Ten activists from six countries in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region participated in the informational campaign “Leadership for Communities,” initiated by UNAIDS. The outcome of the campaign was ten videos and photo stories about what community means to people living with or affected by HIV.
According to the latest UNAIDS report, insufficient funding for community-led initiatives hinders the fight against the HIV epidemic. In 2012, more than 31% of all HIV-related resources were directed through civil society organizations, but in 2021, only 20% of HIV funds were allocated to civil society. The infringement of civil rights and human rights in marginalized communities hampers the successful provision and receipt of HIV prevention and treatment services, putting at risk all efforts to combat AIDS.
“Communities worldwide have demonstrated their readiness, potential, and ability to be leaders. But to expand their contribution, barriers hindering their work need to be dismantled, and adequate resources provided,” says Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
To demonstrate the importance of communities in the fight against the HIV epidemic, campaign organizers asked activists from Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Moldova about the role communities played in their lives and why they should lead.
According to Tahmina Khaidarova from Tajikistan, thanks to timely community support, she started antiretroviral therapy and is now raising two healthy children.
Valentina Mankieva, a representative of the community of women living with HIV and drug users, shared that she feels valued only in the company of community members. “If I hadn’t met people living with HIV at the time, I probably wouldn’t be standing here now and talking to you. When I learned about my status, I rejected therapy, was dissenting, and was planning to die. When I entered activism, it changed my life,” confessed Valentina.
Eric Akopyan, a communications specialist at the NGO “Real World, Real People,” who also joined the campaign, believes that the community is, above all, people. “Their stories amaze, motivate, and inspire. When society speaks – problems become concrete, and specific solutions emerge for these problems. Communities can change this world for the better.”
Elina Kruglova from Uzbekistan shared that it was the community that helped her overcome depression and accept her HIV status. “I grew up in an orphanage, where everyone knew about my HIV status, many mocked me. It was the community, my close friends, who helped me not give up; they supported me in difficult times. Thanks to this support, today I study, work, and help children and teenagers like I once was,” confessed Elina during the interview.
You can watch all ten video stories on the UNAIDS page on social media.
According to UNAIDS, every minute, someone dies from AIDS. Out of 39 million people living with HIV, over 9 million do not have access to life-saving treatment. According to experts, if communities take a leading role in their countries, it will help defeat AIDS by 2030.
Text: Elena Derzhanskaya
Photo: Ruslan Sholkan