Wednesday Night Lights

The light that heals – and made those present glow from within

After closed to 8hours of health / HIV peer-to-peer educational talk and distribution of materials likes condoms, flyers to the tens and thousands of students, youth present for the national university games at the University of Buea (UB); it was time to light the candles to remember those who have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS pandemic. Not forgetting the thousands affected by its impact.

Present at the memorial were collaboration organizations like:  Vision in Action Foundation (VIAF); Foundation for Released Prisoners (FRP) and Rural Women Development Center (RUWDEC); bigSTEPS (BONET);  JCI (Junior Chambers International); AIESEC; Commonwealth Student Association; Medical Laboratory students; Nursing Association and students as well as Women For A Change (WFAC) Buea – a duly registered AIDS Candlelight community host for Buea, Cameroon.

Like many of the people present at the memorial on Wednesday Night Lights, it was my first time to witness such a ceremony. I remembered in 2009, when I first came across the advert online. And registered as a community coordinator but for some reasons, I didn’t participate.

 Since, I have not had the privilege to witness until this year, 2012. Where I didn’t not only witnessed but was an active participant in the coordination.

 It’s worth noting that the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV awareness in the world. Started in 1983, the Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May and is led by community, health and faith organizations from over 115 countries.

With 33 million people living with HIV today, the Candlelight serves as an important intervention for global solidarity, reducing stigma and discrimination and giving hope to new generations. [GNP+ 2012 Media advisory]

And this year, its estimates that closed to 100,000 people in 115 countries shall join the celebration of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial under the theme Promoting Health and Dignity Together

 Unlike the usual community-based advocacy settings, Women For A Change (WFAC) Buea , during the peer-to-peer education used the opportunity to demonstrate to the thousands of people how grassroots organization always improvise new and environmental friendly strategies  just to  reach out to the community. For example, WFAC stand was under a shrub tree—which served as both the flipchart, canopy and at the same time –a sticker-board where tributes and personal statements were paste for all to read.   The shrub tree was also the billboard, exhibition stand – where banners and other readable content were paste and display.

At the night lights

Just as it was night fall, and the candles lit; I noticed everything by me looked different, most especially the candles on orange flame.  

The sky was covered with darkness.  The night was cold, wind-less though noisy but the mind was silent, letting the flame glow within. 

Aren’t human candles? A question I pondered with myself.  

There came a time when we burn and glows all our surroundings. And then somehow—we quietly fade out. May and may not leave smoke or wax trace.  Sometimes too, we fall before we can even glow.  And if there is no support at the moment to hold us stand. We might never be able to stand again—   

At that moment– watching the candles gently burn, why I ponder in thoughts and at the same time listening to the choral song sang by participants, it felt more like all alone I didn’t understand the theme for this year until that Wednesday night lights.  When participants all held hands together.

 “This is such an emotional moment for me” - says Ms Yvonne, President of JCI-UB.

Bernard S, BONET Project manager – in an informal conversation, he said: We have touched lives, many lives.

For the first time, I guest – an initiative like this one has brought student from over 30 different academic institutions together, youth from diverse background, to collectively take a moment to remember all those they have lost to HIV / AIDS pandemic.

This is a day not to forget – the memories of Wednesday Night Lights is to forever be remembered as having instilled a new kind of brightness in the hearts of many. 

More Photos is available on WFAC Buea Facebook Page

Make a statement to commemorate the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial 2012

Event Date: 

May 9, 2012 - 15:00 - 20:00

 

WFAC Buea and VIAF has join the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial activism by organising a three hours candlelight memorial on Wednesday 9th May 2012, at UB.

Please - we call on each and every one to make a statement - ( by posting her/his tributes or words of hope here in the forum or on our WFAC-VIAF 2012 International Candlelight Memorial Facebook Page ) in honour to all those who've lost their lives - be they closed relatives, friends, love ones and colleagues to HIV and AIDS pandemic.

The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is an annual program by the Global Health Council – the world’s largest and oldest grassroots mobilization campaign for HIV/AIDS awareness in the world led by volunteer coordinators.

Since 1983, these grassroots activism have existed honoring those who have lost their lives to the AIDS pandemic; affected and infected by the virus. It has also creates positive community dialogue and has influenced local and policymakers about prevention-care and treatment.

