Fimba is from Burkina Faso. He is representing the Guttmacher Institute's Protecting the Next Generation Project at the conference.
I participated in a very interesting session entitled "Leadership in Girls Education: An Essential Component of HIV Prevention". The panelists were Josée Verner from Canada and Jeanette Kagami from Rwanda. This session spoke about something that affects my daily life at home and for which I struggle with my colleagues from my youth network to do as much as we can to address the situation of girls in Burkina Faso.
]]>Fimba is from Burkina Faso. He is representing the Guttmacher Institute's Protecting the Next Generation Project at the conference.
I participated in a very interesting session entitled "Leadership in Girls Education: An Essential Component of HIV Prevention". The panelists were Josée Verner from Canada and Jeanette Kagami from Rwanda. This session spoke about something that affects my daily life at home and for which I struggle with my colleagues from my youth network to do as much as we can to address the situation of girls in Burkina Faso.
It should be said that in Burkina Faso, very few girls go to school. Most of those who do have the chance to go, don't go beyond elementary school because their parents don't have the means to support their secondary education. For example, in one family if there is one son and one daughter (though in general we have big families), the parents would rather put the boy in school because it is he who is considered the future head of the family. And when the girl gets married, she goes to live with another family.
To improve girls' access to school, the government of Burkina Faso made elementary school education free for girls, but only elementary school. But the problem of access to secondary school remains, as it is too expensive for most families to afford. Also, with the youth network, I work a lot in informal education for girls though our youth clubs. We have organized a campaign called "One girl, one boy" to improve the level of girls' participation in club activities. This improves the development of female leadership.
Before coming to the conference, I attended a training to launch a program for improving girls' education in partnership with UNICEF's bureau of education. This project's objective is to help parents to enroll and keep their daughters in school. Our youth network was chosen to accompany these girls through their education course. We plan to put in place coaching systems to provide networks for the girls and to advocate to parents to let their daughters have time at home to do their schoolwork. As primary school is free for girls, we emphasize secondary education by paying school fees and providing educational materials to those who can't afford them. This is an occasion for me to call on other colleagues who can contribute to work for girls' education so that we can account for more girls.
]]>Fimba is from Burkina Faso. He is representing the Guttmacher Institute's Protecting the Next Generation Project at the conference.
As I said in a previous post, this conference is an opportunity for me to remind the decision makers in my country to keep their promises. So, yesterday I had a meeting with my minister of health just after his meeting with the 65 delegates of Burkina Faso who are here at the conference. I should point out that during this meeting, I had the chance to meet simultaneously Mr. Alain Yoda, the Minister of Health, Dr. Joseph André Tiendrebogo, the Permanent Secretary of the National Council in the Fight Against AIDS in Burkina Faso and Mrs. Cécile Beloum, a deputy of the National Assembly. During my meeting with my minister, I asked him three key questions:
]]>Fimba is from Burkina Faso. He is representing the Guttmacher Institute's Protecting the Next Generation Project at the conference.
As I said in a previous post, this conference is an opportunity for me to remind the decision makers in my country to keep their promises. So, yesterday I had a meeting with my minister of health just after his meeting with the 65 delegates of Burkina Faso who are here at the conference. I should point out that during this meeting, I had the chance to meet simultaneously Mr. Alain Yoda, the Minister of Health, Dr. Joseph André Tiendrebogo, the Permanent Secretary of the National Council in the Fight Against AIDS in Burkina Faso and Mrs. Cécile Beloum, a deputy of the National Assembly. During my meeting with my minister, I asked him three key questions:
First, what are his impressions of the participation of the official delegation of Burkina Faso at this International AIDS Conference? The minister replied that he was very proud of the Burkinabè delegation because his fellow ministers whom he had met here had much congratulated him for the dynamism of the Burkinabè NGOs and CBOs here. It should be said that the African Solidarity Association (AAS) has a booth here and is also among the 20 finalists of an international contest on best practices organized by the Red Ribbon Association. In addition, he added that he is ready to join us in our in-country activities just as he has in international activities (like this conference) if we, in turn, are willing to keep him up to speed on what we are doing.
Second, I asked him what the objectives are for his participation in this conference. The minister replied that, given the public health problem he has in his country, he is obligated to be here for several reasons. First, he is here to have information on the state of research advancements and also to see how his country is seen from abroad. Also, he is here to participate in a meeting of several African ministers and a minister from France. During this meeting of ministers, they had a discussion to evaluate the Network of Therapeutic Hospital Solidarity Groups (ESTHER) program, a French initiative in a number of African countries and Vietnam. It's also an opportunity to have consultations between politicians and a great way to do advocacy and to mobilize resources for the struggle to end AIDS. Finally, he is here in his capacity as the First Vice President of the National Council in the Fight Against AIDS. In our country, the President of the Faso is also the President of the National AIDS Council, which demonstrates that the government is engaged in the struggle.
Third, I asked the minister what he took away from this conference. He replied that during his meeting with the other ministers, he had spoken a lot about scaling up prevention, above all for young people, and also scaling up treatment for all. During this meeting the French Minister of Health promised an increase of aid for health services. The French minister also promised to provide personnel support, informational support and equipment.
