Stigma Reduction Initiative with Faith Leaders – Mombasa Archdiocese Mombasa, Kwale, Taita Taveta and Kilifi districts in the Coast Province of Kenya present a high rate of HIV infection with a high concentration of HIV positive people.  Some of the contributing factors to the high infection rate include: cultural and social practices that manifested through early marriage of the girl child, tourism especially with parents encouraging their children (boys and girls) to go for sex at the beaches and high level of ignorance, where education for girls is not significantly encouraged in comparison to marriage.  CAFOD partners with Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa (CAM) in these districts implementing a HIV and AIDs project with four areas of focus namely: Co-ordination of Archdiocesan HIV and AIDS projects; empowering and capacity building for young single mothers; engaging the Catholic Church; other faiths and the local community on HIV and AIDS; involvement of PLWHA and religious leaders in care and support services.

Women, men and children living with and affected by HIV, experience stigma though the specific manifestations, of this may vary according to age, gender, geographic location and cultural context.  Within CAM’s area of operation stigma experiences are no different.  Like in most communities women are often blamed for bringing the virus into the family (regardless of the actual route of infection), judged promiscuous “sinners” and can lose their homes, inheritance and property security, access to their children and even their lives on occasions. Stigmatisation of men more often results in loss of income, self-exclusion from health and related support services, isolation by their peers in social life and community events.  Stigma and judgementalism also attach to clergy and religious living with HIV. For children, stigma results in their exclusion from school, playtime with peers, social and sports events. For all, the mental health repercussions are enormous but most significantly a major obstacle to implementation and accessing of effective HIV care and prevention programmes.

As part of CAFOD’s 3-year plan (April 2010-March 2013) CAFOD HIV and AIDS team, proposes to undertake a Stigma Reduction Initiative, through existing partnerships in Kenya, Zambia and Ethiopia.  In Kenya SRI targets to work with up to 80 Faith leaders through Mombasa archdiocese in relation to their role in reducing HIV-related stigma within their area of influence.  Up to 50 PLWHA have been targeted for training as Stigma Index interviewers in the project.  Each interviewer is expected to interview around 20 people either living with or affected by HIV, over a two week period if possible, at three time intervals over three years.  It is anticipated that strategies will be adjusted to accommodate additional considerations from interim surveys. Periodic learning and exchange meetings within and between participating countries will inform development of the project.

An existing initiative held jointly by UNAIDS and the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) - The Stigma Index (SI)- offers a tool (a questionnaire) that will be used to measure and detect changing trends in relation to stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV. GNP+ have agreed to collaborate with the CAFOD initiative, as it provides them with a valuable case study of the niche perspective of faith and also of a more programmatic approach over three years. In Kenya GNP+ will be represented by NEPHAK, who have previous experience in using the original version of the SI at national level.  NEPHAK’s role is to give baseline information on the Mombasa context. They will also provide training, technical advice and ongoing mentoring to this initiative, in the use of the modified SI questionnaire.  

This project has been extended for one more year to end in March 2014 due to delays it experienced during the initiation stage