EVENT ACTIVITIES
- Projection of Tributes or Words of Hope
- AIDS café
- Presentation(s)
- Distribution of condoms and HIV and Health materials
- Quiz
- Light candle
You can also folllow WFAC-VIAF at the candlelight memorial on twitter @ #UBAIDS12

ABOUT the HOST ORGANISATIONS

VISION IN ACTION FOUNDATION
Vision In Action Foundation (VIAF) is a youth-led, nonprofit organisation created in 2007 to strengthen youth leadership development to effect change, reduce HIV stigmatization and promote the respect of human rights. VIAF is based in Cameroon and is governed by an independent, nonpartisan board of directors

WOMEN FOR A CHANGE –BUEA
Women For A Change (WFAC) –Buea is a local women’s voluntary group, founded 2009 on empathy, trust and sincerity. WFAC Buea works to promote the empowerment of women in creating a caring community cutting across the gender barriers and constraints. Through its training seminars, leadership discussions, and HIV and gender advocacy programs, it has successfully reached out to tens of hundreds of young people in the community (as well as the online global/local audience).

 

Link: 

WFAC-VIAF 2012 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

Location:
University of Buea
University Street
Buea, South West Region 149
Cameroon

Campus should focus on safety, not students’ dress

This article originally appeared on World Pulse, 
an action media network powered by women from 185 countries. 

The ruling patriarchy is once more at work at the University of Buea (UB).

Recently, the Director of Student Affairs; Dr Ludwig Metuge made a public announcement blaming the prevalence of sexual violence on campus on the ‘indecent’ dressing of women. 

A majority of female students have experienced one or two forms of sexual abuse from male academic staff on campus, said Mr Che Eugene, a guidance counselor for the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, in an interview.  These assaults often happen in the office and in lecture halls, when students are requesting make-up tests or extra lectures, submission of overdue assignments, and making other pleas to male academic staff. Mr Che said. .

And as long as these female students continue to dress suggestively, exposing certain body parts like the breast, legs, and shoulder- sexual violence is likely to be prevalent on campus, Mr. Che added.

So, in an effort towards preventing such crime on campus, the university authorities have implemented a stringent dressing code. Campus security men are given the ultimate power to send away so-called ‘indecently’ dressed students.  In Dec 2011, this led to over 50 female students bullied out of campus. One of the security guard who sought anonymity said to me.

“Nov 25^th, 9 am, on my way to class, I was stopped by the security guards and chase out of campus saying- my dress were indecent. Just because I wore a slim jean and a T-shirt” Mary, a second year student recalled her sad experienced.

UB fails to recognize that sexual violence remains a major security threat to humankind, particularly women. As well as, it is still one of the most widely unreported crimes, according to Amnesty International 2004 Publication on “Making Violence Against Women Counts”.

Even so, the fact is sexual violence can happen at any time-during armed conflicts and riots and even in nations with socio-economic and political stability.

A WHO Multi-Country Survey study on women’s health and domestic violence against women in 2011 stated that 70% of women between the age; 15 to 49 years in Ethiopia and Peru, reported being victims of sexual violence by an intimate partner.

all wears are sexy.UB should focus on safety and not students' dress

Moreover, UB should understand that each dress has a unique beauty. This makes it sexy. Whether it is a long robe, nightwear, or shorts. These clothes are simply to ensure that their clients derive maximum satisfaction and contentment.

 Ironically, University of Buea is conceived in the English-speaking tradition governing the fundamental rights of freedom of speech. Founded on moral and intellectual principles, and within the Central African region, it is accredited for excellence. So, instead of UB to continue wasting time and resources blaming student dressing, the university should focus on creating real solutions to stop this security threat whose actions have implications for the campus’ reputation, both locally and globally.

Contrary to UB, at least one ruling patriarch condemns the university’s claim and describes it as being a “flimsy excuse based on selfish motif”. “UB should respect individual rights, their dignity and choices”, said Mr. Nzume Mathias, chief of service for the Family Wellbeing at MINWEF- South West Region, Cameroon.

So, campus authorities should spend valuable moments thinking on how to address the issue of security, identify perpetrators of sexual violence, and provide justice to victims.  This could be accomplished by creating an independent sector on campus that works to prevent sexual violence. The Discrimination and Harassment Office (DISCHO) -University of Cape Town in South Africa is a good model. But if a special committee already exists, UB should make it public to all.

In addition, it demands that UB adopt a sexual harassment policy purposefully addressing issues of sexual violence on campus. The policy should also be made clear in the student guides, public and accessible to all, including heads of academic departments and faculty members, campus clubs and associations, academic staff and student

  

The classical ruling patriarchs’ ideologies—in this case, that the victims are to blame for sexual violence--must not prevail. Students’ deserve to have an educational environment where they feel safe and have the freedom to express themselves in what they wear.