The Anguilla Community Action Network (ACAN) which launched its second phase of Project Hope on Sunday, September 28, 2014 at the No Walls Church of Hope in the Farrington, held its first street talk on October 31 outside the Peoples’ Market.
The event was part of the planned activities for 2014. The main aim of the on the street talk was to educate, sensitize and engage the general public about HIV / AIDS, STI’s stigma and discrimination, gender and human rights.
ACAN hopes to build awareness for persons living with HIV / AIDS, STI’s and other forms of life-threatening illnesses like Ebola, a very serious and deadly infectious disease in humans and animals. The street talk will hopefully inspire hope and behavioural change for infected and affected persons. This will only be achieved through education, community support, training and action.
In Anguilla many programmes have focused on prevention of HIV / AIDS and STI’s, but the problem is that discrimination still exists thus encouraging a culture of silence. The street talk was therefore geared towards getting the message to the general public. ACAN is the only non-profit, non-governmental organisation on Anguilla whose main mandate is to support persons affected by HIV /AIDS.
As we celebrate our eighth anniversary, it is also ACAN’s hope that by educating the public prejudice, isolation, stigma and discrimination towards persons infected and affected by HIV / AIDS, will be eliminated.
It is with great pleasure that we take this opportunity to thank everyone for their involvement in, and support, for the street talk.
