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Report: World Aids
Day 2011 Event hosted by
EAGA
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To commemorate World AIDS Day, the
Emmanu’-EL Apostolic Gospel Academy
(EAGA) dedicated their entire rehearsal
session to raising awareness of
the disease and to discussing issues
surrounding HIV and AIDS.
Mrs Linda Mashonganyika, a Research
Nurse based at the Royal Infirmary
in Leicester, along with Andrew
Bannister a victim and Celia Fisher,
Sexual Health Promotion Coordinator,
from Leicestershire AIDS Support
Services (LASS) were the leaders
of the night’s presentation and
discussion on the reality of HIV
and AIDS.
The night began with the choir ministering
‘My Help’, led by the young Sister
Antonia Whyte 9 years old.
The presentation commenced with
an explanation about the mechanism
and action of HIV in the human body
and how it causes AIDS. Also the
stigma and stereotypes that HIV
and AIDS have had since its discovery,
as well as common perceptions that
are associated with HIV positive
individuals.
A fiery indignation from Mr Andrew
Riley on the origin of HIV propelled
the rest of the night into a completely
different atmosphere. He declared
that HIV was a man made and people
were deliberately infected to deliver
on America and the West’s agenda
to control the world poor population
and that the cure for AIDS does
indeed exist. This sparked many
more questions from the audience,
leading to an emotive question session.
After the emotive question session,
Andrew Bannister a volunteer from
LASS who is HIV positive delivered
a detailed moving testimony of being
told of his HIV status and how he
has handled the situation. He not
only fell into depression but the
stigma and discrimination he faced
from family had a grave impact on
his emotionally. Now three years
after being diagnosed, Andrew is
doing a lot better and must be commended
for his confidence and passion to
educate the public on HIV and AIDS
and that it is more common than
most of us think. After Andrew finished
telling the audience about his personal
encounter with HIV and AIDS, the
official World AIDS Day had come
to a close. Once Andrew and Celia
had left, EAGA continued on the
controversial discussion on AIDS,
focusing more on the media’s and
pharmaceutical companies’ motives
and involvement in the matter. A
very controversial video was played,
entitled ‘Pain in my heart’. This
documentary appears to highlight
the HIV/AIDS crisis in Zimbabwe.
However, after hearing that he had
stolen money he had received for
this particular project, the issue
of integrity when doing projects
in Africa was magnified by this
video.
World AIDS Day hosted by EAGA was
a great success. Not only were the
members educated and informed of
issues surrounding HIV and AIDS
in our society, but the healthy
question session broke the mould
for some who blindly believed what
is portrayed by the mainstream media.
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