8/11/11
Yes, we can!
Training voor Afrikaanse en Caribische vrouwen met HIV of AIDS in Nederland
Leven met HIV of AIDS betekent
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leven met een chronische ziekte die dodelijk is als je je medicijnen niet neemt of ertegen resistent wordt;
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angst voor veroordeling en discriminatie van jezelf en je kinderen;
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impertinente vragen over je seksleven.
Leven met HIV of AIDS betekent voor migrantenvrouwen in Nederland daarnaast ook nog
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geloven dat je gauw zult sterven omdat je gebrek aan informatie hebt;
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je afvragen of het een straf van God of van de voorouders is;
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je familie, je partner en je vriend(inn)en niet durven vertellen over je HIV / AIDS uit angst voor verstoting, verlating, huiselijk geweld, het afpakken van je kind(eren).
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angst om uit de gemeenschap, de kerk of moskee uitgesloten te worden;
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niemand hebben om mee te praten;
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niemand kennen die ook HIV / AIDS heeft.
Stichting ShivA (Spiritualiteit, hiv & Aids) organiseerde een trainingsweekend met empowerment en informatie.
18 vrouwen waagden na een uitgebreid voortraject de stap met hun kinderen. Zij kwamen uit Eritrea, Soedan, Jemen, Oeganda, Guinee, Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Curaçao en Aruba – èn tegelijkertijd uit Groningen, Zwolle, Deventer, Emmen, Almere, Beverwijk, Amsterdam, Den Haag, Eindhoven, Rotterdam en een aantal kleine dorpen.
Tot slot van het weekend bereidde de groep samen een viering voor waarin christenen (van Pinksterkerk tot Ethiopisch orthodox), moslima’s en ongelovigen zich thuis konden voelen. Rondom enkele thema’s maakten de vrouwen zelf zegenspreuken. Kleurrijke kralen die de zegen symboliseren sieren bij het afscheid alle polsen, om mee naar huis te nemen.
BLESSINGS
BLESSING TO OUR BODY (represented by a BLACK bead)
We bless our bodies. We want to accept it with hiv, and realise that we are still beautiful people worth living. We will take good care of it because it is our best friend, we are responsible and in control of it and our lives. We pray that the medication we get from the hospital keeps us healthy and strong so that we have no side effects, in order to live a normal life. Allah / God guide us through so that we may reach our homes safely.
LIVING IN THE NETHERLANDS (represented with a BLUE bead)
We bless Holland as a country being tolerant and pray that it will stay tolerant in the future. We bless this country for being so open about HIV, giving opportunity for awareness, giving information to the public and helping people to understand and not be judgemental. It is a blessing that Holland is willing to accommodate all nationalities, religions, sexualities and genders. We pray it will stay like this in the future! It is a blessing that it is a democratic country, with freedom of speech where everyone’s voice can be heard. We are grateful to this country we live in with all its advancement in technology and development including that in medicine and the health care system. We pray that it stays a good and a peaceful country where everyone can enjoy staying together with each other. We embrace that unity.
MONEY (represented with a BRONZE bead)
Money is an important part of our lives. We bless our money, wages we get through our work - or benefits which we get through the government, so that we may be able to manage it well and use it appropriately to meet our daily needs. Give us the insight in our spending habits and let us be able to be in our means of budgets. We pray that those of us who are still working stay strong and healthy so that we may be able to retain our jobs. And to those of us who are on social benefit that they will be able to earn their own money in the future. We are blessed by those institutions which can provide for us. Help us to share our money with those who are in need.
FAMILY (represented with a PURPLE bead)
We pray for our families. May God / Allah take good care of them wherever they are. We specially think of our families in wars and civil wars. We pray for our children that they may become good responsible people, in order to make a better world.
Let our families be understanding, be open, compassionate, and supportive and accept us in our situation with HIV, because we are still normal loving people. May their hearts open up so that they accommodate and accept us in our society: to live with them normally in peace and harmony because we are worthy and we are still human beings as anyone else. May we all come close together because we are the same in the eye’s of Allah / God.
SEX (represented with a RED bead)
We bless each other that we accept sex as a natural thing which is there to be enjoyed. It is fun and healthy. It also nourishes our mind. We ask you, Holy One, that you may guide us when we decide to have it, take precautions and enjoy it with pleasure because it is part of human nature. Nothing can stop us to have a good enjoyable life:
Go and have a good time when you feel like doing it. You are beautiful and human, you deserve a good life and you owe it to yourself because you are living and you are alive. Enjoy your life and appreciate being alive. Your are in charge of your life, take care and precautions. You are the boss of your life and you are in control. We pray for those of us in steady relationships that they are loving and caring for each other. We pray for those of us who are still searching for a partner so that they may be able to find good, loving partners. God / Allah be our guide and strength and let us enjoy sex and embrace it with love.
THANKS TO ALL ATTENDANTS (represented with the WHITE bead)
We are blessed to have had the opportunity to have this weekend away. We thank everyone for being here and sharing their stories in openness. Be proud of yourself that you were so brave and dared to come and meet each other. It was a nice and enjoyable experience where we have been able to meet people in our own situation. It has strengthened us and has enlightened us to talk about all possibilities to make our lives worth living. Now we know we are not alone. We go home with confidence and strength. Living and enjoying each day. Life goes on and it is worth living! You can lead a long, healthy and meaningful life as anyone else as long as you take your medication appropriately. Life is too good to be wasted. Do your best, it is worth it. YES YOU CAN, YES WE CAN. INSHALLAH - AMEN !
Stichting ShivA (Spiritualiteit, hiv & Aids)
Inga Mielitz en Marjo van Bergen
Eerste Helmersstraat 17, 1052 BZ Amsterdam
020-616.0460 en 06-4377.8713
shivamail@xs4all.nl
GIRO 7418529
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