TRUNG TÂM NÂNG CAO SỨC KHOẺ CỘNG ĐỒNG
I experienced the life of a drug dependent in a detention center. I got HIV as a result of inadequate knowledge. When I received HIV positive test result, I felt that my life was a waste because it became meaningless for me.
I experienced the life of a drug dependent in a detention center. I got HIV as a result of inadequate knowledge. When I received HIV positive test result, I felt that my life was a waste because it became meaningless for me. For a long time, I isolated myself from the other people and lead an extremely boring life.
In April 2012, everything changed when CHP’s “Empowerment for civil society organizations to implement harm reduction initiatives successfully project” came to me. The green of hope opened my path in the same way as CHP’s logo. The green makes me sensational and helps me love life again. I connected with the other people in my circumstance and set up Thien Hoa self-help group to forget pain of the disease and help each other to have brighter mind and desire to lengthen our life as well to do useful things for the community.
About one year passed by since my group was set up. I was chosen to be the group leader by the group members. My group attended almost 20 training courses on capacity building provided by CHP. Knowledge and skills obtained from these courses give us more self-confidence, openness, and stronger belief in our future.
Empowerment project – the brief name of the project as we often call is exact as its name. The self-help groups learned computer skills to use, article writing skills, taking photos, and many other skills. It’s like a dream in a real time! We were equipped with camera and computer to learn more knowledge, have convenient continuous connect with CHP project office in Ha Noi.
I cannot forget the time when my group was first set up. When Thien Hoa group sought for sponsors but no agencies accepted. However, I tried to persuade the local authority, sectors and organized the launching to introduce our group about our mission and activities. It was the first time in our locality when PLHA who had a sinful past dared to admit their HIV positive status in public.
After that, the head of Yen Lac Town Police agreed to act as the sponsor for my group. We organized community advocacy activities named “community join hands in the fight against HIV/AIDS, stigma and discrimination prohibition against PLHA and IDUs” with funding from the project. We appealed the local authority, sectors, and mass organizations from provincial to district and commune levels to provide us with sharing and sympathy.
When Thien Hoa group was set up, there were only 11 members. Now, we have more than 20 members. We have 8 enthusiastic and dynamic outreach workers who always want to contribute to stop HIV/AIDS in the district.
We are always concerned, care and support one another when the members are sick and provide care and support to the members’ children, share experience, skills and knowledge relating to HIV/AIDS for the people in similar circumstance.
Our routine activities include collecting used syringes in the public places, distributing condoms and syringes for IDUs. Key members of my group also actively participate in the meetings of villagers to conduct integrated IEC sessions on HIV/AIDS to help the community people change their mind about PLHA so that they always see nice images and good impression as the meaning brought by the Empowerment project.
The existence and growth of my group owes financial support by the project, enthusiastic support by many trainers from CHP, especially efforts made by CHP project staff to share work with us.
Since I joined the project, I have a feeling that life is so peaceful and relaxing. I always want to live more positive and do more useful activities for the community with a hope that Thien Hoa has a sustainable development.
Participating in “Empowerment” project
My life is brightened, my sadness is appeased
Keep believe in the future
Be confident to match forward
Be happy to greet sunrise
Let’s unite, support and share
Charity-peace is ideal of life
CHP help change the people
Speak good words, do good things
Join hands to stop HIV/AIDS
March 2013, Na Ri, Bac Kan
Ha Thanh Giang – Thien Hoa group leader
[1] (poem)
CHP- The project “Empowering local civil society to succeed harm reduction initiatives”- HIV/AIDS Asia Regional Program in Viet Nam (HAARP)