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is a project to turn the rising tides of HIV/AIDS infection in women
and children in rural coastal communities in Latin America and the
Caribbean. AIDSail engages rural women to develop their
own voice in responding to the increased risk of HIV infection in
their lives, and works with the community to develop a response to
HIV/AIDS that is sensitive to women and the communities in which
they live.
AIDSail often travels by boat to reach the most
remote communities with limited access to medical care.
Through women's forums, AIDSail helps women to start talking about
HIV and the role that domestic violence and poverty plays in
increasing rates of infection. By offering HIV
and STD testing during pelvic exams, women are able to maintain
confidentiality and develop relationships with local health care
providers. By training women as educators in HIV prevention, they
are able to talk to other women in their communities, thereby
reducing the stigma that is often associated with HIV infection.
Developing a community based domestic violence response and training
women in crisis intervention with victims of violence, reduces the
social isolation of survivors of intimate violence. Assisting women
to develop economic cooperatives gives them a greater voice and
empowers women to become financially independent and take initiative
in their own well-being. Economic indepndence also puts women on
the road to creating sustainable long term changes such as reducing
domestic violence and financially supporting their own he alth care
programs.
Women's Sewing
Program Supports
HIV+ Women in Nicaragua
AIDSail
works with partner International Community of Women (ICW), Managua
which provides support services for HIV positive women
throughout Nicaragua. ICW provides
an important resource for women, supporting women in
understanding and managing HIV
in their lives. At the request of women members of ICW, AIDSail
was able to assist ICW to start
a garment business and to purchase sewing machines and fabric.
Today, this is a valuable source of income and companionship for
women living with HIV in Nicaragua. See
more about this project and how
small grants can be a great resource for women's economic and
social empowerment.
Corn
Islands Women's Forum on HIV,
Domestic Violence and
Economic Development
AIDSail held a Forum for HIV, domestic violence and economic
development for women of Corn Islands 30 miles off the Atlantic
coast of Nicaragua. The forum, attended by 80 women from the
community, local government and community leaders was structured
to provide basic education in regards to HIV domestic violence
and economic development, and provide an opportunity for women
to work in small groups to discuss barriers to prevention of HIV
and domestic violence, while engaging women in finding solutions
to these barriers by working in small groups and giving
presentations about their findings. Women at the forum
overwhelmingly shared their powerlessness at preventing HIV and
domestic violence without adequate means of supporting
themselves economically. Much of the discussion centered around
traditional
 values
“machismo” which often lead to heightened male promiscuity in
the region. Women were significantly concerned that they
are financial dependent on their male partners and lack the
resources to care for themselves and their children. Job
shortage was a significant concern in regards to HIV and STD
prevention as women find it difficult to encourage condom use in
their relationships when they
are completely reliant on male income. Sexual promiscuity among
men outside of their primary relationship is a significant
problem for women, but without economic means to support
themselves, they feel powerless to leave these relationships or
set boundaries with their
partners. A significant portion of men work in fishing on the
islands and are engaged in work that takes them away from
families to mainland port communities such as Bluefields and
El Buff for extended period
of time.
Talking about HIV and women's issues for these rural women was a
first step in making changes in their lives and communities. The
government of Corn Island said that this was the first time they
had heard women speak up about their issues and offered a plot
of land to develop a center for women's services and economic
development programs. See more
about programs in Nicaragua including Women's Primary Care
Clinics where nearly all women seeking health care were referred
for HIV testing
AIDSail and
Katrina Relief
After the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi, AIDSail
organized volunteer medical personnel to assist in providing
medical care to victims of this disaster. AIDSail continues to
organize volunteers to provide medical services in New Orleans,
Mississippi and rural Louisiana and will be setting up a si te
with multiple agencies responding to long term health care, food
distribution and reconstruction efforts. AIDSail is assisting
Common Ground Collective clinic, a clinic that sprung out of the
devastation in New Orleans Parish and Algiers neighborhood run
completely by volunteers, to establish a itself as a permanent
resource for the community.
Dr.
Jefferson Sa with little patient
Ms. Terri
is completely reliant on oxygen and was unable to evacuate
during the hurricane. Part of her roof blew off and she had no
medical care despite calls by Miller, her oxygen provider, on
her behalf. No one responded until AIDSail called Miller about
getting oxygen for the Algiers clinic and learned about Ms.Terri.
AIDSail immediately was able to send medical treatment and roof
tarpers in collaboration with Plenty International and Michael
Moore's staff in the field who gave Ms. Terri a check up, tarped
her roof, and followed up later .
Ms.
Terri with Miller her oxygen provider
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