Youth Ending Stigma (Y.E.S.)

Youth Ending Stigma (Y.E.S.) is a youth group committed to ending HIV-related stigma in Rwanda that was started by WE-ACTx patients in the fall of 2009. The members of Y.E.S. meet regularly at the Centreville clinic to support each other in their own struggles against stigma, and to collaborate on peer education projects and public awareness campaigns that challenge stereotypes and promote equality. In addition to sharing their own testimonies with other HIV-positive youth and with the general public, the members of Y.E.S. have spread their message by staging plays, composing original music, participating in photography exhibitions, and creating a video that has been named a finalist for the $25,000 Kalamazoo College Global Prize for Collaborative Social Justice Leadership.

B. Income Generating Activities

WE-ACTx’s income generation projects seek to address two major barriers in fostering health and wellness for Rwandan women, children and families struggling with HIV: poverty and lack of sufficient nutrition. For many of our patients, generating sufficient income to feed themselves and their families is an ongoing struggle which can increase vulnerability to disease and negatively influence adherence to HIV treatment regimes.

Our three unique co-operatives draw on a system of collective decision-making and management to generate much-needed income for employees, and provide them with a community of mutual support and opportunities for continuing education.