African Grandmothers Re: Stigma and Discrimination

[Guest guest]

Spotlight: African grandmothers bring stigma to Toronto

http://www.healthdev.org/eforums/cms/individual.asp?sid=95 & sname=AF-AIDS

HDN

Key Correspondent Team

**************************

They came from far and wide. They came by foot, by train and finally

by plane. Over 300 grandmothers from 10 African countries, came to

meet their Canadian counterparts to share their stories of grief and

pain over the loss of their children to the HIV epidemic.

In a unique meeting organised by the Foundation (SLF)

in Toronto, a few days prior to the opening of the 16th

International AIDS Conference, African grandmothers broke their

silence over how stigma and discrimination undermines their efforts to

hold families together and care for orphaned children.

" To be honest, I don't know whether my children have the HIV

infection or not. There is so much stigma attached to `the

condition', as it is called in my country, that my children are

afraid to know their status, " says Joyce Kajechi Gichuana from

Nairobi,Kenya.

The soft-spoken, petite 63-year-old mother of three has six

grandchildren of her own and has adopted six other children orphaned

by the HIV epidemic in Kasarani district, in Nairobi, Kenya. Three of

these children are HIV positive. " These children are doubly burdened.

Not only are they orphans, but they also face stigma and

discrimination [associated with HIV]. If they get love and compassion

I know they will be able to overcome it. "

Joyce is not the only one. Whether it is Martha Nduhi of Kenya, Leah

Motlalepulc of South Africa, or Antonia Igres from Tanzania, their

stories are strikingly similar.

While statistics on the pandemic's effect on grandmothers are scarce,

approximately 13 million children in sub-Saharan Africa have been

orphaned by AIDS – a higher number than the total of every child

under-18 in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland combined. 40

to 60 per cent of these orphans live in grandmother-headed households.

But how many people are aware of these statistics? More importantly,

how many really care? , the United Nations Secretary-

General's special envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa, realised that

unless people living outside Africa experienced the emotional

battering that he felt when he saw the bodies of people who had died

of AIDS related illnesses, being abandoned in the morgue by their

families would they be unable to understand the trauma of HIV-related

stigma.

The meeting between the African and Canadian grandmothers was a step

towards bridging this gap. " Grandmothers have stepped forward to care

for millions of children orphaned by AIDS. They have displayed the

courage to overcome their own feelings of helplessness and emotional

stress compounded by the stigma surrounding HIV. As caregivers, many

of them face discrimination, which makes finding support that

much harder. We wanted this meeting to help build a bond of

solidarity between the grandmothers and let the African grandmothers

know that they were not alone in their grief, " says Stephan .

But even did not anticipate the overwhelming support the

African grandmothers received from their Canadian counterparts during

their two-day meeting. The age-old African ways of speaking without

words broke down all communications barriers. They sang and danced,

laughed and wept together. " We were afraid that language barriers

would separate us, and our capacity to help might be reduced to

fundraising alone. This meeting has broken all barriers. Although

I was aware of their problems, I had never got involved in doing

something about it. This meeting has given me an opportunity to act

as their voice so that I can share their stories and raise awareness

about HIV within my community. I believe that awareness can reduce

the stigma surrounding the epidemic, " contends Jo- Page, a 63

year-old Canadian grandmother.

While exchanges like this help in understanding HIV stigma and

discrimination, it will need more than just one meeting to challenge

the myths and misconceptions that continue to perpetuate

discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV). There has to

be a sustained multi-pronged effort by non-government organisations

like the SLF. But more importantly, there has to be greater political

will. Unless national governments demonstrate that they care for

every person infected by HIV by implementing laws that reduce stigma

and discrimination against PLHIV, it is unlikely that the children of

Joyce Gichuana, will ever want to know their status.

Swapna Majumdar

HDN Key Correspondent, India

Email: correspondents@...

