Peter Katleho Ntheri

Katleho is a social science agent driven by the desire to make impactful and sustainable change to his community and country at large. He has encountered many economic and social hurdles, which helped ignite his desire to seek solutions in the communities in which he has lived. He believes in proactively tackling the many social problems his country is plagued with. He strongly asserts that in life no problem is insurmountable if we each believe in our inner strengths and collectively take our social issues head-on.

In Their Own Words

My project focused on advocacy for community delivery of PrEP in Lesotho. Its main objectives were community and national advocacy for changes and refinement of Oral PrEP guidelines to enable community dispensing by way of resource centers, pharmacies, clients’ homes or their preferred locations as well to introduce new available PrEP options.

I have advised and pushed the MOH to facilitate and coordinate development and refinement of uniform PrEP messaging tailored for different eligible groups including youth and Key Populations (KPs). I was also part of the collective that urged Ministry to expedite inclusion of longer acting PrEP tools like CAB for PrEP for individuals at risk HIV. I have also actively advocated for the introduction of the Dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR) for women in Lesotho. Through active participation in the Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), I advocated for inclusion of funding for DVR from Global Fund as PEPFAR is still unclear as to whether they will fund procurement of DVR beyond the CATALYST study. Another key achievement is that as part of my work on the GF CCM, I have ensured that the next funding round includes scale up of HIV self-testing and multi-month dispensing of oral PrEP.

Onward Chironda

Onward is a religious leader and an advocate for gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights for individuals whoa are most often marginalised. He works with youth- led and youth-serving organisations and religious institutions to improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV services such as HIV testing and counselling and access to prevention options such as PrEP for key populations. He helps monitor health service providers and pushes the Ministry of Health and the National AIDS Council to expand access to services.

In Their Own Words

My project focused on the promotion of access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), HIV prevention and management services for Key Populations (KPs) in Zimbabwe. The project focused on influencing an inclusive Adolescent Health Implementation Strategy (ASRH) which has been achieved through participating and influencing the participation of young KPs in the development of the ASRH strategy. I have worked with 20 religious leaders through trainings on SOGIE/SC which leading to virtual conversations where religious leaders have intentionally committed to ending stigma and discrimination for KPs. The project also engaged 15 KP-led organizations to strengthen their capacity as well supporting their engagement in the Global Fund and PEPFAR processes to increase funding for community-led organizations in HIV prevention work. My engagement in the Global Fund process as part of the writing team in Zimbabwe ensured that KP issues are prioritized in the country’s concept note.

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Prince Mikel Juao

Prince is a transgender-man and promising leader human rights, health and HIV spaces. He is dedicated specifically to transgender health programming and advocacy. Prince has lived experiences of structural barriers and lack of access to biomedical HIV prevention services. He fights against social and health inequalities and and sees biomedical HIV prevention research and implementation as elements of a rights-based response to trans-people’s needs.

In Their Own Words
My project focused on increasing the availability and accessibility of HIV prevention services for Key Populations KPs) in Malawi. I participated in the review of the HIV Prevention Framework where we incorporated CAB for PrEP as an additional HIV prevention option. I also sat on an expert committee for CAB for PrEP implementation, provided technical guidance on the inclusion of transgender populations in the study and facilitated the involvement and engagement of KP-led organizations in the study implementation. Together with the Civil Society Advocacy Forum (CSAF), we successfully lobbied for funds from PEPFAR and Global Fund for the scale-up of CAB for PrEP in Malawi. My engagement in the Global Fund process as part of the writing team in Malawi ensured that KP issues are prioritized in the country’s concept note.

Ruth Akulu

Ruth is a youth mentor, an HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and mental health advocate for young people living with HIV. She has been a Community Monitor for the Community Led Monitoring project for ICWEA since 2020 and is a National Young People and Adolescent Peer Supporters Trainer. Ruth was crowned Miss Y Plus 2nd Runner-Up 2019/20 and also won the Y Plus Media Advocate award in 2020. Ruth is as an Economist by profession and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Trade Policy from Ndejje University.

In Their Own Words

“Girl Power Project” aimed at reducing new HIV infections and unintended pregnancy among AGYW through fast tracking the introduction and rollout of the Dual Prevention Pill (DPP) in Uganda. Its main objectives were advocacy for increased access to integrated PrEP/FP services, pharmacy distribution of PrEP and government preparedness and approval for the DPP.

Outstanding achievements include collaboration with MOH and CSOs to advocate for reformed policies and funding for private pharmacy distribution of PrEP (to be launched in October 2023); awareness creation on the DPP Bioequivalence research; targeted media advocacy on PrEP/FP integration; bringing together PrEP and Family Planning stakeholders to advocate for integration of HIV and FP services through a National Dialogue and ongoing engagement; relationship building with the National Drug Authority to create an enabling environment for introduction of the DPP; national and global advocacy through my selection to be a member of the Young Women’s HIV Prevention Council and the DPP Civil Society Advisory Group; and incorporation of key advocacy asks in Uganda’s HIV Prevention Roadmap (a document which provides the basis for a country-led movement to scale up HIV prevention programs).

