RCK CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY WITH REFUGEES IN EASTLEIGH

In a colourful function attended by over 200 participants, the day was marked in song and dance, setting the stage for discussion on the theme, 'Enhancing the capacity of refugees to manage the challenges of HIV/Aids'. In her address Judy Wakahiu, Executive Director of the Refugee Consortium of Kenya welcomed the refugees and guests, saying that it was a special day to celebrate the achievements of women all over the world.

She added that the role of women in society is being made more complex by the issue of HIV/Aids, which was declared a national disaster in Kenya in 1998, but that the various programmes to fight the spread of HIV/Aids in the country have repeatedly failed to include the refugee population in Kenya. This happens despite the fact that the country plays host to a high number of refugees of various nationalities. The situation worsens their plight and increases the vulnerability of refugee women who not only have very little say in such matters but also have to cope with the adverse effects of physical dislocation from their home environments. Ms Wakahiu urged the Government to involve refugees in HIV/Aids programmes so as to arrest the deteriorating situation, due to the high prevalence of HIV/Aids among the refugee communities.

Much more needs to be done to "break the silence" and continued marginalisation of this group which forms a sizeable proportion of the country's population. In his speech, the chief guest, Mr. Peter Kusimba, head of the National Refugee Secretariat hailed the high male attendance at the function. This he said reflected well on the men, as they were the ones usually involved in oppressing women at the domestic level. On HIV/Aids, he cautioned the attendants to observe the ABC of HIV/Aids protection or they would fall victim to the next letter in the chain, D standing for death. He urged for honesty among married couples to prevent the high spread of the HIV virus.

In a gesture of appreciation, the refugee community donned him in a kikoi shirt at the end of the function, while the Oromo group donned the Executive Director in the traditional dress of an Oromo bride. Salome Wambui, an HIV/Aids advocate living positively with the condition, used the mirror analogy to drive her point home. She got tested in 2002 and has since learned how to live with the condition as she continues to provide for her young family of two children, a boy and a girl, both in lower primary school.

She asked the participants to look at their neighbours or look at their own faces in the mirror when they went home in the evening to realize that images/appearances are misleading in the fight against HIV/Aids. Ms. Wambui pointed out that being diagnosed with the condition is not the end of life, as shown by her life, urging everyone to fight the stigma associated with Aids and keep hope alive. She also gave crucial information on Voluntary Testing and Counselling (VCT) available to everyone over 18 years of age. However, there was an exception for minors who had engaged in sex and all parties to be counselled would receive both pre- and post-test counselling.

Lucy Minayo, from the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), a partner participating in the function alongside the host organisation, RCK took the opportunity to explain that FIDA was committed to the creation of a just society, free from all forms of gender violence and discrimination on grounds of gender. She said that FIDA offers free legal services, awareness on legal rights and lobbying the government to change draconian laws that impact negatively on women. She invited refugees with cases touching on any of these areas to visit FIDA's offices for the required help that would be given free of charge. She added that the organisation is currently lobbying the government to enact a Law, on the HIV/Aids issue and that FIDA with others are involved in a move to draft such a law as well as other legislation touching on women and society in general.

John Ndayishimiye, a Burundian refugee and a community HIV/Aids trainer led the discussion on HIV/Aids. He began by commenting on the children's dance performed earlier: he was saddened by the fact that innocent people could be refugees and that women and children were the majority in HIV/Aids statistics. In 2005, he pointed out there were a total of 40.3 million people infected with the virus in the world. Out of this, 25.8 million were from Sub-Saharan Africa, 75% of them women, with 2.2 million children under 15 years. He compared this to 2004, when the HIV/Aids toll was 37.8 million globally.

He emphasised that providing statistics to them was important to curb the levels of denial and ignorance that has led to much suffering especially among women. He decried the high rate of HIV infection among adolescent refugee girls due to sexual exploitation and abuse, mainly due to separation after leaving the country of origin. He urged the Government to recognize women's right to inherit property and to improve the quality of services to refugees, especially on legal issues and security.

He also called upon the various stakeholders to ensure that refugee women and children have access to HIV/Aids treatment and for equal education opportunities for boys and girls. He advocated positive behaviour change so as to control the sexual transmission of HIV as well as infection from other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). Urging refugees to attend VCT centres to learn their status, he also called for an aggressive campaign to counter negative media influence and the spread of pornography.

In the Q+A session, he posed a question on how one should treat a person living with Aids, receiving the response, among others, that one should show the affected love and acceptance to be able to offer assistance. He appealed for a more vigorous fight against HIV/Aids, declaring that the time had come to heal our bodies and spirits and bridge the gaps dividing people in the various communities.