Jean-Luc Martinage, IFRC in Silvia, southern Colombia
Working with minorities is a key component of the HIV policy implemented all over the world by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). A good example is to be found in southern Colombia, where Colombian Red Cross is providing support to the Guambiano native community, making the local population more aware of the threat of HIV.
Red Cross volunteers from the Cauca branch regularly travel to the picturesque town of Silvia, nestled in the beautiful Andes mountains. About 14,000 inhabitants are native people from the Guambiano community who managed to preserve their cultural heritage and language. They are one of the few indigenous populations in Colombia still wearing the elegant and colourful traditional dress.
To inform and listen
On this Tuesday morning, Red Cross volunteers from the HIV prevention programme head to the local school in Silvia to meet with the oldest students, aged 13-18, while other volunteers organize games and activities with the younger boys and girls, most of them wearing the traditional Guambiano dress.
After a few jokes to make the audience feel more comfortable, volunteers remind students about basic facts on HIV and the threat they can be confronted with if they don’t protect themselves against the virus. They are also provided with an information leaflet, free condoms and are also taught how to properly use a condom. The gathering is also an opportunity for teenagers from this relatively closed community where tradition still plays a major role to express themselves on topics that are not easy for them to address at home, such as sexuality.
Working with community leaders
Manuel Alejandro Riviera is the 26-year-old regional HIV programme coordinator. A Colombian Red Cross volunteer since 2000, he explains that approaching the Guambiano community has been a long-term process that involved first of all building confidence with the elders and the traditional community leaders who then authorized Red Cross volunteers to hold prevention sessions within the community.
“Building trust is essential to work with minority groups such as indigenous people who are very careful about any intervention from the outside world since they have often been stigmatised in the past,” explains Alejandro. The regional HIV programme was created in 2004 and currently involves about 20 instructors supported by volunteers.
Radio as a prevention tool
After the prevention session at the school building, volunteers then head to the nearby local community radio station. They are met by Floro Alberto Tunabala, who produces a regular programme on health issues in Namtrik, the language used by the Guambianos. A few minutes later, Red Cross volunteer Hernando Rios goes live on the air of “La emisora del Pueblo Guambiano” to provide prevention advice on HIV that is immediately translated into Namtrik by Floro Alberto.
“Our community radio is a major link for our people and we include health prevention messages in many programmes. The support we receive from the Red Cross on HIV prevention is essential as they provide us the basic information that we need to better address health issues such as HIV within our community,” says Floro Alberto, himself wearing the traditional Guambiano dress.
“After all, even if we want to preserve our cultural heritage, we don’t live on our own, we do travel, go to big cities so it is important for our community members to be prepared and be aware of potential dangers such as HIV. We hope to further develop our partnership with the Colombian Red Cross on other health topics such as promoting vaccination not only for radio programmes but also for joint partnership with our local hospital,” he adds.
Beyond Colombia
“Minority groups such as the Guambianos are among the key population we want to reach through prevention messages that are adapted to their environment and culture and spread by volunteers who are either from the community or close to it”, says Julie Hoare, the IFRC health and social services coordinator for the Americas.
“Several Red Cross societies in the region have similar programmes, for example in Guatemala. The Global Alliance against HIV we launched last year in Latin America and the Caribbean is meant to further increase the HIV programmes in the region, including working with minority groups which is also a way to fight stigma and discrimination against them”, she concludes.