Anchoring Awareness in the Community - Handicap International

Through house-to-house awareness
development, as it was done on this project,
the number of persons contacted could seem
rather low. However, after three years of the
awareness program, change in the community
was palpable: stigmatization and denial of the
disease had strongly decreased, knowledge
of the disease had become generalized and
PLWHIV had regained a social status.
The daily activity of the animators allowed
contacting a large number of persons in an
efficient way, thanks to the know-how they
had developed throughout the project.
In addition, the effectiveness of their work
was increased as they were followed and
supported by the association of PLWHIV , a
local partner of Handicap International, as well
as the project advisory committee of the
village where they intervened.
This double implication also had the great
advantage of raising the awareness of and
implicating community resource persons,
thereby creating long-lasting change for
these persons concerning the disease and its
portrayal.
© Julie de Lamarzelle pour Handicap International
ACCEPTANCE OF THE ANIMATORS
In a context of disease denial, making multiple
visits to each home to speak of HIV/AIDS was
not easy, particularly in Ethiopia, where the
animators were themselves HIV +. Thus, one
of the biggest difficulties encountered by the
animators was to succeed in being accepted
inside the homes.
Be patient
Project acceptation was not easy. Very often,
inhabitants did not want to talk about the
subject; some of them refused to even get
close to or talk to the HIV + animators. In many
homes, the animators were obliged to return
patiently a number of times before being
able to start a discussion.
“At the start of the awareness program in the
village, it was hard, but we stayed with it. Little
by little, we were accepted. No one chases us
away any more, and they accept opening their
doors to us and listening to us.” 11
Do not become discouraged
about contacting people
To establish contact with a home, it was
sometimes necessary to be very persevering,
because people were not necessarily available
at the proper time.
“If we set up an appointment, they didn’t keep
it because we weren’t a priority for them. So,
we went by from time to time unannounced
and didn’t become discouraged if they were
absent or busy. We went as often as we had to
until we were able to contact them.” 12
Discourage criticism by staying calm
At the start, animators were accused of
participating in the program for the money
only, but they chose to ignore these dismissive
remarks. They continued to carry out the
program for these persons as if they had made
no comments. By staying calm and strongly
committing to the program, they managed to
11. Bezuye Shiferaw, animator at Shinile
12. Aynalem Bekele, animator at Togochale
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