Okay, so my last blog post was kind of a downer. HIV is never a fun topic to talk about but it’s such a huge part of my work, I needed to share it. In actuality, it’s not all ARV drugs, stigma and depression. Sometimes you have to look at the positive side to HIV! There are some really great mechanisms in place that provide support to PLHIV (people living with HIV) and ensure that they are not alone in their struggle. In short, having HIV does not mean your life is over.
My counterpart, who is HIV positive, has a really great perspective on things. He says that he thinks of HIV as a continuous condition that he handles with medication and not as a death sentence. He tells me “Would you be rude to a person because they have malaria? Because they have a skin condition? No. So why would you be mean to someone because they have this virus?” Huh. Well, I was kind of speechless. Such a simple argument and a great perspective, especially if people try to be rude against those with HIV. He is a consistent inspiration and source of strength to other PLHIV. He counsels them, encourages them, and provides opportunities for them to have jobs. When PLHIV have jobs, such as making soap or gardening, they have income and are able to have self-worth and dignity. 
Another positive aspect is the incredible amount of support you get from support groups (duh, that’s their purpose!). Support groups in Gambia are not exactly what you think of in America. The picture you normally think of is a group of people in a circle of chairs sharing their latest struggles. That’s not the case here. Meetings are typically held once a month with a specific topic given by social workers on issues such as proper nutrition, treatment literacy, or dealing with stigma and discrimination. Because most people come from far away, they are given transportation refunds and lots of nutritional food at the meeting. They also come for the good time! Typical meetings have at least 60 people attending (mostly women) and they LOVE to dress in their best outfits, bring their babies, and socialize. When they see someone come in, they start shouting their names and singing songs about them. Normally that person will have to dance as they greet everyone (I have been subjected to this many times!). In short, these meetings serve as a space where PLHIV can cut loose, talk about their issues, dance with friends, eat good food, and just be free from their worries for a short time. Additionally, all ARV medications are given to patients for free. They are given nutritional supplements like rice, peanut butter, and sugar so their children can eat. Their children’s school fees are covered. This is mainly due to the Global Fund grant to the Gambia. When implemented correctly, it can make a very big impact on the ground here. Global Fund and a lot of other grants came through for ARV medications thanks to President Bush’s initiative, PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Program For AIDS Relief) back in 2004. Now let me just preface this by saying that my opinion of the man was what you would call sub-par. Anyways, before I got here, I couldn’t name you one thing I liked about him until I talked to PLHIV. They constantly praised him for caring enough for Africa and the importance of getting ARV medications here when they felt like the world had turned its back on them. Now, it wasn’t a perfect program (emphasis on abstinence-only and not condoms = not cool) and they know it too, but PEPFAR funding has literally saved millions of lives. I can’t hate on him for that.
Anyways, getting off point now. The point of the story is that there is a positive side if you have HIV in the Gambia. Support is there and I am proud to have been a part of helping the cause. Okay, Natoma is outtie 5000…
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