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Programs
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The HIV/AIDS Epidemic
The Center offers many services including counseling and the provision of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs; training of health care providers; ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the project; and support for related health infrastructure and project administration. Philomène Cyulinyana is a Rwandan nurse who works at the center as a counselor can identify with her patients. Shortly before her husband died of AIDS she herself was diagnosed as HIV positive, rejected by her husband's family she was left alone to struggle with the disease and raise her three children alone. As a counselor she can help other women cope not only with the virus but also with the many social and economic difficulties that it brings. The Center encourages partners to join the counseling sessions in order to help them understand and support their spouses, this in turn combats many of the fears and feelings of isolation which can affect victims. Through simple activities such as a weekly basket weaving group, the Center helps these women share their stories and find the strength to carry on with their lives as normal. As Philomène herself says: “The most rewarding part is seeing people accept that HIV is now part of their life, and not treat it like something that sets them apart from others. They realize that even though they're sick they can still live and work and be like any other human being.”
Find out more about HIV/AIDS Epidemic with these related links.
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