HIV/AIDS avoidance in 150 Village young people

The Annual International AIDS candlelight Memorial (www.candlelightmemorial.org) is a Program of Global Health Council, and is one of the largest and oldest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV/AIDS awareness in the world. The Candlelight Memorial occurs on the third Sunday of May, lead by volunteer coordinators who host memorials for their communities worldwide. Last year in 2012 it was 29th year internationally, and organized by Rwanda Village Concept Project for the fifth time in Huye, the Candlelight Memorial 2012 had the official theme “Promotion Heath and Dignity Together …” with the general objective of fight against HIV-AIDS, remembrance of all those who have been affected by HIV epidemic and was commemorated worldwide on the Sunday, May 20th 2012. 

In this year of 2013, it was  the seventh time that Rwanda village concept project conducted candlelight memorial day 2013 .RVCP carried out this event on 1st June, 2013 Instead of the third Sunday 22and May 2013. The theme for the Candlelight Memorial day 2013 is "In Solidality" emphasizing the need for people living with and affected by HIV to join hands and work together in the response to HIV. Solidarity in communities is essential to reduce stigma and promote the involvement of people living with HIV in order to ensure a more effective HIV response. Only together as communities can we advocate for universal access to quality health and social services. 

OBJECTIVES OF CANDLELIGHT MARCH MEMORIAL  2013 :

•  Call for more action to help children infected and/or orphaned by HIV/AIDS
•  Call for greater strategies and actions to help strengthen preventative measures promoting responsible behaviour amongst youth and the general community
•  Fight against the stigma and discrimination associated with the AIDS pandemic. 
•  Honor those affected by HIV/AIDS in order to give a hope for people living with HIV/AIDs.
•  Community education on HIV/AIDS basics (Transmission, Prevention and Treatment) Promote Voluntary CouncelingTesting of HIV
•  Address the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, calling for more actions to support them and making anti retroviral accessable to as many people as possible.

The event

After six successive successful candle light march memorial in Huye, Rwanda Village Concept Project (www.rwanda-vcp.org) has been selected for the seventh time by Global Health Council (www.globalhealth.org) among other organizations to host this year the candle March memorial in Huye District, Southern province in Rwanda. In Huye District, the march took about 45 minutes in the town of Huye starting from multipurpose rooms of HUYE district , crossing what was the main business center in Huye (Cyarabu Center) and ending at multipurpose room of Huye District where another AIDS campaign was took  place composed of messages, drama, poems, dances, etc. performed by Anti HIV/AIDS Youth Clubs, Groups from rural areas, Secondary schools in Huye District and speeches of invited leaders and RVCP coordinator all focusing on the theme.

The aim is to educate on HIV/AIDS, to call all people to take action in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to raise awareness on needs of people affected by HIV/AIDS. During that community mobilization and education RVCP provided condom demonstration skills and condom  boxes for condom distribution .

Briefly, it was a good innovation for RVCP to start a pilot cerebration of International Candle Light March memorial helped and organized by Medical students of NUR Campus, Kigali, members of RVCP and other members that might be in Kigali Capital of Rwanda.

Participants:

• GlobeMed at Washington D.C , 
• SULFO Rwanda Industry
• PSI Rwanda
• RVCP Members and National University Students
• Members of    9  anti HIV/AIDS  Youth Clubs  from Rural areas (Tumba ,Nyakagezi, Rukira, Nyanza, Rukira, Kaburemera, Sovu,Matyazo, Nkima Clubs)
• 5 anti HIV/AIDS Youth Clubs from Secondary schools located in Huye Districts:
• Groupe Scolaire des Parents de Butare 
• E.S Butare
• E A V Kabutare
• LLCCM Orphanage Support Center in Rukira
• People living with HIV: Twiyubahe cooperative-Huye sector Youth Leaders from HUYE District 
• ”Pères educateurs” SOVU Health Clinic

The total number of participants was 424 participants

On May 18,2013 the project volunteers in collaboration with UBUZIMA Program ,were able to visit the People Living With HIV/AIDS.The volunteers asked people present where they were cultivating as Cooperative of People Living With HIV/AIDS , to combat the discrimination against HIV positive persons.The volunteers said that their ambition is to develop our nation. But this cannot be achieved if we have many people suffering from HIV/AIDS. Based on statistics of 1994 when HIV AIDS prevalence rate was at 24 percent,  of the population and now at 3.1 percent; Rwanda shows remarkable progress which is worthy to be noted.By working with the local leaders of Southern Province of Rwanda,this project will raise funds from Worldwide and help these people for improving their income generating activities.