This story is about a movement. A movement of people living with HIV in Nepal, Glimpses from personal files collected over a period of four long years, not of any particular chronological order but speaks of people living with HIV in Nepal.
Reliving the histoRy of empoweRment of plwhA in nepAl‌
Faces and Voices of HIV epidemic Nepal, It is about Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS
Our message is simple “I am healthy, I am responsible, I am able to contribute, I love life, I care for others…”
31 people from 8 districts came together in 2003 @ 1st National Consultation of PLWHA in Nepal men and women living with HIV
Strong leaders like
Rajiv Kafle & Anjan Amatya carved a niche for the network in the national AIDS program, they has an inspiration to many of us
Leaders like
Gopal stood tall against all odds, still smiling. His efforts bearing fruits in Nepal
Visionaries like Naresh & Anand laid strong foundation in East to West and carried the vision across boundaries
Our priority is “to strengthen this movement�
We concentrated on “forming and strengthening district level support groups for local response in first year�
We realised that our voice could be strengthened only if
“we work at the regional and district levels�
Today we are over 300 members from 5 regions and 13 districts in Nepal organized as a movement
To represent all the communities “we created working groups for advising us on issues of particular group� Drug Users
Women & Children
MSM
Sex Workers
Trafficking Women
“
Initially it was difficult to be
open about one’s HIV status, most of us were
”
very scared
“we could only talk about our status only to a Doctor, all because we thought having HIV was only about
sickness and death”
Barriers were plenty “but we were prepared to go to any extend until we succeed�
“I could laugh with others and I felt I have a life after HIV
Together we withstand stormy winds
Objectives of NAP+N • • • •
Improve access to treatment Access to information Protect the human rights Promote Greater involvement of people living with HIV • Promote social acceptance and end Stigma and Discrimination • Provide opportunities for networking for people living with HIV
Our sincere thanks to all our wellwishers, supporters USAID Family Health International (FHI) National Center for STD and AIDS Control (NCASC) UNAIDS UNDP VSO POLICY Project Futures Group ILO DFID
Together we make the strongest voice of people living with HIV in NEPAL.