Twenty-two South Sudanese members, all HIV positive are supporting one another in Imvepi Refugees settlement in Uganda.
In a statement seen by CRN, UNHCR, a refugee agency says the displaced South Sudanese to Uganda formed a support group, called Friendship Serving Group which doubles up as a savings cooperative.
They contribute to the group’s fund each month and share the accumulated savings at the end of the year.
The group also helps spread HIV awareness in the community, while fighting the stigma associated with it.
‘We use our meetings as an opportunity to talk about our wellbeing, check on members who are struggling with their status and provide counseling,’ explains one of the members.
She adds that they also educate each other on the importance of taking antiretroviral therapy treatment.
Another fellow refugee said ‘let us control HIV because no one should contract this disease,’ ‘as we know, prevention is better than cure’.
They thank Uganda’s progressive policy that has integrated refugees into the national HIV programme.