’s Rights

There are 19 million women worldwide currently living with HIV/AIDS, but living with HIV is just one aspect of these women's lives. Reproductive rights organizations like Ipas and HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations like the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS have been working for years to raise awareness of the complexity of HIV-positive women's sexual and reproductive realities, and a new project called Lifeboat offers a unique space to challenge stereotypes about HIV-positive women's lives. Specifically, Lifeboat seeks to shed light on the reality of HIV-positive motherhood, using film to present compelling, complex images of mothers living with HIV/AIDS.

According to UNAIDS, of the 200 million women who become pregnant every year, roughly 2.5 million are HIV-positive. In some countries in southern Africa, where the pandemic is most widespread, over a third of pregnant women are living with HIV/AIDS. Across the developing world, HIV-positive women—like all women—struggle to find dignity amidst pervasive violations of their sexual and reproductive rights. And despite strong anti-discrimination laws and decades of awareness-raising, here in the United States, HIV-positive pregnant women continue to face discrimination within the health system, as Scott Swenson reported earlier this month.

The obstacles to achieving health, dignity, and well-being faced by HIV-positive women worldwide are formidable to say the least, but that is only part of these women's stories. All over the world, HIV-positive women continue to grow, live, and contribute to their communities and their families. By sharing these women's stories through short films, Lifeboat seeks to shatter the stigma and the stereotypes surrounding HIV/AIDS, sex, pregnancy, and motherhood, focusing instead on "the human experiences of wanting, having, loving, and raising children in a positive home." For example, "Lullaby" features two teenagers talking about the loving, happy childhood that their HIV-positive mother has given them. "True Love" focuses on a Nigerian couple coming to grips with the knowledge that they are both HIV-positive, and that they are expecting a child. Both films have been screened at numerous conferences on HIV/AIDS, as well as in communities and healthcare settings. They will soon be available online. For more information, visit Lifeboat.