[ Samuel Niyitunga ]

HIV/AIDS is among social problems that affect negatively the lives of human beings of Tanzania as well as those of other countries all over the world. In the early days of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, AIDS was believed to be an urban problem. Today, AIDS threatens the lives of millions of people throughout the world, rural and urban, refugees and local people.

What is the situation in Burundian refugee camps? According to Human Rights Watch, when Burundian fled towards Tanzania, they expected to find safety and protection in the camps; but they escaped one type of violence in Burundi and came in Tanzania to face other forms of violence in refugee camps.

On the way to Tanzania, young girls and women were forced to sexual intercourses with Tanzanians they met. Arrived in the camps, they have been sexually harassed while in forests gathering firewood; others involved in sexual relations with refugee aid workers so as to survive.

As a result, HIV/AIDS and its impacts worsen the lives of many refugees especially children.

The illnesses and deaths by AIDS not only bring misery to these children in refugee camps, but also its effects destroy human resources that would otherwise be important to the development of the children in many ways, particularly in education. Parents, teachers, and children themselves are not economized by the killer disease.

A question that anyone of us can ask himself/herself is how refugees can contribute to challenge HIV/AIDS. Challenging HIV/AIDS is an on-going initiative of every one older and younger. It is a concern which calls for a local as well as wider approach to deal with it.
With similar or dissimilar aims, Stop Sida Nkebure Uwumva was launched on March 21st 2001, in Kanembwa Refugee camp Western Tanzania.

The tragedy is that most of the infected people do not know their health status, and this is the reason why through Stop Sida, people are encouraged to attend voluntary counseling and self- screening so that those who are already infected could take proper care of themselves and theirs, and those who are free from the virus to live more carefully.

However that STOP SIDA NKEBURE UWUMVA has attained considerable steps in challenging HIV/AIDS, resources remained and is to be the biggest and most immediate stumbling block in the fight against the scourge.

It is therefore the duty of all of us, members and not members of Stop Sida Nkebure Uwumva to light a candle and put it on the top of the association to brighten up the minds of the people we want to educate and bring hope to people whose lives are in despair especially refugees, and bring love to hatred people.

NGOs and individual people willing to support in this fight should gear their initiatives to fund raising for the fight against HIV/AIDS pandemic in terms of education and awareness campaigns, prevention and even availing life lengthening drugs (ARVs).

Fund raising does not necessarily engage money; those with possibilities and readiness can contribute in terms of money, but others can support through other ways, particularly this time that the association is in the repatriation process. Contributions such as materials would be of utmost importance for the development of the association at large.

Stop Sida Nkebure Uwumva is a refugee community based organization devoted to fight against HIV/AIDS, whose mission is to bridge the gaps in fighting against HIV/AIDS.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 7th, 2005 at 9:32 am and is filed under English, Stop Sida. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.