Alla

“I want more people to know what HIV is… that it is not a plague and that people living with HIV should not be treated as outcasts”

Alla

Cherkasy oblast, Ukraine

Over her 30 years of working with people living with HIV, Alla has come to understand the fundamental importance of dignity and respect: “Feeling sorry for someone is unproductive. When we pity a person, we humiliate them, in a way. Everyone should be treated as an equal. You can be sad that something happened, but you must use that feeling to change things for the better.”

Seeing the stigma that people living with HIV face motivates Alla in her approach to work – she leads with empathy, is informed by personal stories, and is driven by a desire to make a difference in people's lives.

Alla is a self-employed consultant and coach who works on projects across a number of different organisations, including those that have received funding through RADIAN, that drive HIV education and awareness.

Alla’s story

Cherkasy oblast, Ukraine

Since being approached by the Alliance for Public Health in 2010 to work as a regional coordinator for HIV in Ukraine's Cherkasy oblast, Alla has been involved with various projects which focus on increasing awareness of HIV and supporting marginalised individuals.

The people Alla has helped have made her realise the importance of engaging the HIV community and removing the stigma surrounding HIV.

“We need to remove misconceptions about HIV. I’ve met people that still think that you can get infected in a swimming pool.”

“I was once at the AIDS centre, and there were workers who came to cut down trees. When one of the workers wanted to come in and wash his hands, he read the sign, took out a glove and opened the handle to the AIDS centre with a glove on. It was horrible. People do not have the right information. People don't know what HIV is.”

Through her work, Alla has encountered people with stories of resilience and perseverance that have touched her deeply.

“One story that touched me to the core was that of a singer. She started taking drugs at a time when she was performing in a rock-band, and then contracted HIV. It was the 1990s, a time when the stigma around HIV was much worse than it is today. Her husband then also contracted the virus and later died. They previously lost a child to HIV due to mother to child HIV transmission. Despite her own struggles, this woman worked tirelessly to help others through an HIV service organisation. Her selflessness and determination inspired me to continue fighting for those affected by HIV.”

“I have diabetes, a long-term incurable disease where I need to take medication to be able to live a full life – how is HIV different? The more information we provide around HIV, the more people will understand that people with HIV do not need to outcast from society.”

Alla’s work has a strong focus on community engagement, and she would like to conduct more trainings and educational events to raise awareness around HIV. However, the ongoing war in Ukraine has had a significant impact on HIV support in the region, causing some NGOs to close, making it difficult to run programmes and for people to access treatment.

Despite these challenges, Alla remains committed to her work and hopes to make a difference in the lives of those living with or at risk of HIV.

“The war has set us back a lot in terms of HIV prevention. How far it will set us back has yet to be seen.”

IMPACT OF RADIAN ON ALLA’S WORK

The RADIAN programme has allowed Alla to make a significant impact in the Cherkasy oblast. Alla served as a regional coordinator of humanitarian assistance for key populations and people living with HIV during the current conflict in Ukraine. Funding from RADIAN has significantly expanded the reach to people living with HIV and representatives of key populations, providing them with up-to-date information about the various types of assistance available from different organisations.

Consequently, HIV service organisations were able to extend their services beyond HIV care to include vital humanitarian support for key populations and people living with HIV, particularly during wartime. Alla and other regional coordinators like her played a crucial role in connecting people with organisations that provide direct assistance in specific regions, ensuring that individuals could access the support they need locally.