Beautiful Wooden sculpture at a mexican museum

picture of stone age man being eaten by a tiger

amazing image... guess what it is?

picture with Prof Miriam Were chairperson Kenya National AIDS Control Council Yuko Takenaka Chief Advisor JICA, at the AIDS conference in Mexico. also in the pix is Girmay Haile UNAIDS Kenya Country representative

Raped while young and infected with HIV
“I had no choice, he had sex with me,” laments Herlyn Auiras, a survivor of abduction and three rape ordeals. At 16, Auiras together with her friend were abducted and smuggled into South Africa.

The drama began innocently enough when Auiras and a friend planned to attend a concert in Windhoek City under the pretext of visiting the friend’s grandfather. Money being a challenge, the two girls accepted a ride from a couple of Namibia truck drivers.

The drivers, originally from South Africa, assured Auiras and her friend that they would bring them back to Namibia on the return trip. “At the immigration checkpoint they covered us with blankets and passed the border into South Africa,” recalls Auiras.

“At Jo’burg, one of the drivers wanted to have sex with me. He threatened to hurt me if I didn’t give in,” she remembers.

Auiras begged the driver to wear a condom. Although he reluctantly agreed, the condom broke during the rape. He warned Aurias against going to the police noting that she was in South Africa illegally.

The two young women existed for several days without food or a place to sleep. “Any time we asked to go home, he said next week!’

Finally able to escape the truck drivers’ grasp, Aurias and her friend met someone who appeared to be a Good Samaritan. The man offered to find them accommodations in a friend’s house. As it turns out, they were lured into a trap by the very man they supposed would save them.

As days went on, Aurias experienced urinal pains and virginal discharge. “I never knew it was a sexually transmitted infection.”

They had no choice but to comply with the demands of their host, including attending nightclubs with the man. One night at a club, the man tried to force Aurias to have sex with him. When she declined, “he beat me with a wooden bar.” She escaped with only her clothes, but soon realized she had no choice but to go back to the house.

Soon she became so ill that her “host” had to take her to the hospital. While there she was diagnosed with HIV. “When the doctor said I had AIDS I wanted to commit suicide,” she remembers. Because of the illness, the man no longer wanted her in his home and eventually the young woman made her way back to Namibia with the help of police.

With treatment Aurias began to feel better. Even still, it took her a year and a half to disclose her status to her parents.

In time, Aurias found the Wawis Buy multi-purpose centre in Namibia. The people there helped transform her life by welcoming her and training her in counseling and palliative care.

Recognizing that her story could have had a horrific ending, Aurias is grateful to be alive and able to help other young women. Today she is the ambassador of Hope for Churches United Against HIV and AIDS (CUAHA). Advocating in churches on human trafficking, sexual abuse and all forms of human rights abuse, Aurias’ powerful story serves as both a warning to and an example for youth.

Her advice to young people is very straightforward: “We have the power to make choices after first weighing consequences.”

The United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF) estimates that some 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide every year.

Supporting orphans presents challenges, opportunities
By George Arende

“Rising numbers of orphans and vulnerable children [OVC] remains a huge challenge, that requires innovation and dedication to overcome,” said Caroline Thuo, program coordinator for orphans and vulnerable children for Giving HOPE

The statistics demonstrate the truth in Thuo’s statement. The past three decades have seen an explosion in numbers of orphans and vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa with the UN estimating that there are 12 million children in Africa orphaned by AIDS. The report further says that 2 million OVCs live in Kenya alone.

These young people left to fend for themselves. “Most of the children are forced to become heads of families,”laments Caroline. Some as young as 12-years-old are tasked with caring and providing for their younger siblings.

“Community has more burden to care for those with HIV and AIDS, TB, and malaria,” she said, adding “responsibility of molding [the children’s lives] doesn’t function owing to such challenges.” Thuo is also focused on young people living in slums. “They are traumatized and need counseling. They are faced with so much pressure,” Thus said.

Giving Hope is a program operating in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, serving 8,309 households, accounting for 27,990 children. The program fosters independence by empowering children and young people whose lives have been derailed by poverty and disease to gain control and become productive. This is done by developing the skills and talents of the children.

The program also provides a support system and a resource database for economic and social knowledge advancement.

Thuo is happy working with children terming them ‘potential for the future’. Through her program Church World Service helps children utilize the best in their surrounding and become responsible and productive members of the society.

ANERELA, the compassion Umbrella for Clergy and all living with HIV

Mexico 2nd August, 2008: It was difficult for Gracia Violeta founder of first Bolivian organization for People Living with HIV to disclose her status. A rape survivor, Gracia struggled to come to terms with her diagnosis and disclose to her family and friends. She comes from a religious family -- her father is an evangelical Christian pastor. It took years for her to tell her congregation.

Four years ago she knew about ANERELA which helped her to disclose her status. ‘ANERELA is an opportunity for the world to learn from Africa’- she said at the launch of International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS (INERELA) at the Ecumenical Pre-conference in Mexico City.

