World Aids Day 2008 activities

Media interviews

Media interviews were conducted with the various CSOs leaders namely Allan Ragi; KANCO, James Kamau of Kenya Treatment Access Movement, Anisia Karanja; a pastor who is living positively and the Head of Department of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Dr Willis Akhwale.

Breakfast meeting

Whilst Kenya has done commendably well in combating HIV and AIDS, challenges abound as 230,000 cannot access drugs while the majority of Kenyans remain ignorant of their status. This lead to KANCO organising a breakfast meeting on the 27th November 2008 with CSOs leaders, journalists, PLHIV networks and a representative from the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation. Allan Ragi, who is the Executive Director of KANCO noted that the forum was the best platform to remind leaders of the commitments they had earlier made on universal access. He noted that the leaders’ commitment to universal access was not evident from the leaders which can be reflected from their refusal to pay taxes. The event had speeches on universal access to prevention, treatment and care services.

These speeches were:

i. What does it mean by James Kamau of Kenya Treatment Access Movement (KETAM),

ii. Experiences of a Youth Living with HIV (Georgina Nktali, Coordinator of Positive Youth Initiative,

iii. The Reproductive Health and Rights Bill, 2008 by Dr. Jean Kagio,

iv. Experiences of a Religious leader living with HIV by Anisia Karanja, KENERELA,

v. Civil Society Position on Universal Access By Miano Munene, HERAF( position attached),

vi. Key Note Address departmental head Ministry of Public Health and sanitation, Dr. Akhawale and

vii. Access to Treatment by Asunta Wagura.

The involvement of key focal persons living with HIV to deliver the speeches was a good strategy towards the reduction of stigma and discrimination. The forum involved key leaders from the PLHIV networks like Asunta and Kamaua as well as agents and people who play a vital role in stigma reduction including a young person and religious leader living with HIV. The speakers called for the meaningful involvement of PLHIV and the reduction of gender and human rights violations. The event also lead to the cutting of the cake to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the World AIDS day.

World AIDS Day Procession and Walk Against Stigma and Discrimination

The Partners held a series of meetings amongst KANCO staff and partners and agreed to hold a procession and walk against stigma and discrimination.

The aim of the walk was to instill the same messages as the ones in the breakfast meeting to the public. That is at ensuring that the public recalls on the commitment the leadership has made on universal access. The procession left Kibera open grounds where the CSOs conglomerated, mounted a truck with posters and banners and did mobilisation for the public to participate. Kibera was identified due to its social, economic situation and the largest slum in Africa. The truck snaked through the identified route while the walkers who included the participating partners closely followed. Messages on stigma and discrimination, positive living, HIV testing and leadership were called for throughout the route. The public closely participated and followed the truck. Materials on leadership and the code of good practice were distributed throughout the route.

The truck, puppeteers, drama groups caused a stir throughout the route until it found it's way to Uhuru park (a public park in Nairobi where entertainments and speeches were made). In the park anti- stigma and discrimination messages were released through various means some included in poems, speeches by James Kamau of KETAM, Anisia Karanja a pastor living with HIV/AIDS, a woman living with HIV/AIDS from SACODEN and the ARF. Drama groups comprising of KANCO supported youth group Responding to HIV/AIDS (RAY) kept the crowd entertained while still giving the messages. A child living with HIV from SACODEN gave a talk; women living with HIV from KENWA also gave a skit. Through out this process, the code partners were assigned different tasks which were jointly done to the success of the event.