Our supporters' donations enable ACET Nigeria to run a 6 day training course for community volunteers and church workers. The training is three-fold: Guardians of our Children’s Health, Facilitation of Kids Clubs and Child Protection, and Village Savings and Loans Associations. One subject which is covered is HIV, ensuring the delegates can educate their communities and challenge stigma and discrimination. This is Aondofa Desmond's story about how the training changed his attitude to HIV.
“Before I was connected with ACET Nigeria, I was someone who blamed people a lot for their predicament. I was indifferent about people living with HIV: I thought they deserved what they were experiencing. My knowledge of HIV was shallow;: I did not know that I was at risk of contracting it myself, as I was living carelessly.
I attended ACET Nigeria’s training in Wannune. It made me realise the risk that all of us share in HIV infection. It encouraged me to go for medical check-ups more often., and there was clarity about the use of condoms too.
The training has also helped me improve my personal interaction with people, especially those vulnerable ones. Now I sympathize and empathize with those infected and affected by HIV. I share food with them, sit with them, touch them, spend time with them, respect them.
I am now an ACET Nigeria volunteer. I hope to see us all work together to bring a stop to HIV in our land. Without ACET Nigeria’s training, I would have remained a hypocrite, living a life that was full of self, without feeling for other people. Before, I would rather describe myself as living in my own world. I would have continued in my ignorance and possibly contracted HIV, without realising it.”