Organization: Ambassador for Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Programme
Region: Africa
Nationality: Kenya
Country: Kenya
Interests & expertise: Co-morbidities (NCDs, mental health, etc.)
Profession or occupation: Advocate/activist
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
I cannot remember a time that HIV has not been present in my life. The first time I felt the passion and urge to end advanced HIV disease was in high school at my first AIDS candlelight memorial organized by a community-based organization in the informal settlements of Kangemi, Nairobi. Seeing a mass standing in representation of lost loved ones – including me representing my father who died in 2001 – brought me to tears. I knew that if I did not do something, it would not be long before someone would be standing in for me. I needed to be part of the response.
I began by volunteering at Leatoto kawangware, housed under the Children of God Relief Institute fraternity. My resolve has been to empower communities, especially adolescent girls and young people, through basic HIV prevention training. For me, working in the HIV field is through a personal experience lens. Building capacity for advocacy and improvement of service delivery in the evolving impact of HIV across the life cycle is my major objective.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
My goals include:
1. Forging alliances with other change makers to develop strategies and partnerships to help strategize, educate and champion for the rights of adolescents, girls and young people living with HIV.
2. Gaining skills from change makers on how they address the needs of women and young people living with HIV and meaningfully engage them in their communities.
3. Finding new methods or strategies for community conversations to strengthen positive responses to HIV in resource-poor environments, with people seeing themselves as active problem solvers rather than passive recipients of information and reducing silence and stigma surrounding HIV.
4. Being one of the leading young people taking part in research for cure advocacy and starting an advocacy campaign in my community.
5. Learning new approaches and programming for women living with HIV through advocacy and how they best can be utilized to provide safe spaces for women and young people in my community.