CoH Stories of Hope

Will HIV Related Stigma Ever Be Defeated?  Good News From Zambia!

Author: Christo Greyling - World Vision International

HIV related stigma has been one of the key drivers for the HIV epidemic since the very start of the HIV epidemic.  Due to HIV related stigma, many people did not want to know their HIV status; and did not access services or treatment.  As a result many people died from a preventable and now manageable disease.  For me personally,  the most painful experience relating to this was when a very close Muslim friend from Zambia died in 2010, and then only discovered he died from AIDS related illnesses.  How could this happen?  He was co-facilitating CoH HIV workshops with me all over the world, but for him the stigma was so severe, that he chose to rather die from AIDS, than to face the stigma in his community! He choose to die alone, rather than acknowledging that he was living with HIV – even to me. Stigma killed my friend!

That left me with the question: Will HIV related stigma ever be defeated?

Good news!!!!!  In August this year I attended the cPMTCT learning lab in Zambia during which we spent two days to visit HIV programming within the Twashiyanda ADP.  The whole WV group was split up into multiple vehicles who all visited different groups or locations at the same time. After the first day’s visits I overheard Tina-Monique saying: “They all say there is no more HIV related stigma in this community!  It is too good to be true!”   I wondered about this myself….

But the more we moved around within the ADP, the more we heard the same response from people.  One of the constant refrains I was hearing was: “The church spoke about HIV” (youth in HIV peer group from school); “The pastor gave us information…” (18 year old school girl in household visited); “The church started with care groups…” (local clinic).  Of course, to hear this made me very happy, but I wished I could meet these people from the church!

On the second day, I got my chance!  We first met with the women’s group led by Mrs Janet Sibalwa, which were functioning as community savings group for women.  This group became so strong that they even registered as a legal entity to allow for larger projects.  To my great surprise I found that this savings group was started from within the CHAT group after the church became sensitized through CoH.  When I listened to the CHAT group (Congregational leadership group for CoH) shortly after, I was astonished to hear how this congregation, inspired by their pastor, addresses HIV related issues in a wide variety of ways.  They cared for OVCs and PLHIV from within the church and from the wider community.  They mobilized home visitors and home care givers from their congregation members.  They have regular HIV services during which people are supported and lifted up in prayer in a constructive way.   The even talked about condoms in church. 

At last I had the chance to meet the humble, but beaming Pastor Ephraim Mweene from the Chilala Brethren in Christ Church.  I discovered to my surprise that Pastor Ephraim attended the VERY FIRST Channels of Hope pilot workshop for World Vision in Johannesburg in May 2003, and that his congregation members attended the very first pilot CHAT workshop in 2005 which we conducted in Zambia.  I met Deacon Philex Muzwaniahen, one of the CHAT members who attended that very workshop – and to my astonishment this elder from the church still carried with him a rumbled, well-worn copy of the CoH handouts which they received after the CoH CHAT workshop.

Looking back at everything I heard and saw, I am filled with awe and amazing sense of thankfulness.  Thankful for WV, who realized what important role faith communities can play in reducing HIV and AIDS. Thankful to witness how church leaders, and their congregations, responded to CoH.  But mostly thankful to God who inspired CoH and who, through radical change of hearts in people can transform communities.  I am filled with awe to see that it actually can be done: HIV related stigma can be defeated!!  People are access treatment and VCT services without blame or shame.  We can reach ZERO!  Together we can!

Let’s continue to pray: Let Your Kingdom come!!  I saw it in Zambia!

Christo Greyling