Living responsibly and having a positive attitude towards people living with HIV/Aids is the most effective way of fighting the spread of the disease and stigma among the youth.
Living responsibly and having a positive attitude towards people living with HIV/Aids is the most effective way of fighting the spread of the disease and stigma among the youth.
People who face stigma because of their sero status are more likely to shy away from regular checkups and medication which can lead to death.
It was against this backdrop that Judith Kaine and the ‘Kurema’ artists from Ivuka Arts gallery in Kacyiru came up with an artistic and creative way to fight HIV/Aids-related stigma in Rwanda through a national ‘Positive Living’ Poster Project as part of their ‘Kurema, Kureba, Kwiga’ initiative.
The HIV/Aids awareness programme saw youth from across the country compete to come up with the best poster and message.
A series of activities to crown the Championship Event started on Friday with an exhibition of 50 semi-finalists posters that were displayed before the community voted for their favorites.
The day was concluded with a tour of Ivuka, the first community arts centre in Rwanda.
Saturday morning began with the 50 semi-finalist participants, peer educators, volunteer leaders, and a team of Kurema artists from Ivuka coming together on a special and unique community arts action within the Kacyiru neighbourhood during ‘Umuganda’.
Together the group of almost 100 people painted 5 new murals to add color and positive living messages to the community.
Speaking to The New Times during the event Judith Kaine, the creative director of the Kurema initiative, said a cross section of people contributed to the success of the project.
"We worked on this project with volunteers from the Peace Corps and VSO, with Ivuka artists and with peer educators from organisations like Kigali Hope and Y.E.S. (Youth Ending Stigma) who held art and health workshops in 25 districts across the country, before hosting local level art exhibits and competitions to select each district’s best two posters.
"It would have been difficult to accomplish this project without their support,” said Kaine, an American citizen who is the brain behind the project.
The Final Competition activities included several students winning superlative awards in different categories. Jean de Dieu Kwizera, of Rusizi District scooped the ‘best story’ award, while the ‘most creative’ poster award went to Emmanuel Nibonayo of Ruhango District, and the ‘most patriotic’ poster award went to Pacifique Mukeshimana, of Ngoma District.
The overall winners of the National Poster Competition were Ernest Rukinga, 27, a university student in Huye, and Dieudonné Nsengimana, 21, a form three student from Groupe Sholaire Zivu in Gisagara District.
They walked away with a new phone and airtime, plus a celebratory cake, each.
Poster winner 1 by Ernest Rukinga, 27, from Huye District. (Tom Gilks)
The real prize, however, is that their respective posters will be reproduced and distributed across the country, sharing their creativity and talent with thousands of people.
Nsengimana, one of the two finalists, could not hide his excitement after winning, saying that he was surprised that he emerged among the top winners.
"I feel honoured that my work will have an impact on society,” the young man said.
Poster winner 2 by Dieudonné Nsengimana, 21, from Gisagara District. (Tom Gilks)
The Poster Project of the Kurema, Kureba, Kwiga initiative was sponsored by the Peace Corps, the United States Embassy and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) and it was jointly organised by Judith Kaine, the Ivuka artists, YES (Youth Ending Stigma) and Kigali Hope Organisation.
Roger C. Webb, the Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy said that the US government is committed to supporting such initiatives like the Kurema, Kureba, Kwiga project to fight HIV/Aids related stigma because they have seen good results with such projects not only in the US but in other countries.