Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
USIS Washington File - March 23, 2006
The people coming together at creative workshops in cities around the country join to learn that speaking openly about HIV/AIDS can help reduce the stigma of the disease. During the workshops, many participants gave voice to their struggles:
"I will hold my head up and speak out against all kind of discrimination," said Malia.
"I want to live long enough to see my children growing," Marie Stephani added.
"The more you remain silent, the more you suffer," Marc concluded.
These stigma- and discrimination-reduction workshops have been held in several cities throughout Haiti in collaboration with the Haitian organization Promoteurs Objectif Zero SIDA (POZ) and Haitian artists affiliated with the cultural foundation AfricAmerica. The activity is financed by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief and implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control.
Several pieces produced in the workshops have been selected for display in the project's "Visages" calendar. The calendar contains information about HIV/AIDS, helping to combat discrimination against people infected with the virus. Sales of the calendar generated $5,000, which was used to fortify POZ's care and support program.
Private Haitian organizations joined the United States in this calendar project. The Haitian company "Editions Areytos" funded part of the cost of printing the calendars and the musical group "Kompa Kreyol" gave money to cover costs of the calendar's launch event in Port-au-Prince.
Through activities like the calendar project and the stigma-elimination workshops, USAID and its partners also provide people living with HIV/AIDS opportunities to learn new skills in safe and dynamic environments. By working together on creative projects, workshop participants have developed new friendships and new trust. This trust, in turn, promotes open discussions about the impact HIV/AIDS has had on their own and on their families' lives.
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