Fight HIV/AIDS by Empowering Women in South Africa

Summary

Support, counseling, education and income-generating opportunities to help poor women with HIV/AIDS overcome such issues as stigma and lack of access to resources and treatment.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

South Africa has the highest number of women infected with HIV/AIDS in the world. Stigma and discrimination against them, lack of knowledge about accessing treatment, and deep poverty have left these women in a precarious position. But there is hope. And it begins with the women. And you. Through a network of support groups that empower and educate these women, they are able to take matters into their own hands to access treatment, live healthier lives, and support themselves and their children

How will this project solve this problem?

Positive Women’s Network provides HIV-positive women with women-led support groups to address stigma; grief counseling; workshops on treatment literacy, reproductive health and nutrition; and opportunities for income-generating projects like weaving.

Potential Long Term Impact

PWN operates a “train-the-trainers program” where women are trained to form new support groups- a huge multiplier effect in numbers of women reached. Thousands of women will continue to manage HIV while learning skills to support their families.

Project Message

“Being involved with Positive Women’s Network, I’m a stronger person and with my strength I hope to lead other women who are HIV-positive to be strong as well.”
- Gladys Nikelo, Outreach Coordinator, Positive Women’s Network

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources