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  • Nurse Febe checks the tonsil of an HIV-positive patient at Kalvary Klinil during a health examination.<br />
<br />
Opened in 2006, Klinik Kalvary has been providing quality care to mostly indigenous Papuans in Wamena and they've helped hundreds of patients in the past.  They focus on diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD). The clinic offers free Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS and ART (Anti- Retroviral Therapy).  Many indigenous Papuans prefer to go to here than the overcrowded government public health clinic due to its quality care and attentive staffs. Nevertheless, the clinic rarely receives government funding and relies mostly on foreign donors to continue opening its doors to provide medical care to those in need.
    Against All Odds_28.JPG
  • Pastor Leo prays for an HIV-positive patient with Tuberculosis at Klinik Kalvari. The pastor sole responsibility is to provide spiritual support for every patient before they leave the clinic.<br />
<br />
Opened in 2006, Klinik Kalvari has been providing quality care to mostly indigenous Papuans in Wamena and they've helped hundreds of patients in the past.  They focus on diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD). The clinic offers free Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS and ART (Anti- Retroviral Therapy).  Many indigenous Papuans prefer to go to here than the overcrowded government public health clinic due to its quality care and attentive staffs. Nevertheless, the clinic rarely receives government funding and relies mostly on foreign donors to continue opening its doors to provide medical care to those in need.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_35.JPG
  • Pastor Leo prays for an HIV-positive patient with Tuberculosis at Klinik Kalvari. The pastor sole responsibility is to provide spiritual support for every patient before they leave the clinic.<br />
<br />
Opened in 2006, Klinik Kalvari has been providing quality care to mostly indigenous Papuans in Wamena and they've helped hundreds of patients in the past.  They focus on diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD). The clinic offers free Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS and ART (Anti- Retroviral Therapy).  Many indigenous Papuans prefer to go to here than the overcrowded government public health clinic due to its quality care and attentive staffs. Nevertheless, the clinic rarely receives government funding and relies mostly on foreign donors to continue opening its doors to provide medical care to those in need.
    AgainstAllOdds_Final_34.JPG
  • Nurse Febe checks the tonsil of an HIV-positive patient at Klinik Kalvari.<br />
<br />
Opened in 2006, Klinik Kalvari has been providing quality care to mostly indigenous Papuans in Wamena and they've helped hundreds of patients in the past.  They focus on diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD). The clinic offers free Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS and ART (Anti- Retroviral Therapy).  Many indigenous Papuans prefer to go to here than the overcrowded government public health clinic due to its quality care and attentive staffs. Nevertheless, the clinic rarely receives government funding and relies mostly on foreign donors to continue opening its doors to provide medical care to those in need.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_28.JPG
  • A man wearing the traditional Papuan attire from the village Asolo Gaima located 40km from Wamena is getting tested for Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD) at the public health clinic.<br />
<br />
Sexual Transmitted Diseases increase the transmission of the HIV virus. In Papua, education HIV/AIDS and STD as well as condom promotion is significantly low.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_22.JPG
  • A man wearing the traditional Papuan attire from the village Asolo Gaima located 40km from Wamena is getting tested for Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD) at the public health clinic.<br />
<br />
Sexual Transmitted Diseases increase the transmission of the HIV virus. In Papua, education HIV/AIDS and STD as well as condom promotion is significantly low.
    Against All Odds_22.JPG
  • A fresh-killed pig is washed with water and placed on top of a fire pit to burn off its hair.  After 3 days in the hospital, David who is in the late stages of AIDS insisted on checking himself out to perform "adat," one of the common traditional methods of healing to cure HIV/AIDS.<br />
<br />
Due to a lack of education about HIV, limited access to health services, and strong preexisting cultural beliefs about illness, many people who are desperate for a cure turn to traditional methods of healing.  This involves cutting different parts of the body to drain "dirty" blood believed to cause sickness.  Fruit potions such as the renowned red fruit potion (buah merah) are extremely popular. Holy water and prayers, and expensive Herbal Life vitamin supplements can also replace clinical treatments and ARV.  Sometimes people who are already taking ARV abandon it to take expensive alternative medications because they are promised an immediate cure.  <br />
<br />
One of the common practices in the highlands to try to diagnose and cure HIV is by conducting a traditional diagnostic ritual termed adat. This involves killing a pig and examining its blood, heart, lungs, and kidney.  The intention of this practice is to discover the causes of the disease.  After cutting the pig open and inspecting the pig's internal organs, the practitioners of adat remove what they interpret as parasites or cancerous parts that they believe caused the sickness. Cleaning the pig flesh by washing it with water would also "cure" the person's illness.  Making adat diagnoses and cures are expensive since a pig can cost hundreds of dollars.  The treatment does not work despite the strong cultural belief system that is behind it.  In the end, after killing numerous pigs and spending a fortune, many people give up hope, and when they finally decide to take the sick person to a hospital, the patient's condition is critical and they soon die.
    AgainstAllOdds_Final_27.JPG
  • L-R: Roni (26) and Mecky (18), each wearing an apron with a diagram of the male and female reproduction organs, participate in a sexual reproduction and HIV/AIDS educational training conducted by the Public Health Development Foundation (YPKM).<br />
<br />
In Papua young teenagers are already having sex but HIV/AIDS education are still lacking. GIDI Baptist Church invited teenagers from surrounding villages in Wamena for a weeklong crash course on sex education, family planning, condom, sexual transmitted diseases (STD), and HIV/AIDS. These young adults will return to their villages to serve as peer counselors and provide information and support. However, despite the program's effectiveness, YPKM is lacking funding to continue this important educational course.<br />
<br />
For many Papuan youths, their first sexual encounter can take place during their early teenage years.  Some are sexually active by the time they reach puberty.  Life Skills Education (LSE), a curriculum designed by UNICEF that provides education on human reproduction, pregnancy, sex, Sexual Transmitted Diseases, and HIV/AIDS is taught in many high schools throughout Papua.  However, this essential educational course is mainly available in schools located in cities but not in rural areas.  Moreover, LSE does not reach many indigenous Papuan youths because many of them are not able to attend high school.  In most cases teachers responsible for teaching this course lack sufficient training and essential materials, such as books with up-to-date information and visual aids, to adequately educate their students.  They often encourage their students to seek additional information on the Internet.  Also, detailed information on condoms is regularly excluded in lectures and reading materials because of the general perception that it will endorse pre-marital sex.  As a result, students carry incomplete information, misconceptions and misunderstandings into adulthood, which increases their vulnerability to the epidemic.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_13.JPG
  • L-R: Roni (26) and Mecky (18), each wearing an apron with a diagram of the male and female reproduction organs, participate in a sexual reproduction and HIV/AIDS educational training conducted by the Public Health Development Foundation (YPKM).<br />
<br />
In Papua young teenagers are already having sex but HIV/AIDS education are still lacking. GIDI Baptist Church invited teenagers from surrounding villages in Wamena for a weeklong crash course on sex education, family planning, condom, sexual transmitted diseases (STD), and HIV/AIDS. These young adults will return to their villages to serve as peer counselors and provide information and support. However, despite the program's effectiveness, YPKM is lacking funding to continue this important educational course.<br />
<br />
For many Papuan youths, their first sexual encounter can take place during their early teenage years.  Some are sexually active by the time they reach puberty.  Life Skills Education (LSE), a curriculum designed by UNICEF that provides education on human reproduction, pregnancy, sex, Sexual Transmitted Diseases, and HIV/AIDS is taught in many high schools throughout Papua.  However, this essential educational course is mainly available in schools located in cities but not in rural areas.  Moreover, LSE does not reach many indigenous Papuan youths because many of them are not able to attend high school.  In most cases teachers responsible for teaching this course lack sufficient training and essential materials, such as books with up-to-date information and visual aids, to adequately educate their students.  They often encourage their students to seek additional information on the Internet.  Also, detailed information on condoms is regularly excluded in lectures and reading materials because of the general perception that it will endorse pre-marital sex.  As a result, students carry incomplete information, misconceptions and misunderstandings into adulthood, which increases their vulnerability to the epidemic.
    AgainstAllOdds_Final_13.JPG
  • The lab's counter at the public health clinic in Wamena. There are only 3 lab technicians working in the lab who are overwhelmed with the responsibility to test for various illnesses including sexual transmitted diseases, Tuberculosis, HIV, etc.<br />
In Papua, all indigenous Papuans have access to health insurance, called Jamkesmas or Jaminan Kesehatan Masyarakat Miskin, provided at no cost by the provincial government. However, inadequate facilities, limited availability of medical equipment and medicines, and inexperienced health staff have made it difficult for indigenous Papuans to get tested for HIV/AIDS and receive quality assistance, counseling, and long-term care.  Many health staff in Papua still lacks medical training to run and manage VCT clinics.  In other places, even when health personnel have sufficient training, their clinics are often overcrowded and inadequate, lacking proper equipment such as testing reagents, centrifuge, HIV rapid tests, CD4 machines, and medicines to treat opportunistic infection and antiretroviral therapies.
    Against All Odds_30.JPG
  • The lab's counter at the public health clinic in Wamena. There are only 3 lab technicians working in the lab who are overwhelmed with the responsibility to test for various illnesses including sexual transmitted diseases, Tuberculosis, HIV, etc.<br />
<br />
In Papua, all indigenous Papuans have access to health insurance, called Jamkesmas or Jaminan Kesehatan Masyarakat Miskin, provided at no cost by the provincial government. However, inadequate facilities, limited availability of medical equipment and medicines, and inexperienced health staff have made it difficult for indigenous Papuans to get tested for HIV/AIDS and receive quality assistance, counseling, and long-term care.  Many health staff in Papua still lacks medical training to run and manage VCT clinics.  In other places, even when health personnel have sufficient training, their clinics are often overcrowded and inadequate, lacking proper equipment such as testing reagents, centrifuge, HIV rapid tests, CD4 machines, and medicines to treat opportunistic infection and antiretroviral therapies.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_31.JPG
  • Mary (18) leans on her friend's shoulder as she waits for her HIV test results at a Voluntary Counseling and Testing clinic (VCT).<br />
<br />
For many young Papuan women in urban and developing areas, poverty and economic pressures have forced the exchange of sex for goods, cash, or food as an accepted mean for survival.  Unlike non-Papuan brothel workers, Papuan sex workers often seek clients in public venues and have sex outside, by the side of the road, or in urban dwellings.  Operating outside formal establishments, the exact number of Papuan sex workers are unknown but are estimated to be at least double the number of non-Papuans.  Despite their high numbers, intervention programs targeting Papuan sex workers have not been a priority and most of them rarely have access to information, preventive services and support for HIV/AIDS and Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD).  With limited access to information and support, Papuan sex workers are less informed, have lower rates of condom usage (5% compared to non-Papuans with a 70% rate of condom usage), and are more likely to get infected with STDs and HIV than their counterparts in regulated brothels.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_16.JPG
  • A field worker from Yukemdi, a local NGO in Wamena, educates the public on Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD) and HIV/AIDS at a local market using the local dialects.<br />
<br />
Awareness of HIV/AIDS is very low among indigenous Papuans because educational materials remains inadequate and information is delivered inefficiently.  For example, billboards related to HIV/AIDS in Jayapura rarely mention condoms as an effective way to reduce or prevent infection nor do they provide locations to the nearest Voluntary Counseling and Testing center (VCT).  Therefore, despite their strategic placement in crowded markets and busy streets, billboards are not as effective in promoting awareness and providing reliable information.  Other HIV/AIDS educational materials used in Papua such as pamphlets are often ineffective in reaching indigenous Papuans because their content frequently uses images of non-Papuans, which Papuans do not relate to.  Furthermore, many indigenous Papuans have limited literacy and these booklets mainly use Bahasa Indonesia rather than the local dialects.<br />
<br />
Better methods of education and more effective ways of delivering information on HIV/AIDS need to be implemented in Papua in order to effectively raise awareness and provide accurate and reliable information.  This is an essential step to educate and empower the public to make informed decisions and reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_14.JPG
  • A portrait of  Mecky (18) wearing an apron with a diagram of woman's reproduction organ...In Papua young teenagers are already having sex but education is still lacking. GIDI Baptist Church invited teenagers from surrounding villages in Wamena for a week-long crash course on sex education, family planning, condom, sexual transmitted diseases (STD), and HIV/AIDS. These young adults will return to their villages and serve as peer counselors providing information support.  However, despite the program's effectiveness, YPKM is lacking funding to continue this important educational course.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_13.JPG
  • Seen through a one-way mirror, sex workers wait to be chosen by a customer inside Bar Kharisma, a popular brothel in Jayapura, the capital of Papua.<br />
<br />
In Papua, prostitution is a profitable industry.  The influx of non-Papuan migrants into the region brings sanctioned prostitution.  Brothels, often disguised as clubs, karaoke bars, and massage parlors, hire mostly non-Papuan sex workers.  These formal establishments employ 4,000-plus sex workers who earn ten times more than their Papuan counterparts.  Above and beyond the financial discrepancy, the biggest difference between Indonesian brothel workers and Papuan sex workers is the disproportionate access to HIV preventive care and support.  Most HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) intervention programs are geared towards sex workers in brothels.  For example, in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, there are over 30 brothels, and non-Papuan sex workers in these establishments undergo monitored testing and counseling for STDs every month, and for HIV every 3 months.  As a result, they are much better informed about HIV/AIDS and have better access to care and support than indigenous Papuan sex workers.
    Against All Odds_04.JPG
  • Mary (18) leans on her friend's shoulder as she waits for her HIV test results at a Voluntary Counseling and Testing clinic (VCT).<br />
<br />
For many young Papuan women in urban and developing areas, poverty and economic pressures have forced the exchange of sex for goods, cash, or food as an accepted mean for survival.  Unlike non-Papuan brothel workers, Papuan sex workers often seek clients in public venues and have sex outside, by the side of the road, or in urban dwellings.  Operating outside formal establishments, the exact number of Papuan sex workers are unknown but are estimated to be at least double the number of non-Papuans.  Despite their high numbers, intervention programs targeting Papuan sex workers have not been a priority and most of them rarely have access to information, preventive services and support for HIV/AIDS and Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD).  With limited access to information and support, Papuan sex workers are less informed, have lower rates of condom usage (5% compared to non-Papuans with a 70% rate of condom usage), and are more likely to get infected with STDs and HIV than their counterparts in regulated brothels.
    Against All Odds_16.JPG
  • Seen through a one-way mirror, sex workers wait to be chosen by a customer inside Bar Kharisma, a popular brothel in Jayapura, the capital of Papua.<br />
<br />
In Papua, prostitution is a profitable industry.  The influx of non-Papuan migrants into the region brings sanctioned prostitution.  Brothels, often disguised as clubs, karaoke bars, and massage parlors, hire mostly non-Papuan sex workers.  These formal establishments employ 4,000-plus sex workers who earn ten times more than their Papuan counterparts.  Above and beyond the financial discrepancy, the biggest difference between Indonesian brothel workers and Papuan sex workers is the disproportionate access to HIV preventive care and support.  Most HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) intervention programs are geared towards sex workers in brothels.  For example, in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, there are over 30 brothels, and non-Papuan sex workers in these establishments undergo monitored testing and counseling for STDs every month, and for HIV every 3 months.  As a result, they are much better informed about HIV/AIDS and have better access to care and support than indigenous Papuan sex workers.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_04.JPG
  • A portrait of  Mecky (18) wearing an apron with a diagram of woman's reproduction organ.<br />
<br />
In Papua young teenagers are already having sex but education is still lacking. GIDI Baptist Church invited teenagers from surrounding villages in Wamena for a week-long crash course on sex education, family planning, condom, sexual transmitted diseases (STD), and HIV/AIDS. These young adults will return to their villages and serve as peer counselors providing information support.  However, despite the program's effectiveness, YPKM is lacking funding to continue this important educational course.
    Against All Odds_13.JPG
  • A field worker from Yukemdi, a local NGO in Wamena, educates the public on Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD) and HIV/AIDS at a local market using the local dialects.<br />
<br />
Awareness of HIV/AIDS is very low among indigenous Papuans because educational materials remains inadequate and information is delivered inefficiently.  For example, billboards related to HIV/AIDS in Jayapura rarely mention condoms as an effective way to reduce or prevent infection nor do they provide locations to the nearest Voluntary Counseling and Testing center (VCT).  Therefore, despite their strategic placement in crowded markets and busy streets, billboards are not as effective in promoting awareness and providing reliable information.  Other HIV/AIDS educational materials used in Papua such as pamphlets are often ineffective in reaching indigenous Papuans because their content frequently uses images of non-Papuans, which Papuans do not relate to.  Furthermore, many indigenous Papuans have limited literacy and these booklets mainly use Bahasa Indonesia rather than the local dialects.<br />
<br />
Better methods of education and more effective ways of delivering information on HIV/AIDS need to be implemented in Papua in order to effectively raise awareness and provide accurate and reliable information.  This is an essential step to educate and empower the public to make informed decisions and reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection.
    Against All Odds_14.JPG
  • A freshly killed pig that David purchased for $300 to conduct the adat ritual. <br />
<br />
One of the most common practices in the highlands to diagnose and cure HIV is by conducting a traditional ritual termed adat.  This involves killing a pig and examining its blood, heart, lungs, and kidney.  After cutting the pig open and inspecting its internal organs, the practitioners of adat remove what they interpret as parasites or cancerous parts that they believe caused the sickness.  Cleaning the pig's flesh by washing it with water would also "cure" the person's illness.  Performing the adat ritual is expensive since a pig can cost hundreds of dollars.  The treatment does not work despite the strong cultural belief behind it.  In the end, after killing numerous pigs and spending a fortune, many people give up hope.  By the time they finally decide to go to the hospital, their condition is too critical with little chance for survival.<br />
<br />
Due to a lack of HIV/AIDS education, limited access to health services, and strong pre-existing cultural beliefs about illness, many Papuans who are desperate for a cure turn to alternative medicines and traditional methods of healing.  Sometimes it involves cutting different parts of the body to drain "dirty" blood believed to cause the sickness.  Fruit potions such as the renowned red fruit potion (buah merah) are also extremely popular for its perceived healing capability.  In some cases, those who are already taking ARV medication abandon it to take expensive alternative medications such as Herbal Life vitamin supplements because they are promised an immediate cure.
    _MG_4598.jpg
  • David’s family members examine the pig’s internal organs to search for the cause of his illness during the adat ritual. <br />
<br />
One of the most common practices in the highlands to diagnose and cure HIV is by conducting a traditional ritual termed adat.  This involves killing a pig and examining its blood, heart, lungs, and kidney.  After cutting the pig open and inspecting its internal organs, the practitioners of adat remove what they interpret as parasites or cancerous parts that they believe caused the sickness.  Cleaning the pig's flesh by washing it with water would also "cure" the person's illness.  Performing the adat ritual is expensive since a pig can cost hundreds of dollars.  The treatment does not work despite the strong cultural belief behind it.  In the end, after killing numerous pigs and spending a fortune, many people give up hope.  By the time they finally decide to go to the hospital, their condition is too critical with little chance for survival.<br />
<br />
Due to a lack of HIV/AIDS education, limited access to health services, and strong pre-existing cultural beliefs about illness, many Papuans who are desperate for a cure turn to alternative medicines and traditional methods of healing.  Sometimes it involves cutting different parts of the body to drain "dirty" blood believed to cause the sickness.  Fruit potions such as the renowned red fruit potion (buah merah) are also extremely popular for its perceived healing capability.  In some cases, those who are already taking ARV medication abandon it to take expensive alternative medications such as Herbal Life vitamin supplements because they are promised an immediate cure.
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  • A portrait of Meri; a loving sister and daughter, an independent and beautiful Papuan woman.
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  • With arms stretched out Meri runs to the top of the hill barefoot. <br />
<br />
For more information and to watch multimedia please visit this interactive website: <br />
<br />
www.Iampositif.org (English)<br />
www.Sayapositif.org (Indonesian)
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  • A photo of Pak Jhon at a family function before making full recovery.
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  • Pak Jhon usually wakes up around 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning to feed his pigs.
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  • Yosua fills a bucket with water from the well so his sister could take a shower and get ready for school.
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  • Every morning before dusk Reni attends the Morning Prayer with her mother and grandmother at a nearby mosque.
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  • Family members watch helplessly as Mandisa (25) lose consciousness. No doctor was available to provide medical assistance.<br />
<br />
Mandisa (25) who is in the late stage of AIDS clings to her life.  After being sick for many months, Mandisa's family finally brought her to the hospital to get medical treatment.  Due to a lack of experienced health staff, family and friends must stay by her side the entire time.  Her condition suddenly deteriorated overnight and her body went into a state of shock and she lost consciousness.
    Against All Odds_41.JPG
  • Hospital staffs and family members carry Eddy's body to be transported back to his village.  <br />
<br />
Eddie (30) was a schoolteacher in Jayapura.  Despite his education and access to health facilities in the city, Eddie did not seek medical treatment when he was diagnosed with HIV because he was afraid that his friends and family members would find out.  Instead, Eddie returned to his village when his health declined.  He stayed in his parents' honai but kept his illness a secret and did not seek clinical treatment.  The virus progressed into the later stages of AIDS.  When Eddie's condition became life threatening, his family finally brought him to the hospital and he arrived in critical condition.  His CD4 or white blood cell count was 1, when a typical count is 700.  Family members gathered everyday at his bedside, waiting and praying.  Despite doctors' attempt to stabilize his condition Eddie passed away in less than a week.  Eddie's body was brought back to his village. Family members, friends, and neighbors mourned his death.  The following day, Eddie was buried and hundreds of people, including colleagues and students, attended his funeral.<br />
<br />
Stigma significantly reduces the quality of life and increases the likelihood of suffering and mortality for indigenous Papuans living with HIV/AIDS.  ODHA (Orang Dengan HIV/AIDS) is the term often used to label a person living with HIV/AIDS.  This label has a negative connotation since HIV/AIDS is frequently associated with dishonor and death and it is often viewed as a curse or retribution for sins or deviant behaviors such as alcoholism, promiscuity, and extra marital sex.  Thus, shame, guilt and death go hand in hand with how Papuans see HIV/AIDS.  Consequently, fear of abuse, persecution, and ostracism from family members and the wider community has made secrecy the primary concern for ODHA rather than seeking treatment.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_38.JPG
  • Gary takes a shower as he prepares to go to school. <br />
<br />
Gary is 11 years old and he is HIV-positive.  Gary lost both of his parents to AIDS and he has been taking ARV regularly since the age of four.  Currently, Gary lives with his grandmother and younger cousin.  To support her grandchildren, Gary's grandmother sells betel nut in front of the house earning $2-3 per day.  Due to her meager income Gary's grandmother is unable to buy wholesome and nutritious food and vitamins to help maintain his health and growth.  Last year the Department of Social Services had to suddenly stop providing milk for Gary.  Fortunately, Sorong Sehati, a local community group in Sorong financed by Yayasan San Agustino (YSA), came to the rescue and regularly provides Gary with bread, milk, and monetary assistance to pay for his schooling and transportation to the clinic for check-ups and ARV refills.  At one point, Gary experienced discrimination at school when his teacher forced him to sit in the back to isolate him from the other students.  Sorong Sehati intervened by providing HIV/AIDS education to the schools' faculty including Gary's teacher.  Now Gary sits in the front of the class and he hopes to be a doctor one day so he can help people like him.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_19.JPG
  • Hilda weighs herself inside the office of a local NGO in Wamena.  She has gained 3kg (6.5 lbs) and she has started taking ARV only after staying in their temporary shelter for 2 weeks.<br />
<br />
Hilda walked five days from her village in Yahukimo to reach the town of Wamena. Hilda said she contracted HIV at the age of 11 after an older man raped her.  When she arrived in Wamena, she was already in the second stage of AIDS experiencing symptoms of diarrhea and losing more than 10% of her body weight.  Fortunately, an NGO field worker from YPKM discovered her at the local clinic and offered her a room in the back of their office.  The small room was initially used for storage but now functions as a temporary shelter for Hilda and another young girl.  At the shelter, Hilda receives constant care and nutritious food such as rice, vegetables, and fish. <br />
<br />
Adequate long-term support for people living with HIV/AIDS is lacking in both cities and rural regions of Papua.  A hospice is essential in HIV/AIDS recovery because it provides a place where patients can receive constant care and support.  For patients who have to travel to cities to get treatment, a hospice provides a convenient temporary shelter.  At times, a hospice also offers a sanctuary for those with HIV/AIDS who are rejected or face discrimination due to their status.  <br />
<br />
One of the biggest obstacles to recovery and rehabilitation for indigenous Papuans living with HIV/AIDS is the lack of adequate nutrition.  Due to poverty and because many Papuans have moved away from a subsistence garden culture, many cannot afford to purchase or consume wholesome foods.  Papuans who are HIV-positive find it extremely difficult to work or tend their crops.  Consequently, indigenous Papuans do not receive sufficient vitamins, proteins and nutrients from their diet.  When they fall sick Papuans recover at a much slower pace and most find it extremely challenging to stay healthy.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_30.JPG
  • Ophira (18) has been HIV-positive for one year. She is recovering from her injuries after getting drunk and falling off her motorcycle. Despite her condition, Ophira does not take her ARV medication regularly and she rarely comes to the clinic for her check-up because she is afraid others would find out about her status.<br />
<br />
ODHA (Orang Dengan HIV/AIDS) is the term often used to label a person living with HIV/AIDS.  This label has a negative connotation since HIV/AIDS is frequently associated with dishonor and death and it is often viewed as a curse or retribution for sins or deviant behaviors such as alcoholism, promiscuity, and extra marital sex.  Thus, shame, guilt and death go hand in hand with how Papuans see HIV/AIDS.  Consequently, fear of abuse, persecution, and ostracism from family members and the wider community has made secrecy the primary concern for ODHA rather than seeking treatment.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_05.JPG
  • Dewi's lifeless body is carried onto the cremation pyre by her uncle.   <br />
<br />
Dewi (20) was a young wife who died from AIDS after contracting HIV from her husband.  Dewi kept her HIV status a secret from her family.  Dewi's family, who were unaware of her real illness, used a traditional healing method of cutting parts of her body to let out "dirty" blood in an attempt to cure her.  Dewi's body was displayed in her finest clothes as family members and neighbors mourned her death inside her parents' honai.  A local NGO, called Caring Hands, has donated money to buy woods for her cremation since Dewi's family was too poor to have her buried.  Outside, men cut woods into smaller pieces and stacked them to prepare for her cremation.  A pastor led the ceremony and prayed before Dewi's body was place on top of the funeral pyre.<br />
<br />
Due to shame and fear of discrimination or punishment, it is common for husbands who are HIV positive to keep their status from their wives or vice versa.  Even after testing positive for HIV, many still disregard using condom to avoid drawing suspicion.  As a result, the HIV virus is often passed between spouses.
