The Coalition recognizes that children and their parents and carers affected by HIV and AIDS have to lead the way to change. They are the experts of their own experiences and more must be done to involve them in decisions around funding, programming and policies.
There are many dynamic networks operating in every region of the world that contain remarkable champions who can speak from first hand experience about HIV and AIDS and their impact on children and families. The Coalition seeks to strengthen these voices by working with a select group of ambassadors representing networks working with children, families and caregivers affected by HIV and AIDS to:
- Participate in global level fora, and
- Mobilise their own networks to prepare for and follow up on opportunities resulting from global level engagement.
Meet the Coalition ambassadors:
Jacquelyne Alesi, Uganda. Jacque founded and ran, until recently, UNYPA – an association of young people living with HIV in Uganda. She has mentored many young people as advocates and recently passed over the management of UNYPA to them. She now supports them in an advisory capacity and is passionate about supporting young people to be agents of change. She is an experienced advocate, a powerful speaker and, as a young mother, can provide a care-givers perspective on children affected by AIDS. She was nominated in 2016 for a global award to people under 40 championing family planning.
Clara Banya, Malawi. Clara is a mother of two children, one of whom is HIV positive. She also has a husband living with HIV. She is a dynamic and experienced speaker about the problems and solutions to tackling stigma, improving access and adherence as well as how to support caregivers so that their children can survive and thrive HIV. She is part of the Global Fund Advocates Network and National Coordinator for the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW Malawi Chapter).
Duduzile Dlamini runs the Sisonke project, a movement of sex workers in South Africa, helping them to fight for their rights and entitlements. This project is part of SWEAT Mothers for the Future, South Africa. Dudu is an experienced global advocate of sex worker rights. She also led field research in South Africa that was used to develop the Coalition’s recent work with the global working group on the children of key populations. Her organisation has also taken up this issue in their programming.
Florence Ngobeni. As an EGPAF ambassador for many years, Florence worked at an EGPAF-funded clinic in Soweto, South Africa. She also is a trained professional in psycho-social support and is a former member of ICW. She lost her first husband and child to HIV and has since remarried and had two HIV negative children. Originally from South Africa, Florence now lives in the United Kingdom.