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Catherine Madebe

Catherine is a female leader invested in sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and beyond. She is the Programs Lead at Mulika Tanzania working at the intersection of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), SRHR and decision-making. She was named SRHR Best Celebrity in Eastern and Southern Africa for her outstanding performance by the Southern African AIDS Trust.

In Their Own Words

My project focused on strengthening adolescent girls and young women’s engagement in HIV interventions as decision-makers and influencing the adoption of new prevention technologies in Tanzania. A key achievement is that the Tanzania Commission on AIDS (TACAIDS) agreed on supporting and collaborating to strengthen AGYW spaces from local and national levels. I have been directly involved in PEPFAR COP and Global Fund advocacy and one key achievement in this area is increased budget for AGYW programming from PEPFAR and Global Fund processes. One outstanding win is that the Global Fund will soon implement PrEP and PEP services targeting AGYW in Tanzania.

Media

Liyema Somnono

Liyema is a gender and human rights activist involved in the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) Partnership and other programs seeking to empower women and girls in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Liyema is a member of the Eastern Cape Aids Council Women’s Sector and is a Bachelor of Law (LLB) graduate from Nelson Mandela University.

In Their Own Words

My advocacy project aims to promote access to HIV prevention services for adolescent girls and young women living in hard-to-reach rural areas in the Eastern Cape. This includes access to information about new developments in HIV prevention such as injectable PrEP and the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR). To achieve this, I recruited and trained 10 young women (HIV Prevention Ambassadors) to conduct community-led monitoring (CLM) of HIV prevention and family planning services in Alfred Nzo. In addition, my project has focused on addressing structural barriers such as the criminalization of sex work in South Africa. Through the CLM I managed to collect and analyze valuable data on challenges in accessing services from over 820 young people and 60 female sex workers living in rural areas. I have used this to inform advocacy on oral PrEP injectable PrEP and the DVR at the provincial and national levels. In advancing the efforts to decriminalize sex work, I had a successful consultation on the importance of decriminalizing sex work with the commissioner of the Commission for Gender Equality and her delegates. Decriminalization is a long game so this advocacy journey has just begun.

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Elizabeth Atieno Onyango

Elizabeth is a feminist and human rights defender from Mombasa where she worked as the Health Promotion Officer for COSWA-KENYA. She advocates for the inclusion of female sex workers in every space where decisions are being made, with a special focus on rights for the marginalized. She is a decorated sexual and reproductive health rights advocate, trained by Akina Mama Wa Afrika and has implemented several local sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programs for sex workers. She participated in the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW-Global) Young Advocates Task Force to formulate the #NowWeKnowCampaign, an online Campaign that aims to eradicate obstetric violence against women living with HIV.

In Their Own Words

The name of my “SASA!” is derived from a Swahili word sasa which is used to emphasize the urgency of an issue. My project is focusing on advocacy to ensure more equitable access to HIV prevention and harm reduction interventions for sex workers (SWs) who use drugs in Kenya.
I conducted a needs assessment among SWs who use drugs in Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu which resulted in identifying issues affecting SWs who use drugs there, which in turn has resulted in sex workers led organizations in Kenya working together to address the health and human rights needs of sex workers who use drugs. My selection to be a module lead for SWs in the ongoing Global Fund Cycle 7 writing process has ensured that issues of SWs who use drugs are prioritized in Kenya’s concept note. I have trained more than 80 SWs who use drugs on the new HIV prevention technologies such as DVR, oral and injectable PrEP which has brought more awareness. Since joining the Fellowship, I have been selected to be part of various spaces where I’m advocating for issues of SWs and young people e.g., the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) Advisory Board for their Young Emerging Leaders Program; the ARASA Grants Committee; and the AIDS 2024 among others. I founded a group of Female SWs who use drugs called HIDAYA! and delivered a call to action in two satellite sessions at the 12th IAS Conference on HIV Science.

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Outreach

Natasha Mwila

Natasha advocates for HIV and SARS COV-2 prevention for all as part of her work with non-governmental organizations in Zambia. She is committed to using her knowledge and skills to help adolescent girls and young women access the information and resources they need to prevent HIV infection. She received a BA in Economics/Marketing/Psychology and a MSc in Analytical Epidemiology. She is pursuing a PhD in Infectious Diseases.

In Their Own Words

My project has been focused on advocacy for the introduction of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring (DVR) and Cabotegravir Injectable for PrEP. My primary objective has been to enhance awareness among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Through structured training sessions, I have engaged AGYW and key stakeholders, leading to the identification of 15 impactful HIV prevention champions who have been instrumental in disseminating critical information on DVR and injectable PrEP within their respective communities. In addition to this, I have actively participated in resource mobilization activities such as the PEPFAR COP23 process and Global Fund process, representing the priorities of young people. Furthermore, I have conducted surveys that provide valuable insights into the HIV prevention preferences of AGYW, significantly informing policy considerations. As Zambia prepares for the introduction of injectable PrEP in October 2023, I am actively involved in the development of guidelines and the facilitation of community preparedness.

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