GENEVA, Switzerland, September 4, 2024 /African Media Agency (AMA)/- In a modest neighborhood in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, Gniwali Ndangou rushes to work. She is a peer educator and community health worker at a youth sex education center, CISJEU.
The same center that saved his life.
“I am an orphan,” she says, “I am the youngest of three sisters.” Throughout her childhood, her legal guardian asked her to take pills, saying they were medicines for malaria and headaches. “I was the only one taking medication every day and it never stopped.
After threatening to stop taking pills at age 17, her sister finally told her the truth. She was born with HIV.
Gniwali couldn’t believe this litany of lies. Recently forced to leave school while her adoptive family struggled to make ends meet, she felt abandoned once again.
“I tried to commit suicide many times… I wanted to end my life,” she said.
Her sister Astrid said she tried to pull her younger sister out of despair and kept telling her: “There is no difference between us, we are all human beings.
On the advice of her sister, Gniwali sought help from a youth centre, the Centre d’information et d’éducation sexuelle des jeunes (CISJEU). Established in 1994, CISJEU has been a beacon of hope for many young people like Gniwali. It offers community-based services ranging from HIV prevention and HIV testing to initiation and adherence to peer-supported treatment.
War and extreme poverty have dramatically increased the number of premature deaths in the Central African Republic, leaving 78% of the population under the age of 35. Young people struggle to receive an education and fewer than 4 in 10 adults are literate. Gender inequality and gender-based violence make young girls particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. Of the 10,000 new HIV infections each year, 3,000 are among 15-24 year-olds, with more than two female infections for every one male infection.
According to a UNICEF survey, less than 20% of young people have comprehensive knowledge about HIV prevention. The youth centre uses peer educators to fill this knowledge gap and provide youth-friendly services. “We have trained and deployed 160 peer educators (80 in schools and the rest in youth centres) in different districts of Bangui and beyond, ensuring effective awareness raising on health and the body,” said Michael Guéret, Programme Officer at CISJEU.
Chris Fontaine, former UNAIDS Country Director, underlines the importance of peer-led initiatives: “Addressing HIV and sexual health among young people in CAR is not just a health issue, but a critical component of sustainable development and peacebuilding.”
With the support of UNAIDS and the Ministry of Health, CISJEU has obtained the right to distribute HIV medication, antiretroviral therapy, within the community.
For Gniwali, CISJEU has become more than a sanctuary. Through training programs, she has transformed from a beneficiary to a peer educator and community health care provider. “I have obtained various certifications such as mobile HIV testing and psychosocial support.
By hosting discussion groups and distributing antiretroviral drugs to young people, she encourages them to take care of their health. Her message is clear and powerful: “It is not easy to be a young woman. We must learn about this disease, fight it and prevent its spread in our country.”
Distributed by African Media Agency pour ON HIM.
Source : African Media Agency (AMA)
2024-09-04 09:20:48
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