Website: www.healthdev.org/kc

*******************************************************

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

[Guest guest]

Spotlight: African grandmothers bring stigma to Toronto

http://www.healthdev.org/eforums/cms/individual.asp?sid=95 & sname=AF-AIDS

HDN

Key Correspondent Team

**************************

They came from far and wide. They came by foot, by train and finally

by plane. Over 300 grandmothers from 10 African countries, came to

meet their Canadian counterparts to share their stories of grief and

pain over the loss of their children to the HIV epidemic.

In a unique meeting organised by the Foundation (SLF)

in Toronto, a few days prior to the opening of the 16th

International AIDS Conference, African grandmothers broke their

silence over how stigma and discrimination undermines their efforts to

hold families together and care for orphaned children.

" To be honest, I don't know whether my children have the HIV

infection or not. There is so much stigma attached to `the

condition', as it is called in my country, that my children are

afraid to know their status, " says Joyce Kajechi Gichuana from

Nairobi,Kenya.

The soft-spoken, petite 63-year-old mother of three has six

grandchildren of her own and has adopted six other children orphaned

by the HIV epidemic in Kasarani district, in Nairobi, Kenya. Three of

these children are HIV positive. " These children are doubly burdened.

Not only are they orphans, but they also face stigma and

discrimination [associated with HIV]. If they get love and compassion

I know they will be able to overcome it. "

Joyce is not the only one. Whether it is Martha Nduhi of Kenya, Leah

Motlalepulc of South Africa, or Antonia Igres from Tanzania, their

stories are strikingly similar.

While statistics on the pandemic's effect on grandmothers are scarce,

approximately 13 million children in sub-Saharan Africa have been

orphaned by AIDS – a higher number than the total of every child

under-18 in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland combined. 40

to 60 per cent of these orphans live in grandmother-headed households.

But how many people are aware of these statistics? More importantly,

how many really care? , the United Nations Secretary-

General's special envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa, realised that

unless people living outside Africa experienced the emotional

battering that he felt when he saw the bodies of people who had died

of AIDS related illnesses, being abandoned in the morgue by their

families would they be unable to understand the trauma of HIV-related

stigma.

The meeting between the African and Canadian grandmothers was a step

towards bridging this gap. " Grandmothers have stepped forward to care

for millions of children orphaned by AIDS. They have displayed the

courage to overcome their own feelings of helplessness and emotional

stress compounded by the stigma surrounding HIV. As caregivers, many

of them face discrimination, which makes finding support that

much harder. We wanted this meeting to help build a bond of

solidarity between the grandmothers and let the African grandmothers

know that they were not alone in their grief, " says Stephan .

But even did not anticipate the overwhelming support the

African grandmothers received from their Canadian counterparts during

their two-day meeting. The age-old African ways of speaking without

words broke down all communications barriers. They sang and danced,

laughed and wept together. " We were afraid that language barriers

would separate us, and our capacity to help might be reduced to

fundraising alone. This meeting has broken all barriers. Although

I was aware of their problems, I had never got involved in doing

something about it. This meeting has given me an opportunity to act

as their voice so that I can share their stories and raise awareness

about HIV within my community. I believe that awareness can reduce

the stigma surrounding the epidemic, " contends Jo- Page, a 63

year-old Canadian grandmother.

While exchanges like this help in understanding HIV stigma and

discrimination, it will need more than just one meeting to challenge

the myths and misconceptions that continue to perpetuate

discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV). There has to

be a sustained multi-pronged effort by non-government organisations

like the SLF. But more importantly, there has to be greater political

will. Unless national governments demonstrate that they care for

every person infected by HIV by implementing laws that reduce stigma

and discrimination against PLHIV, it is unlikely that the children of

Joyce Gichuana, will ever want to know their status.

Swapna Majumdar

HDN Key Correspondent, India

Email: correspondents@...

Website: www.healthdev.org/kc

*******************************************************

Boston, Massachusetts, USA