Liberia
» Capital: Monrovia» Population: 3.24 million
» Concern started work in: 1996
» Concern's annual budget: €3,561,510
» Concern staff: 194
» GDP per capita: n/a
» Life expectancy: 42.5 years
» Living with HIV&AIDS: 8.2 percent
» Literacy: n/a
» Currency: Liberian Dollar
Dealing with HIV - a success story
Thursday, 29th November 2007
Famatta, aged 32, tells her story in her own words.
“When I first told my story in 2006 for a book titled ‘Positive Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Liberia’, my case was far worse then now. Stigma is a very bad thing when I remembered what I went through after I was diagnosed HIV positive. It all started after I was raped in 2003 during the Liberian civil crisis by two men under the orders of their general. I told my father but he was powerless in the face of those armed men. My boyfriend abandoned me when he learned that I was raped.
“Afterwards, I became sickly and was later diagnosed HIV positive at the ELWA Hospital. Upon getting to know my status, family and friends treated me as though I was completely different from them. My children and I were faced with difficult situations and circumstances. I was very sickly. I had problems with my eyes and legs. This made it very difficult for me to care for my children. However, with counseling help from my counselors at the ELWA Hospital, things are much better both in health and family livelihood.
“Today, I am grateful to the ELWA Hospital for providing me with counseling, medication and training in peering counseling and HIV and AIDS awareness. I am now actively involved with the ELWA Hospital Counseling Department as peer counselor and a member of the community HIV and AIDS Awareness Team.
“Sometimes, I travel with other partners of ELWA Hospital, such as Concern and CHAL in rural communities, creating HIV and AIDS awareness, going public with my status. With much HIV and AIDS community awareness and education, we have noticed that stigma is gradually reducing in the ELWA community. Unlike in 2006, I am earning some money through my work with the ELWA Hospital Counseling Departments and the department’s partners that is helping me take care of my family.”
