Tru Prens

Earlier this week I had lunch with the "Tru Prens" club. Translated from Tok Pisin it means "True Friends" and its a support group for women who are HIV+.

They get together on a regular basis to share a meal and help each other with the problems they face and to enjoy each others company. Its a happy, laughter filled, chatty occasion but much informal learning can take place in this environment and the women obviously benefit.

The existence of such a support group in PNG is in itself an extraordinary step forward. The social stigma attached to HIV+ is so great here that many HIV positive people will hide their condition for fear of the consequences. The consequences are real and in the rural areas can be very severe indeed - not just exclusion from the family or clan but there are well documented cases where, through ignorance about HIV transmission, whole clans/villages have turned on HIV+ individuals with appalling results, including burying people alive. In one reported case a woman who was known to be HIV+ was made to live in a six feet deep hole in the ground covered with tarpaulin. The village passed food down to her in her hole. She died within a month.

So to see twenty HIV + women laughing, chatting and enjoying their lunch was an extraordinary and encouraging experience.

I've been very impressed with the Baptist Church's response to HIV/AIDS here in PNG. Its only a few years ago that the Pastors would have regarded any talk of sexual activity as sinful and certainly not an area relevant to their ministry. Yet here we are a few years later and they talk in church about safe sex, the use of condoms, how AIDS spreads, how to help and support those with HIV. At one World Aids Day event in the church the Tru Prens sang their own song which included the words "If you want to have sex with me use a condom" words that would have been completely unacceptable just a few years ago. The church also recognises that the Pastors' wives have a key role to play and they too are being included in the training programmes. Their HIV programme is holistic - not just concentrating on the medical impact of AIDS but recognising its economic and social impact as well - so there are sports and arts projects for young people, support groups (apart from Tru Prens their is also a group called "Tru Warriors" for HIV+ men), awareness training programmes and projects like mine to provide sustainable livelihoods.

There is a long way to go and many practical difficulties to overcome but its so encouraging to see good people making a real effort to make things happen.

Sanap Wantaim!

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