INERELA is a global expansion of its sister network, Africa Network of Religious Leaders Living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS (ANERELA) which was launched in 2003. INERELA a network operating jointly with ANERELA is a network of religious leaders both lay and ordained, women and men living with or affected by HIV and AIDS.


Regional representative from all continents light from one candle (symbolizing ANERELA) and representing the launch of INERELA. Picture G. Arende

HIV cases show no sign of abating and remain grossly stigmatizing even after twenty-five years of research and existence of the virus. In 2003 only a few courageous but isolated religious leaders in Africa lived openly with HIV, no network existed. Living with HIV was- as is too often still is- a lonely business. Today ANERELA has 3,500 members in five continents.

Programs Director for World Conference of Religions for Peace Mr. James Cairns noted that- ‘Even with stigma and unconstructive leadership, through ANERELA we have had leaders who accompany people living with HIV and AIDS’. Sentiments echoed by Dr. Manoj Kurian executive for health and healing at the World Council of Churches who said –‘ANERELA has provided a platform for engagement’ terming the organization ‘precious resource’.

Living to its mission - of equipping, empowering and engaging religious leaders, and being the agents of hope and change beyond faith; ANERELA has helped people of Islamic faith to talk about HIV and AIDS. ‘the greatest- are human beings who provide shoulder for other people to lean on’- said Cassiem Khan Islamic relief South African referring to support to unearth HIV and AIDS in Islam faith.

Rev. Christo Greyling ANERELA board chairperson indicated his delight in being involved with the launch of INERELA. He said- ‘We want to lift up what ANERELA has achieved; by focusing and broadening what we have learnt’ and Committed the organization-‘to be good stewards of the family’ in overcoming stigma, silence on HIV and AIDS.

‘Faith and AIDS is not like oil and water’-said Gracia informing that ‘people of faith also had AIDS’.

Linda Hartke Co-ordinator-Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance one of INERELA and ANERELA partners said- ‘We need to engage and create support to celebrate and encourage faith communities in responding to HIV and AIDS’.

By
George Arende

Lutheran Relief Efforts Continue in Kenya Following Election


CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC), Nairobi, a companion church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has made efforts to support people affected by violence since the Dec. 27 presidential election there.
George Arende, communications director, KELC, has taken part in KELC relief efforts. He said the violence erupted when people suspected the election was rigged in favor of incumbent candidate Mwai Kibaki. People were looting, stealing, burning properties and killing, Arende said. "They were agitating for justice. They were agitating for good governance and just a process that was transparent and acceptable to them," he said.
ELCA International Disaster Response sent $10,000 to the KELC for its initial emergency response in affected communities in Kenya, according to the ELCA Disaster Response Web site. It sent another $15,000 to Church World Service which, together with Norwegian Church Aid, is helping to facilitate the worldwide response of Action by Churches Together (ACT). Arende said the money "helped (the KELC) to swing into operation."
The ELCA participates in the work of Church World Service. ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergency situations worldwide. It is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Geneva. The ELCA is a member of the WCC and LWF.
The KELC helped to establish three camps for Kenyans displaced from their homes -- two in the Mathare area and one in the Kiambiyu area, Arende said. These impoverished areas were the focus of the violence in Nairobi, he said. The KELC distributed food, mosquito nets and such non-food items as soap and sanitary towels. "Our role was to fill in the gaps of other humanitarian organizations on the ground," Arende said.
Now that months have passed, Arende said the Kenyan government is urging people living in the camps to return to their homes. But the low supply of food is keeping Kenyans from returning home. "The current situation is still volatile, but it's kind of silent," Arende said. "The government is on one side urging people to return to their homes, and these people who are living in the camps moved from their homes because they lost some of their brothers and sisters and some of their neighbors who were hacked to death, their property destroyed, houses razed down."
"We have one group saying that justice has to prevail and the other group insisting that amnesty be given as a process for peace building," Arende said. "If they return, the memories will continue haunting them. They cannot leave harmoniously, whatever the case."
Arende said promises from the government to compensate people living in camps are causing residents to hold out with the hope of being paid. He said the government does not have the resources for compensation. "They (the people) are still in the camps because they perceive that, if they leave the camps, their stories will be finished, nobody will think about them," Arende said. "The government itself is focusing on other priorities and doesn't have money to give them, so it's a back-and-forth scenario."
Bringing relief efforts to these areas was often met with hostility, according to Arende. He said volunteers with the Red Cross were attacked by "marauding youth, who had crude weapons, such as machetes."
"They were not allowing police to come in. They were not allowing the Red Cross to come in," Arende said, "but I don't know what happened that they allowed us to come in."
"For me the risk level is high, but on the other side it's rewarding when you see the joy in people's eyes. That's what keeps me going," Arende said. "We cannot provide everything, but dividing the effort and multiplying the effect I think you can have an impact on people's lives."

