BLOGGING POSITIVELY

“Take the lead, stop AIDS, keep the promise”, is the theme of the world AIDS day 2008, what a theme. Can the world leadership keep the promise to stop AIDS and reduce stigma and discrimination? That is the question I ask myself when am serving the community. I was one of the contestants of the Mr. and Miss Red Ribbon 2008 event at Hotel Bontana Nakuru; it was not my first time to contest. I have been contesting since 2006 and have been enjoying every moment of the event because of one thing, effective reduction of stigma and discrimination. Mr. and Miss Red Ribbon brings together both affected and infected to celebrate beauty in a unique way. During the event audience appreciate beauty by seeing models but not the affected or the infected.

From the event I have learnt that I can do more for my community regardless of my status because I get encourage by the audience who came to celebrate with the contestants. Therefore if such events can be organized at the grassroots level then the community will appreciate community health workers in home based care. I enjoy doing home based care and hope that the world leaders will keep the promise to support my work.

About blogging, since Collins Oduor went to the Raising Voices Summit in Hungary he has done a lot to my life by introducing me to blogging as a medium of expressing my feelings without boarders. I feel anonymously blogging can not help to reduce stigma and discrimination. To my opinion I think people need to come out and help fight stigma by blogging positively without fear or creating boaders. I think that is a step to stigma reduction, anyway it is upon each and everyone to contribute to the fight in is own style.

There are many issues to write about positive living, one can write about nutrition and food supplements, one can even blog about support group and psychosocial support, and positive living. The above are based on opinion issues that one can write about without going through the editor. Factual issues are difficult to write about because most of them are scientifically proven by experts.

Therefore I thank the Raising Global Voices through the outreach program for supporting REPACTED since I can access free computer and free internet, but I feel there is more to be done in Nakuru about the positive bloging and stigma. Though again in Kenyan rural setting less people have access to the internet. I thank REPACTED
For the encouragement and support they have given me and I will also work hard to introduce more positive blogers in the Nakuru blogsphere.