Group sensitises FCT community on HIV/AIDS prevention, stigma

Experts from Africare Nigeria have sensitised residents of  Ruga community in the FCT on ways to prevent HIV /AIDS infection, and stigma of people living with the disease. The awareness campaign was done through the ‘Power Forward Project’, in partnership with ExxonMobil and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Speaking during the exercise, Senior Programme Support […]

Experts from Africare Nigeria have sensitised residents of  Ruga community in the FCT on ways to prevent HIV /AIDS infection, and stigma of people living with the disease.

The awareness campaign was done through the ‘Power Forward Project’, in partnership with ExxonMobil and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Speaking during the exercise, Senior Programme Support Manager, Africare Nigeria, Feyishike Adekeye, said the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day celebration was “Communities make the difference”, because of the important role that communities play in the HIV/AIDS response.

Adekeye said the campaign was aimed at enlightening hundreds of community dwellers on prevention of  HIV/AIDS, how to stop stigmatization as well as  sensitising people living with the diseases on how they could live positively.

She noted that the Ruga community was host to residents from neighbouring states close to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and said that it was chosen because of the high number of youths within the reproductive age that participate in sex work.

“Residents of the community live in batcha houses and do menial jobs to earn a living.  A large number of them engage in sex work and unhealthy sexual lifestyles that expose them to the disease”, she said.

A beneficiary of the programme, Queen Joseph, said it broadened her knowledge about HIV, adding that she would step it down to her friends.