Inonge was the first in her parish to come forward as HIV-positive. And once the first shock subsided, she found that many followed her example. Now she is in Norway to share her experiences.

"In Zambia, the church has traditionally looked upon people who are infected with HIV as sinful. Parish members who are infected have often told no-one and died in silence, rather than endure the stigma and shame that infection brings. I decided to break the silence and come forward. And through my work as a psychosocial nurse in my parish, I can help others to do the same," says Freda Inonge Mutemwa from Western Province in Zambia.

Broad cooperation
Inonge is in Norway as part of a long-term programme of cooperation between the Christian Councils of 11 countries in Southern Africa and the five Nordic countries on the subject of HIV and AIDS. The Christian Councils in these 16 countries have worked closely since 1988 and have placed special focus on work with HIV and AIDS since 2003, working to mobilise and build capacity among churches through the Christian Councils across the region, and produce theological reflections to support the church's involvement with questions related to HIV/AIDS and sexuality. This programme is funded by Norad, Norwegian Church Aid and Dan Church Aid.

One of the initiatives supported by this cooperation is called Circles of Hope, a church-based project in Zambia that encourages people living with HIV to form parish support groups for people living with HIV and AIDS. To become a member, members have to admit openly that they are HIV-positive to their parish. The aim is to break the chain of silence, stigma and shame of infection. There are now 88 Circles of Hope support groups across Zambia. Inonge leads her local group in Western Province.

Spreading hope
"We aim to spread hope and help each other through the hard times. We are all parishioners who love God, and we know that God loves us, regardless of whether or not we are HIV-positive. We also encourage the healthy members of the parish to take precaution against infection, and to seek counselling and testing if necessary," says Inonge.

In connection with World AIDS Day December 1st, Inonge, together with Pearson Banda, who coordinates the HIV/AIDS-related activities of the Christian Councils in the 11 countries in Southern Africa, took part in a number of church activities in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand. They held speeches focusing on the HIV/AIDS pandemic at several churches, and found that their openness prompted a great warmth and empathy among the church-goers they met.

"I had the impression that none of the parishioners had ever med someone with HIV before, and they had a lot of questions. They wanted to know about the drugs that keep me alive, about the prevalence rate in Southern Africa, and about how I manage to feed my family. They were very interested and thanked me for sharing my story," says Inonge.

Related articles

• Read more about NCAs work in Southern Africa here
• Read more about NCAs work with HIV and AIDS here

For more information, contact:

• Merete Skjellsbæk, HIV/AIDS coordinator for Southern Africa, based in Oslo, tel.: (+47) 932 50 269
• Prisca Mokgadi, Regional programme officer, HIV and AIDS, tel.: (+267) 3908648