If we make it clear that we will include, and care about, those who are infected then more people will volunteer to know their status

If ACP means Community Power, they are already there! Along with the Chairman and the Council members of the Village, were the youth and student leaders, during the SALT visit on 7th August 2009.

Dimapur ACP facilitation team led by Joe Ngamkhuchung of People in Need Foundation, had a surprise waiting for them, if they had any plan to encourage the village. “Healthy and HIV free community “ was the community dream. The community was well aware of HIV. The visiting team listened with joy and amazement learning what was happening in the community.

“We have organized Voluntary Blood test for the village with doctors! We want to know our status and help each other' was the reason behind the Voluntary blood test.

There were people known to be living with the virus in the village. The question was how to prevent further infection and care for the infected. “There is no question of throwing them out, we want to know how to care for them and not get infected ourselves.”

Fr. Joe shared his experience of living with PLHIV in the same house, cooking and eating together. How he had cared for more than 300 PLHIV in his Care Centre without being infected. He knows how to manage!

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One of the workers of a bottling company at Surabaya was detected as HIV positive two years ago. Soon after the case detected an Executive briefing was initiated by NGO, Mulia Abadi Foundation in collaboration with human and resource development of that company. During the briefing, basic information of HIV/AIDS, the ILO code, national as well as regional regulation regarding HIV/AIDS had been discussed.

The result of the briefing was to set up company's policy and to develop an HIV/AIDS program in workplace. To implement the policy, a training of the company's core team was conducted. This team made a one year plan of action which consists of basic information about HIV/AIDS by using several kinds of media such are posters, leaflet, face to face information, and testimony of PHA in from of groups of worker as well as peer educator training. As a result of those activities, the PHA still can work in that company until now.

But, there are still many cases of stigma and discrimination of PHA, particularly in family and community, which became primary barrier for PHA to disclose their status. Therefore we must do our best to build acknowledgement and recognition using ACP for every body (including medical , paramedical staffs, high risk groups, religious leader, women and youth organization) at any moment and at any place (including workplace). We must spread that HIV/AIDS is like any common illness, and PHA can live as normal as other people

shared by Andryansyah Arifin

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