WAD Jamaica

PANOS Caribbean tell us about activities they are organising for World AIDS Day 2007 in Jamaica.


SPECIAL DELIVERY: “WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!”
Youths infected and affected by HIV and AIDS appeal to leaders in Panos Caribbean's Letter writing Campaign
 
It has been the traditional view that children should be seen and not heard, but this group of children say they refuse to stay silent anymore.
 
The HIV and AIDS epidemic, which is the leading cause of death amongst adults in the Caribbean in the 15-44 year-old age group, also has a  devastating impact on children. Many fully understand and interpret the many forms of HIV related stigma and discrimination which are often directed towards them and their parents.  Psychologically conditioned into silence, those children usually suffer the effects of HIV in muted agony. They are rarely given the opportunity to speak out about the issues that affect them.  However, Panos Caribbean has been working to change that.
 
As a lead up to this World AIDS day, a project “Special Delivery” was launched by a group of children living with HIV. Sponsored by Panos Caribbean and facilitated by The Gleaner newspaper, the project targeted leaders in government and civil society to take action as it relates to HIV in  Jamaica. The children voiced their concerns through letters to the leaders, which were published in the Gleaner.
 
The letters were written to 13 leaders including Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Mayor of Portmore - George Lee, UNICEF and UNAIDS representatives, the Child Development Agency, Health Minister, Rudyard Spencer, Education Minister, Andrew Holness, Youth and Culture Minister – Hon. Olivia Babsy Grange as well as the Jamaica Network of Sero-positives, Jamaica AIDS Support for Life and the Jamaica Council of Churches.
 
The Campaign has special significance for Monique*, a teenager who does not have HIV, but whose mother has been living with HIV for several years.
 
“It was very important for me to let Jamaicans hear what we have to say and to understand our point of view. I hope that our parents who are infected will try to support us and we them,” she said.
 
Monique wrote a letter to the Child Development Agency outlining her experience in a rural community. Her letter to chief executive director Alison Anderson stated:
 
Dear Ms. Anderson,
 
I am a young lady whose mother is infected by HIV. When I was only 11 years old, my mother discovered that she was infected. Since then we have suffered constantly from discrimination, even from our own family and friends. I got in fights at school because of what had happened to my mother. My brother who was 14 at the time began smoking and stealing people's things.
 
At the start of each new school year, I would do something in order to get sick because I didn't want the new children to know about my mother's illness. One day, I decided to stand and talk about it, but each time I tried somebody always said something negative about me. Whenever I tried to interact with my classmates, they behaved as though I was not there. I got sick of it until I started failing exams and skipping classes. I was hurt and each day that passed I thought of committing suicide. One day, my mommy and I had a fuss and she spoke loudly so that people could hear. They laughed at me and I got so upset that I walked away. My mother then beat me with a cord and I went to the mango tree to try to hang myself. She just stood there saying, “kill yuself man, a dat yu did fi do long time”. I was so ashamed of her.
 
I am now 17 and living with a family in Kingston. I am trying hard to achieve what is good for me, but it is very hard with all the things people said about me and my mother and also what she did to me. I would like very much if you could help families to cope with this thing. You need to find a way to help families who are unable to help their children or find it hard to tell their children that they are HIV positive. It is not easy for us children, we need help.

 
Another youth, Carmen said it felt good to reach out to influential people and is very hopeful that they will help to make the lives of people living with HIV  better.
 
In addition, Thomas explained that he was proud of himself for reaching someone at such a high level as the chief of AIDS. He hopes that his “letter will result in a group of teachers being properly trained in how to effectively teach matters surrounding HIV and AIDS.”

Regional Director, HIV and AIDS at Panos Caribbean, Patricia Watson, said the Special Delivery letter writing campaign was a call to action for leaders in the Jamaican society to do more to protect children living with HIV and AIDS.
 
“The campaign's objective was to raise awareness about the situation of children living with HIV in Jamaica, to increase the participation of children living with HIV in policy and decision making and to hold decision makers and policy makers accountable to the needs of those most affected by HIV,” she stated.