HIV Travel Restrictions Pose Barriers to Addressing Global Issue

“Travel restrictions that have been imposed on me by some countries because of my HIV status have put a label on me as someone not acceptable to some countries or other people and as such, have made me a prisoner in my country of South Africa,” said Rev. Christo Greyling in an interview at the Ecumenical Pre-Conference on AIDS, “Faith in Action Now!”
Six decades after the Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, over 70 countries still hold HIV-specific travel restriction and 12 countries among them have a total ban on HIV positive persons entering their countries for any reason or length of time. Language in the $48 billion AIDS relief package signed into law by President George W. Bush this week indicates that the United States may be positioned to soon lift, or at least re-evaluate, its travel restrictions against people living with HIV and AIDS. Until this process winds its way through governmental departments, the same U.S. restrictions apply today as when the ban was instituted over 20 years ago.
Rev Greyling, who is the chairperson of the African Network of Religious Leaders Living With or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS (ANERELA) and also the advisor to World Vision International on HIV and AIDS, has been prevented from entering the U.S., Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and other countries.
Despite the fact that he is on medication and his viral load is undetectable, Rev. Greyling is being prevented from doing his work: namely, fighting HIV-related stigma and raising awareness in order to stop the spread of HIV. Whenever possible, he avoids disclosing his HIV status, but says this is in conflict with his Christian beliefs toward being honest. He also finds it ironic that many countries that impose travel bans are staunch advocates for human rights. “This is an absolute disgrace that discrepancy can be allowed where countries that stand for justice and for human rights are not practicing it,” he said.
While legislation restricting travel for HIV positive persons is challenging to individuals—for instance, it separates families, prevents involvement in policymaking discussions, and, because of the fear of having one’s status disclosed, causes some to travel without prescribed medications—it also poses significant barriers for communities, regions, and countries impacted by HIV and AIDS.
According to John F. Galbraith, president and CEO of CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board), travel restrictions stand in the way of successfully addressing HIV prevention and treatment on a global scale. “There are countries who could benefit greatly from the work of faith-based organizations in addressing the spread of HIV. But in order for an NGO to provide services in travel restricting countries, it means that every doctor and nurse, every clinician and technician, every volunteer would have to be HIV-negative.”
Galbraith said that not only is this not practical, it defies conventional wisdom and best practices in stemming the spread of HIV. “There is tremendous value in empowering persons living with HIV to provide education and services to people who are at-risk or who are also living with HIV. To deny a dedicated, interested person the opportunity to serve others diminishes the dignity and value of the individual,” he said.
The United Nation’s Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, in a recent UN General Assembly session, urged a “change in laws that uphold stigma and discrimination, including restriction on travel for people living with HIV.” Still, people living with HIV and AIDS are banned from participating in, and even attending, the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The Chinese government lifted a similar ban on visitors with leprosy but remain adamant that the ban remain in effect on people living with HIV and AIDS.
Despite the challenges, Rev. Greyling remains encouraged by countries that have or are considering dropping their travel restrictions. He acknowledges there is yet much to be done and insists that “the Church and other faith based organizations have a big role in providing prophetic voice against discrimination and working to end these unfair restrictions.”

Stigmatized but determined to overcome
By George Arende


“My community branded me a killer.” These are the words Sellah Akinyi Opiyo uses to illustrate the magnitude of her struggle as she tried to overcome profound stigma following her husband and her co-wife‘s deaths in 1996.

Opiyo has lived with HIV for more than 12 years. As medication has helped to transform her life, she is become determined to overcome the challenges that face many people living with HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the last six years, the number of people on AIDS medication jumped by 10 times, from 300,000 in 2003 to about three million in 2007 according to the 2008 UNAIDS report.

Opiyo is a 46-year-old Kenyan pre-school teacher in the western lakeside City of Kisumu. She has three children of her own and three more inherited from her deceased co-wife. “My husband and co-wife died without testing for HIV,” laments Opiyo even as she recognizes that millions of people in rural Kenya then had very limited information on HIV and AIDS.

“My husband’s death was a motivation to being tested,” she said. But the fear and courage to make the step was a daunting task. Opiyo said “I forged my name three times, all the results were positive.”

Opiyo was stunned by the HIV-positive diagnosis. ‘I was very healthy, the news traumatized me. I spent my last coin for herbal medication.”

She started on antiretroviral therapy in 2003. “When I received the ARV medication I knew I had my life in my hands,” Opiyo explained. “In one month I increased my body weight by ten kgs.”

More surprises awaited Opiyo. After losing her job because of her HIV status, she was warned by a church pastor to stay at home not to step foot in the church compound.

Somehow, Opiyo relied on her inner strength. “I still was motivated to call on widows and talk to them about life issues like HIV and AIDS.” Ignoring warnings from her pastor, she shared her HIV status with other church members. As a result, five women within her congregation approached her to confide there HIV status.

This further motivated Opiyo. Today she is the chairperson of the KIMEO PLWHA group, a support group of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya, whose mission is to reduce transmission and impact of HIV and AIDS by supporting members in psycho-social and economic means. KIMEO PLWHA serves more than 200 members in 14 distinct groups with the primary focus of giving hope to People Living with HIV and AIDS.
Given Opiyo’s own demonstrated determination—and profound hope—she is clearly qualified for this position. Her experience in overcoming stigmatization serves as a model for others. Today she serves as a powerful example of what it means to live with HIV.