[procaare] HCC:Post Conference discussion -45

[Insight Initiative Team <insight@hdnet.org>]

HCC: Post Conference discussion - 45
- HDN Key Correspondents/Rapporteur Team,Thailand
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Can only counselling bring hope?

All the speakers at this session were women from resource-poor countries. Two out of three
said that counselling they received made them felt stronger and gave them a will to live.

"Counseling is a very important process for newly infected people, with stigma and
discrimination the newly infected find it hard to survive without good counseling. They
may even commit suicide", said Chiranuch Premchaiporn of AIDS ACCESS Foundation, Thailand.

Although counselling is very important it was felt that there are many other factors that
are necessary for their survival.

"When the doctor informed me that I had been infected with HIV by my husband, I could only
think of those frightening pictures I had seen. I was terribly discouraged and kept
thinking that I would die soon. But my determination to stay alive and care for my child
enabled me to overcome this crisis in my life", said Somporn, Thailand.

Yin Sophea, a PLHA's from Cambodia, said "...my desire to be with my children, to see them
grow up and to protect and care for them is very important to me. I want to remain strong
for them". This desire is incorporated into her everyday life practices. "I try to take
very good care of myself. I eat healthy food three times a day, keep myself very clean,
drink only hot water, do exercises and sleep enough, but not too much. This also helps me
remain in good spirits".

Also Boonsorm, Thailand, said "I often wonder how much time I have left with my kids, but
it does not dishearten me. I try my best each day to build a future for my children".

Pimjai Inthamoon, from Chiang Mai, who runs the Community Care project, and received
awards for service to society from the Thai government in 1998, said "my family is the
source of my happiness. It has healed my wounds when I was hurt. It has given me strength
when I was weak. And since I contracted HIV, it has given me the energy to live to this
day".

>From these people's words, we can see that it is not only counseling that provides hope in
their life. They have love; that is they are loved and having someone to love,
particularly their children and family.

These were mainly the women's thoughts, however the men's were not much different. They
need inspiration and hope for living. Like Prasart, a Thai male said "I think that we all
have some gentleness and sweetness in our nature, whether men or woman, with or without
HIV. For me, doing the work that I love, and having friends to care about me, and to care
about them, is what my life is about".


HDN Key Correspondent Team
Rapporteur Team
E-mail: correspondents@hdnet.org

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The Insight Initiative Project is managed by Health & Development Networks (HDN) in
collaboration with the Thailand Red Cross Society, the World Health Organization and the
Royal Thailand Government, with financial support from AusAid and UNAIDS.

For more information about this project (the 'Insight Initiative'), visit the HDN website
at: http://www.hdnet.org

Fifth International Conference on Home and Community Care for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS
Chiang Mai, Thailand - 17-20 December 2001
Website: http://www.hiv2001.com


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