My name is Josephine Atieno. I am a community health worker working with PLWHAs to create awareness of HIV/AIDS in the community here in North Gem. I have seen the great impact that this project has achieved within a relatively short time. There has been a great reduction in stigmatization within the community towards people living with HIV/AIDS; resulting in larger numbers of people going for testing, adhering to their ART (anti-retro-viral therapy); awareness attributable to the disease in the community and mitigation towards improving the livelihoods of PLWHAs and reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
Josephine says, “The project training for CHWs is highly beneficial for us because it addresses several public health interventions at the heart of the community ranging from hygiene-related issues (such as the anti-jigger campaigns, anti-malaria campaigns and interventions and proper hygiene practices) to HIV/AIDS and STI-related infections. We are also trained on basic PMTCT and HTC skills including providing psycho-social support and communication with PLWHAs.”
“I have served as a CHW in Malanga sub-location for the past 33 years”, says Agnes Aluso. “There are 30 of us serving a total of about 600 PLWHAs in our community spread out the six sub-locations in North Gem. We mobilize the community to create awareness of HIV/AIDS and work through the project to reduce the stigma associated with living with HIV/AIDS. We also play a role in the lobby and advocacy efforts of the project to assist OVCs and their guardians’ access educational support. As far as HIV/AIDS is also concerned, we assist the project to monitor adherence to ART and identify defaulters through our home-based care efforts. CHWs also assess community members who require referral to the Program for psycho-social, educational or other support through home visits. We also participate in other cross-cutting public health interventions including training the community on safe and clean drinking water and other proper hygiene practices to reduce the incidences of water-borne and vector-borne diseases; using bed nets to control the spread of malaria; anti-jigger campaigns to assist infested individuals access treatment and sensitize the community on good hygiene practice; and promoting safe sex practices by encouraging behavior change and informing the community on sexual and reproductive health. We are properly equipped with HBC Kits (for home-based care) and also provided essentials necessary to execute our roles in the community.”
Josephine adds, “As both a PLWHA and a CHW, I am able to empathize with the people in the community that I work with on a daily basis and to envision the nature of support that they require. This strengthens the project. In addition, the Program has also provided us (CHWs) with entrepreneurial training, access to micro-finance loans and implements to improve our economic livelihoods through income-generating activities. The CHW team in North Gem greatly appreciates the HIV/AIDS Project for all the support it provides us.”