At the end, I asked my minister if he had any final words. The minister replied: "I am very tired and I would like to rest to take up negotiations again tomorrow, above all for the young people as your situation is the most worrisome after that of women."
]]>Fimba is from Burkina Faso. He is representing the Guttmacher Institute's Protecting the Next Generation Project at the conference.
Yesterday I sat in on a session where two of the five presenters really made me think. This "Hot Topics" session is important for me because I am the head of the human rights program for my organization, the African Youth Network for Health and Development in Burkina Faso (RAJS/BF). I really liked the presentation on advocacy to governments to support mother-to-child prevention programs and access to treatment for all, because this is a problem in my country.
]]>Fimba is from Burkina Faso. He is representing the Guttmacher Institute's Protecting the Next Generation Project at the conference.
Yesterday I sat in on a session where two of the five presenters really made me think. This "Hot Topics" session is important for me because I am the head of the human rights program for my organization, the African Youth Network for Health and Development in Burkina Faso (RAJS/BF). I really liked the presentation on advocacy to governments to support mother-to-child prevention programs and access to treatment for all, because this is a problem in my country.
In effect, the government in my country, specifically the minister of health, argues with civil society and development organizations over pregnant women's access to mother-to-child prevention programs. Currently, this program exists in 22 of the 45 health districts in Burkina Faso and soon will be at all 45. In Burkina Faso's proposal for the 6th round of the Global Fund, there is an important place reserved for mother-to-child prevention programs. But, there is still the problem of women agreeing to participate in these programs because they don't have the power of decision in the couple. Many women are afraid to participate because they don't know what the reaction of their husbands will be. Also, there is the problem of assumption of responsibility because this program only offers very limited assumption of responsibility. After their pregnancy, HIV-positive women are obligated to find other sources of treatment. The program only takes into account pregnant women and afterwards refers them to other systems. Therefore, this isn't reassuring for the women.
In terms of homosexuals, I was surprised by the fact that in Nepal, the government is very restrictive of their rights. This is very well demonstrated by the examples that Mr. Pang, one of the panelists, gave during his presentations. For example, a young homosexual man was killed by his father, but there was never any trial. Similarly, homosexuals don't have access to HIV/AIDS treatment at the same sites as others. There is therefore a very real discrimination of this population in Nepal.
It must be said that in my country, Burkina Faso, there are also homosexuals (according to a Population Council study), but this is still unofficial. This issue is very sensitive in my country as our culture doesn't allow us to talk about it publicly. Also, the government has not yet taken specific measures or made specific laws concerning this population.
In conclusion, I think the government of Burkina Faso is open to universal access for all without discrimination. This access is made possible by the creation of the "Fund for Solidarity with Orphans and the Ill", which has permitted about 9,000 of 27,000 persons living with HIV in Burkina to register on a treatment waiting list. I am therefore aware, and I think my government is also, that a lot of work remains to be done in this area. I hope that with the help of the international community, NGOS and also actors in the struggle, access to treatment for all will be increased.
]]>Fimba is a youth from Burkina Faso who is attending the Toronto AIDS conference, sponsored by the Guttmacher Institute. Translation by Leila Darabi from Guttmacher.
I just got back from the opening ceremony and the presentations were interesting, especially the presentation of Bill Gates and a young Indonesian woman living with HIV.
Dr. Helene Gayle directed our attention to governments and the promises that they made during the past two conferences. She recommended that the promises they made aren't put in drawers, but that they are made real and kept. She gave the example that most of the governments made promises to include civil society in development programs and she recognized that some of them have kept these promises, that this is a good thing and she urged governments to continue in this way.
]]>Fimba is a youth from Burkina Faso who is attending the Toronto AIDS conference, sponsored by the Guttmacher Institute. Translation by Leila Darabi from Guttmacher.
I just got back from the opening ceremony and the presentations were interesting, especially the presentation of Bill Gates and a young Indonesian woman living with HIV.
Dr. Helene Gayle directed our attention to governments and the promises that they made during the past two conferences. She recommended that the promises they made aren't put in drawers, but that they are made real and kept. She gave the example that most of the governments made promises to include civil society in development programs and she recognized that some of them have kept these promises, that this is a good thing and she urged governments to continue in this way.
I saw my minister of health and also the permanent secretary of the National Council in the Fight Against AIDS in Burkina Faso in the audience. It pleased me to see them there because Dr. Gayle offered me an opportunity to reclaim, as an activist and member of civil society, my right to actively participate in the fight - and to reclaim as well greater participation of young people in Burkina Faso.
Later this week, I have a meeting with my minister of health, the permanent secretary, and the other members of Burkina Faso official delegation to the conference. During this meeting, I will speak on behalf of the youth delegation and my youth network to explain one more time our sexual and reproductive health needs for access to prevention and youth-friendly services, and other development issues specific to youth like unemployment, girls' education, etc.
I hope my participation at this meeting helps other young people who couldn't come to the conference, but whom I represent.
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