For those living with HIV/AIDS, the stigma surrounding the disease leaves many feeling isolated from their communities. Fear, prejudice, and negativity towards those living with HIV/AIDS quickly turns into insults, rejection, and exclusion. It is because of this attitude and stigma that those affected by HIV/AIDS rarely admit they have the disease, let alone seek help treating it.

In much of the world, the stigma around HIV/AIDS is a hard one to eliminate. Youth Exchange and Study (YES) alumni in Kaduna State, Nigeria wanted to show those affected by HIV/AIDS that there are people who support them within their communities, despite the stigma.

On January 29, 2019, 11 YES alumni along with five upcoming 2019-2020 YES students organized an interactive session with parents whose kids were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The session was held at the Barau Dikko hospital.

Alumni enlightened and encouraged the families to educate their children on the illness, as well as taking care of them and making sure the children make it to their medical checkups. Alumni said the stigma in their own community made getting the parents involved at the event hard.

“They were timid and not open with us, which was a clear sign to us they had been harshly affected by the stigmatization of the illness,” Maryam Umar (YES 2015-2016, Nigeria, hosted by American Councils PO in Dysart, IA)  said. “The nurse at the clinic introduced us and told the parents we were there to help, which prompted them to be open with us.”

The Center for Disease Control confirms the only way to get HIV is to come into direct contact with an infected person’s blood or other bodily fluids. While this is widely known in the country, alumni say Nigerians don’t want to ‘risk’ getting the disease, avoiding those infected altogether. This pressures those living with HIV to retreat from society as well.

“People affected with HIV/AIDS find it hard to tell others their status because of society’s belief it is an abominable illness,” Maryam said. “The sad truth is - nobody wants to live with an HIV/Aids patient for the fear of contracting it themselves.”

Parents were able to open up about the challenges they’ve faced educating their children about their illness, as well as taking care of their children in general. Some shared their story of deciding to hide their children’s statuses so they wouldn’t be discriminated against. Alumni listened to the parents and found the event helpful to themselves as well.

“We realized this is a serious societal issue from doing this project,” Maryam said. “We got to walk in their shoes and enter their lives for a day. We understood how it felt to be inferior, and I know we won’t forget the feelings of the kids and their parents at the end.”

The day ended with alumni sharing peanut butter and crayfish. The parents also received detergent donated to the event. Five of the volunteers for the event were recently recruited in January as 2019-2020 YES candidates. Students will leave their home countries for their exchange year in the United States this coming August

YES Alumni Involved in this Project:

• Ummul-Khair Aliyu (YES 2009-2010, Nigeria, hosted by IRIS in Des Moines, IA)
• Genesis Tanko (YES 2014-2015, Nigeria, hosted by IRIS in Dubuque, IA)
• Jesse Josh Maikarfe (YES 2015-2016, Nigeria, hosted  by AFS in New Lothrop, MI)
• Abdulhakeem Idris Umar (YES 2016-2017, Nigeria, hosted by FLAG in Galesburg, MI)
• Emmanuel Akabike (YES 2016-2017, Nigeria, hosted by AYUSA in Nampa, ID)
• Abdullateef Abdullateef (YES 2016-2017, Nigeria, hosted by AFS in San Antonio, TX)
• Zainab Hadi (YES 2017-2018, Nigeria, hosted by PAX in Olympia, WA)
• Nana Firdausi Ize Umar (YES 2017-2018, Nigeria, hosted by AFS in East Falmouth, MA)
• Rita Patrick (YES Alumna 2017-2018, Nigeria, hosted by IRIS in Clear Lake, IA)
• Vera Kass (YES 2017-2018, Nigeria, hosted by CCI Greenheart in Webster, MN)