Liberian women living positively with HIV/AIDS who are part of the groups under a two year project entitled “Addressing the Intersection Between Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS in War and Conflict Situations” that is being carried out by Urgent Action Fund (UAF-A) and Isis-WICCE in Uganda, Zimbabwe and Liberia have expressed satisfaction with the project which they said has helped them to cope with their situation and manage the trauma that they experienced when they publicly declared their positive status.

The project aims at funding women  led grassroots Community Based Organisations, facilitate their innovation and self documentation and empowerment. The Liberian women who were organised in seven support groups, each with 25 persons in Monrovia city and Buchanan town at the commencement of the project in 2008 were happy that the project has not only helped them to be empowered but has also catered for their well being, given them respect and recognition in their communities.

“Since this project was started here,  I was co-opted as a member in the  Light United Women group, I have managed to cope with the circumstances and the little financial support that was advanced to me has helped me to start a small business that helped me to be assured of food everyday, school fees for my children and respect in the community. They now see me as a useful member of the community …those who used to expect me to die anytime envy my fortune, my strength and achievement…the project took me from ashes to the mountain and I see a brighter future ahead...”; said 38 old Louis Kardor from Buchanan town who tested positive in 2007.

Ms Bayo Tuku also from Light support group under the Lutheran Eternal Love Winning Africa (ELWA) was happy being in the group and openly declaring her status. The empowerment from the project has made her become respected in her community and she can manage her life without having to beg anyone. “This project has been a great support for me and my colleagues. I see myself differently now. Those who used to discriminate me including my family members and thought I would die anytime have realised the difference in me since the project supported me and members in my group…I am only determined to continue creating awareness about avoiding contracting the disease and the importance of knowing ones status to make better choices of living positively. For me, the sky is the limit…I believe I may die of something else other than HIV/AIDS”

The groups that were physically supported through Young Women Organised for Sustainable Development (YWOSD) were each advanced USD 9000 by UAF-A where 70% of the funds were to especially enable them work on survival programmes that would improve their well being while 30% was to help them carry out community awareness and initiate group mechanisms that would support individual members.  Martha Morgan who operated a group shop that was a result of the project said that the shop has helped members to consolidate their activities and be looked at as useful members of the community that also have a future. This has also enhanced group internal counselling abilities as well as improved on care and treatment which was a problem for members in the past. “We now manage our own funds, run our own bank accounts and can support members who may need treatment…as an individual I feel happy and have hope…”

Speaking on the usefulness of the group to the members, Grace Yearney of YWOSD, the organisation that has coordinated the project since its inception in Liberia was satisfied that the project has been of great impact in the lives of the members and has brought a lot of significant physical and emotional transformation in the lives of women living positively.

“Since the intervention, most of those whom we found physically sick are now healthy, many of them have readily come out publically about their status…they are now able to speak out because they have something to fall back on; they can now buy food, take their children to school, and get medication…stigma is well behind them…they have continued to come out openly to talk about HIV/AIDS so that many organisations and individuals collaborate together to spread the message so that we can all come together to stop the spread of the disease in Liberia…nothing can be any better” ; said Grace after a sensitisation activity in King Grey community, a few miles from Monrovia.  

In their community sensitisation sessions, the women living positively urge the population to especially understand that HIV/AIDS is real, can kill and currently has no cure although they are Anti-retrievals (ARVs) that can keep the infected healthy if taken correctly and appropriately and supported with good diet. They also stress that if you are sick, it is not the end of life and that coming out about ones positive status helps in addressing HIV/AIDS health related problems in timely manner. They also urge community members to be courageous and take HIV/AIDS tests so that they begin to address health issues early enough. Through the project, the women have been carrying out awareness campaigns about the disease and urging the population to take tests to establish their status.