Kenya: HIV-Positive Teachers Talk of Poor Treatment

[Guest guest]

Kenya: HIV-Positive Teachers Talk of Poor Treatment

Mwakera Mwajefa And Gitonga Marete

26 July 2011

The government is overlooking the needs and physical health of primary and

secondary school teachers suffering from Aids, according to a teacher.

Infected teacher Goretti more than 3,000 colleagues from primary schools

were suffering from the disease with minimal assistance from the government.

" Our greatest challenge is heavy workload from insensitive heads who think you

are using the disease to dodge working, " she said.

She expressed optimism after her presentation at the Kenya Primary School Heads

Association conference that they would understand the " trials and tribulations "

victims of the illness suffer at their teaching stations.

The teacher expressed concern that their secondary school colleagues were not

coming out in the open over the disease due to fears of stigmatisation and

denial.

" The 3,000 estimate could go up if our secondary colleagues stop hiding due to

their high academic achievements and come out in the open to declare their

status, " she added.

Nutrition and medication

She also wants the government to initiate a programme of testing students so

that their status could be known for nutrition and medication purposes.

" Many school children infected through myriads of ways are suffering silently

without being known and this is impacting negatively on their learning process, "

she said.

Kenya Aids NGOs Consortium Coast regional coordinator Sophie Njuguna called on

heads to institute Aids programmes to their teachers so as to create awareness

among them.

" There is need for teacher-centred programmes that provide education and

services related to HIV prevention, care and support, and stigma reduction, " she

said.

She noted that Aids was a significant obstacle to children achieving universal

access to primary education by 2015.

The coordinator said HIV had significantly reduced average years of schooling or

enrolment rate and this would impact negatively on economic growth and

investment in education.

" Investment in education is vital because it promotes achievements of the

millennium development goals, " she added.

Detailing her HIV status to the conference, 19-year-old Dorcas Kawira told the

headteachers how children living with disease face some dreadful experiences in

school settings.

" Over 25 years since the advent of the virus in Kenya, it is unacceptable that

stigma and discrimination remain as one of the biggest hurdles that HIV infected

children face in our schools, " she said, causing tears among the participants.

Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/

[Guest guest]

Kenya: HIV-Positive Teachers Talk of Poor Treatment

Mwakera Mwajefa And Gitonga Marete

26 July 2011

The government is overlooking the needs and physical health of primary and

secondary school teachers suffering from Aids, according to a teacher.

Infected teacher Goretti more than 3,000 colleagues from primary schools

were suffering from the disease with minimal assistance from the government.

" Our greatest challenge is heavy workload from insensitive heads who think you

are using the disease to dodge working, " she said.

She expressed optimism after her presentation at the Kenya Primary School Heads

Association conference that they would understand the " trials and tribulations "

victims of the illness suffer at their teaching stations.

The teacher expressed concern that their secondary school colleagues were not

coming out in the open over the disease due to fears of stigmatisation and

denial.

" The 3,000 estimate could go up if our secondary colleagues stop hiding due to

their high academic achievements and come out in the open to declare their

status, " she added.

Nutrition and medication

She also wants the government to initiate a programme of testing students so

that their status could be known for nutrition and medication purposes.

" Many school children infected through myriads of ways are suffering silently

without being known and this is impacting negatively on their learning process, "

she said.

Kenya Aids NGOs Consortium Coast regional coordinator Sophie Njuguna called on

heads to institute Aids programmes to their teachers so as to create awareness

among them.

" There is need for teacher-centred programmes that provide education and

services related to HIV prevention, care and support, and stigma reduction, " she

said.

She noted that Aids was a significant obstacle to children achieving universal

access to primary education by 2015.

The coordinator said HIV had significantly reduced average years of schooling or

enrolment rate and this would impact negatively on economic growth and

investment in education.

" Investment in education is vital because it promotes achievements of the

millennium development goals, " she added.

Detailing her HIV status to the conference, 19-year-old Dorcas Kawira told the

headteachers how children living with disease face some dreadful experiences in

school settings.

" Over 25 years since the advent of the virus in Kenya, it is unacceptable that

stigma and discrimination remain as one of the biggest hurdles that HIV infected

children face in our schools, " she said, causing tears among the participants.

Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/