I have set off to visit one of our programmes at the International HIV Fund which we are running in partnership with Islamic Relief. The aim of this programme is to strengthen local community structures and capacities in responding to HIV in communities in Niger. The programme also aims to empower and educate women living with HIV and those at risk of getting infected, through education and development of income-generation skills. A key focus lies in the empowerment of individuals so that they can help in the response to HIV.
Saturday 4 June 2011
I landed in Niamey in Niger with the heat hitting me as soon as I left the plane. It must be at least 38 degrees (feels like it anyway..!) and its 3am in the morning! Upon exiting the airport, I was surrounded by a group of young male adults trying to sell me mobile SIM cards. This is one of the ways in which the youth try and earn a living here. I am told it is a system that has been set up by some community services here to allow for people to make a living. It was a stark insight into the extent of poverty in Niger that these young adults would be out so late in the night trying to earn a living in this way.
I landed in Niamey in Niger with the heat hitting me as soon as I left the plane. It must be at least 38 degrees (feels like it anyway..!) and its 3am in the morning! Upon exiting the airport, I was surrounded by a group of young male adults trying to sell me mobile SIM cards. This is one of the ways in which the youth try and earn a living here. I am told it is a system that has been set up by some community services here to allow for people to make a living. It was a stark insight into the extent of poverty in Niger that these young adults would be out so late in the night trying to earn a living in this way.
Later that morning I attended the opening launch of our programme which was being held at Bafouneye, an association for women living with HIV based in the area of Kirkissoy, one of the more deprived areas in Niamey. I was greeted by a very welcoming Kaltoum Amadou, the Vice President of the association and Adama Mali, 2nd General Secretary. Bafouneye members were joined also by partner Islamic Relief and members of the local press and TV channels. Guests were invited to watch performances including a role play on how stigma is a very big problem in some health care settings. The women I met that day were very inspiring I found. Many were trying to move on with their lives and not let this virus overtake them.
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| Programme launch at Bafouneye, Saturday 4th June 2011 |
Monday 6 June 2011
I visited our partner organisation Islamic Relief Niger which would be my office for the duration of the next three weeks. I was shown around the building (cats and lizards roaming around the gardens..!) and was introduced to the staff of the various departments, from the orphans department to water and sanitation. I think I ate something bad today as I am going to sleep with a very bad stomach ache!
I visited our partner organisation Islamic Relief Niger which would be my office for the duration of the next three weeks. I was shown around the building (cats and lizards roaming around the gardens..!) and was introduced to the staff of the various departments, from the orphans department to water and sanitation. I think I ate something bad today as I am going to sleep with a very bad stomach ache!
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Today I met Aboubacar Sidikou Alhousseini, president of the National Network of People Living with HIV in Niger. The network has 25 member organisations in Niger (Bafouneye is one of these members), and Aboubacar is also a member of the West Africa Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS. As a controller he oversees several HIV projects in Western Africa. Aboubacar is a consultant to our programme and I will be working closely with him during my stay in Niamey for the monitoring of the project. We sat down to discuss the schedule of our work and afterwards made a field visit to Bafouneye. Today, the women have gone to buy products, funded by the programme, for their income-generation project. Aissa, a trainer, will teach the ladies how to make cosmetics and help develop their skills.
Today I met Aboubacar Sidikou Alhousseini, president of the National Network of People Living with HIV in Niger. The network has 25 member organisations in Niger (Bafouneye is one of these members), and Aboubacar is also a member of the West Africa Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS. As a controller he oversees several HIV projects in Western Africa. Aboubacar is a consultant to our programme and I will be working closely with him during my stay in Niamey for the monitoring of the project. We sat down to discuss the schedule of our work and afterwards made a field visit to Bafouneye. Today, the women have gone to buy products, funded by the programme, for their income-generation project. Aissa, a trainer, will teach the ladies how to make cosmetics and help develop their skills.
(On a personal note, it’s ironic that by now the two people I am in contact with the most here are Aboubacar and Mohammad - in the UK office I also work with an Abubaker and Mohammad...(same names, different faces! :D)
Wednesday 8 June 2011
I made a visit to Bafouneye to see the range of products the ladies had made earlier in the morning. It was wonderful to see the work on display. Some ladies had also been making bags to sell and the skilled craftsmanship involved was evident to see. What struck me today were some of the infant children who had been brought along for the day by their mothers. Looking at them, it reminded me of the millions of orphans who have lost a parent (some, both) to AIDS. These infants I was seeing today still had their mothers to look after them, but for how long I wondered. Treatment for HIV (in terms of maintaining the virus, not curing it – there is still no cure) is very expensive for people in the developing world, and many still do not have access to medication.
It served as a reminder also of another important date today in the HIV and AIDS calendar; today is the first day of the United Nations 2011 High-Level Meeting on AIDS which will last until the 10th of June. The meeting is being held at the UN headquarters, and will be attended by HIV advocates and heads of state to review the progress made in addressing HIV globally and assessing what needs to be done next. There is still a long way to go especially as discrimination and stigma affects the access people have to HIV prevention, support and treatment services. :0(
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| One of the infants I met on my visit on Wednesday, he was so adorable |
Thursday 9 June 2011
Today I woke up at 5am and thought the rain had arrived. I could hear the windiness outside and the trumpeting sound of the rain. However when I got up and looked out the window I could see there was no rain – it was the air-conditioner! The rain is expected in the next few weeks I am told. Niger is prone to a lot of draughts and so it is hard for many people living here, particularly the elderly and very young. Around this time of the year a lot of elderly people in Niger die from problems brought on by the heat.
That morning I went to see the ladies at Bafouneye. Today they would be trained on how to make soap and I was invited to watch the process. It was a very interesting process to say the least and it was fantastic to see the commitment and dedication of the women to learn and develop their skills. It is easy to forget sometimes that people just want an opportunity for an education to help themselves in the long term and not rely on others. The training these women were getting was not only improving their self esteem but also helping to equip them with skills so that they could have an avenue by which to feel empowered and help provide for their families.
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| Handcream, one of the products the women have been trained to make |
Friday 10 June 2011
Friday marks another stage in our programmes activities. Pregnant women at the integrated health centre underwent education on the importance of HIV testing. This is very important as mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be prevented if detected early in the pregnancy and steps taken throughout the duration of the pregnancy can mean that babies are not born with HIV. In the coming days health-care workers will also be trained on HIV and AIDS prevention. I’ll report back on this in the coming days! I shall also be meeting with representatives of the Health Ministry in Niger when I make a journey to Tillerberi, a region separate to Niamey, and plan to meet with agencies who are working at the community level to combat HIV. Interviews with Muslim women living with HIV are also to come.
Till next time.
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