Last weekend, Jonathan and James were in Gombe State, Nigeria to mentor Felicia and James Odiba members of the SELL team from Gombe. The unit of the SELL workshop that was delivered was the Community Building unit of the SELL Programme. As reported by James, the group found the issue of gender equality very challenging which brought up very healthy discussion. At the end, most men in the group stepped down from the position of being the man and always in charge to be supportive of the women. Some of the men said ‘we are all made equal by God’. Participants at the workshop were 28.
Every 1st December is World AIDS day and People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are being commemorated. Different groups do it differently. Some carry placards around singing and preaching against stigmatizing PLWHA. Others act dramas, commentaries are being read in news and for some it is seminars. As for us in the SELL Programme, it has always been through workshops and we have not relented to preach against stigmatization and how to prevent the spread of HIV. This year’s World AIDS day was celebrated in style, even though we had no workshop to give on that day, Moses and I had our red ribbon pinned on our breast pockets, we gave everyone that came into our office compound that day a red ribbon to pin on. Our solidarity with PLWHA doesn’t end on this day because we will always create awareness on issues around HIV/AIDS in our workshops and spread the news that HIV/AIDS is only a medical condition and that people that are infected can still live a normal and happy life; only if we show them love and encourage them to seek for medical support.
Upcoming events.
The SELL training of facilitators will start on the 9th and end on the 18th December 2011 in Kumasi, Ghana.
On the 9th December 2011 Moses and I will be going to Jos the capital of Plateau state, Nigeria to mentor the SELL trainees from Jos as they deliver the Social Justice workshop in Jos. Hopefully, this will be our last workshop for the year but I guarantee you not our last blog update.
Stay with us.
Maria
Communication Desk, SELL