    AgainstAllOdds_Color_01.JPG
  • As the fire burned, heavy rain poured as if to extinguish the flame.  Under the protective cover of an umbrella, Dewi's parents watched their daughter's funeral in sorrow.  <br />
<br />
Dewi (20) is a young wife who died from AIDS after contracting HIV from her husband.  Dewi kept her status a secret from her family.  Before her death, Dewi's family used a traditional healing method of cutting her body to let "dirty" blood out in order to cure her illness.  Outside, men cut wood into small pieces and stacked them to prepare for her cremation.  A local NGO called Caring Hands donated money for cremation, since Dewi's family was too poor to have her buried.  A pastor led the ceremony and prayed before Dewi's body was place on top of the funeral pyre.  <br />
<br />
It is common for husbands to keep their status from their wives or vice versa due to shame and fear of discrimination or punishment.  Even after testing positive for HIV, many still disregard using condoms to avoid drawing suspicion.  As a result, HIV is often passed on to their spouse.
    AgainstAllOdds_Final_26.JPG
  • Dewi's lifeless body is carried onto the cremation pyre by her uncle.   <br />
<br />
Dewi (20) was a young wife who died from AIDS after contracting HIV from her husband.  Dewi kept her HIV status a secret from her family.  Dewi's family, who were unaware of her real illness, used a traditional healing method of cutting parts of her body to let out "dirty" blood in an attempt to cure her.  Dewi's body was displayed in her finest clothes as family members and neighbors mourned her death inside her parents' honai.  A local NGO, called Caring Hands, has donated money to buy woods for her cremation since Dewi's family was too poor to have her buried.  Outside, men cut woods into smaller pieces and stacked them to prepare for her cremation.  A pastor led the ceremony and prayed before Dewi's body was place on top of the funeral pyre.<br />
<br />
Due to shame and fear of discrimination or punishment, it is common for husbands who are HIV positive to keep their status from their wives or vice versa.  Even after testing positive for HIV, many still disregard using condom to avoid drawing suspicion.  As a result, the HIV virus is often passed between spouses.
    Against All Odds_01.JPG
  • Blood inside a syringe seen at a Voluntary Counseling and Testing clinic. The test result was positive.
    Against All Odds_15.JPG
  • A portrait of Wesley; a loving brother and son, a caring and giving advocate. <br />
<br />
After learning about HIV/AIDS Wesley shares his experience through public testimony. He also formed Noken, a support group that provides counseling and encouragement to individuals living with HIV in his community.
    ODHA_20.JPG
  • Yalena (20) has been HIV-positive for over 2 years and she is undergoing Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for almost a year.
    ODHA_16.JPG
  • Danita (21) with her mother.  Danita has been positive for one year but she is not undergoing Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).  Her child died due a sudden illness.
    ODHA_15.JPG
  • Becky and Dessy (24) are twins and they are both HIV-positive.  However, neither of them had ever taken ARV even when they were pregnant.  Dessy’s daughter, Yhoana, died last year from a sudden sickness and Dessy’s health has declined significantly.  Becky recently gave birth to a baby boy she named Gabriel, and he often gets sick.  Becky’s one-and-a-half year old daughter, Emma, also gets sick frequently and she has spent many days in the hospital.  Emma died suddenly before she turned two years old.  None of their children have been tested for HIV because the test cannot be administered before the age of two.  However, their frequent illnesses suggest that Becky’s and Dessy’s children might have contracted the HIV virus from their mothers. Both Becky and Dessy died recently from their condition.  Becky's parents now look over her son Gabriel.
    ODHA_06.JPG
  • HIV-AIDS_Papua105.JPG
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Andri Tambunan

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