Hope Ofiriha’s Omilling HIV-AIDS Project has made a remarkable change increasing the number of people knowing their HIV status.
In Omilling Sudan, 1 out of 5 is HIV-infected. If people can find out their status, they can take necessary steps to remain negative or access care, and treatment services if positive. To further this goal, Hope Ofiriha made a decision to expand HIV-awareness campaign and counseling availability by visiting HIV-experts. Integrating HIV-awareness program into local health services allows local volunteers to offer testing and counseling as a standard component of medical care which can reduce the stigma attached to receiving an HIV test since very patient is asked if they want to be tested.
Proactively offering testing and counseling also can increase acceptance of HIV testing among the populations who are most likely to be infected. Hope Ofiriha invites HIV-testing experts to rural areas three times a year.
Since the start of this program, Hope Ofiriha has been campaigning to raise awareness of HIV-AID, how to avoid contracting the killer disease, and to how to treat and live with it. The project works in partnership with the Omilling Traditional Authorities. 3000 people have attended the educational workshops on HIV-AID since the start.
“We have a strategy, “Alice says, that we began almost a year ago. “Think wide and start small.”That method paid off: four villages of the Omilling are now awareness of HIV-AID. To date, the community’s 1 trainer have trained a total of 2 HIV-awareness volunteers, they now being integrated into local different health facilities to give a 30 minutes talk, and a 30 minutes question and answer session on daily basis to output services patients.
A long the way our HIV-campaigner is facing a huge challenge in sustaining this program but with optimism. She needs fuel to power the motor bike to visit more villages, and materials for HIV-campaign and training.
We are grateful to our GlobalGiving donors for the supports they have shown during the difficult months, and Hope Ofiriha will be working with them until the project has achieve its goal.
Thanks for your ongoing support!
