Knowledge & Awareness is Key in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS!
A mother of six children with seven grandchildren, Jennifer is the matriarch of a large family. This role comes with many responsibilities, but with her HIV positive status, Jennifer had the added concern of not passing her HIV positive status to her progeny.
When Achoko Franny (a Program Officer for GlobeMed) became involved with GWED-G, she remembered Jennifer as a particularly responsible participant of a Coloplus clinical trial she was involved in and enrolled her to receive GWED-G support. Jennifer cites the most important support she has received from GWED-G as knowledge: medical information regarding HIV/AIDS and preventative health practices. With this support, she was able to protect and to care for her family, preventing transmission of HIV to her children and their children.
When one of her children passed away from meningitis, Jennifer was left with two grandchildren to care for and to raise. The support she received from GWED-G’s livelihood program became essential in taking care of her grandchildren. She received goats and seeds to plant as part of the livelihood program, which enabled her to feed and clothe her grandchildren, as well as send them to school.
Feeling grateful for the support she received, Jennifer felt she had much to give to her community. She joined the Village Health Team and became one of the lead caretakers of her community, the Agwayagi Parish. She became a source of support for the HIV-positive individuals within her community, offering them counseling and connecting them with GWED-G resources during her home visits. Her responsibilities also include dispensing medicine she has received from the health center: anti-malaria pills and Anti-Retroviral (ARV) drugs. Looking to the future of GWED-G’s programs to support HIV positive individuals, Jennifer notes that in her experience, she has found the key to improving her community to be awareness and sensitization outreach and hopes for GWED-G’s continued support in this venture.