Alliance Myanmar recognises four community members with leadership awards

Original Source: International HIV/AIDS Alliance - UK
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Website: http://www.aidsalliance.org
Source: Alert Net

February 12, 2008 - Four community members were presented with leadership awards for their dedication to civil society and the HIV response at a partners' forum organised by Alliance Myanmar in November 2007. The four were chosen as examples of this year's World AIDS Day theme as they have 'taken the lead' in their communities. In honouring them, the Alliance hopes to inspire others in the community to expand their work and to show examples of how people have learnt to work effectively in the Myanmar context.

Alliance Myanmar organised the forum for its 31 community-based partner organisations to discuss their work and look at ways to forge ahead.

One of the key messages coming out of the forum was that community-based organisations are adept at finding strategies to overcome the challenges they face in Myanmar, and despite the many operating challenges that civil society faces in Myanmar, there is room for organisations to manoeuvre and grow. One of the reasons for this is that the on-the-ground experiences of their members make them the best advocates to overcome local barriers.

The forum was also a chance to thank those who continue to work with their own community-based organisations, despite the many opportunities their new skills open up to them. Alliance Myanmar emphasised that the four award winners were just a few of the many invaluable community leaders in Myanmar. Through their work, they are inspiring others to take the lead.

Find out more about the leadership award winners, Htay Lwin Oo, Tin Tin Htwe, Thi Ha Kyaing, and Edward Nyein:

Htay Lwin Oo Htay Lwin Oo holds a prominent position in the city of Kyaukpadaung's society as the city's foremost event planner and philanthropist. He has used his influence to support the community of men who have sex with men and has invested his own funds to initiate prevention programmes. The organisation he founded, Mee Ein Shin Lay Myar (Lamp Holders Sharing the Light), provides not only HIV prevention programmes and testing, but also vocational training to help men who have sex with men support themselves. With the limited funds that he has received from the Alliance combined with his own, he founded a beauty salon and catering service to train and employ members of this group. Part of the income generated by these businesses is invested in ongoing HIV support programmes.

Despite discrimination against men who have sex with men, Htay Lwin Oo refuses to deny his sexual identity. He was nominated for a prestigious national award based on his generous donations to pagodas and for religious endeavours. When the committee came to see his contributions, he also showed them the work he had been doing on behalf of men who have sex with men, knowing full well that he could lose the opportunity to receive the award if his sexual identity was revealed. He was not presented with the award after this meeting, but he demonstrated his dedication and perseverance in the face of discrimination. His refusal to turn his back on his community demonstrates his value as a leader.

Tin Tin Htwe Tin Tin Htwe is a peer educator for Mawlamyine's sex worker community and a facilitator for non-governmental organisations working there. She has become the leading contact for international NGOs working with sex workers in Mawlamyine. Her sensitivity to confidentiality has earned her this position and helped her establish a strong network among sex workers.

Through her work with Mahaythi Myitta Shin (Loving Kindness for Women), Tin Tin Htwe has helped the NGO community to reach sex workers and enabled sex workers to share their experiences more easily with NGOs. It is difficult for outsiders to understand the circumstances of a sex worker's life, including the constant threat of harassment by authorities or the inability to have a 9 to 5 work schedule. This misunderstanding has hampered some of the outreach programmes there. Tin Tin Htwe, however, knows the intricacies of her work, both as a sex worker and peer educator. By taking the initiative to explain the reality of a sex worker's life, she has corrected unrealistic expectations of organisations, allowing them to better serve the community. She has also convinced other sex workers of the benefits of these programmes and to participate without any material compensation. The key quality that she possesses is her trustworthiness. She has established herself as a reliable voice for all sides and because of this has been able to shape the programmes aimed at sex workers into more efficient models for her community, making her a true leader. has been able to shape the programmes aimed at sex workers into more efficient models for her community, making her a true leader.

Thi Ha Kyaing Thi Ha Kyaing is one of the founders of the Yangon-based HIV positive support group, Phoenix. He learnt he was HIV positive in 2000 as he was completing medical examinations for a sailor position.

Many in Myanmar believe that HIV is a death sentence, but not Thi Ha Kyaing. This became his calling, a re-birth. After trying unsuccessfully to treat himself with traditional medicines, he returned to the Médecins Sans Frontières - Holland (AZG) clinic to receive treatment in 2004. Unfortunately, the clinic was unable to give Thi Ha Kyaing free treatment because he lived in a different district. In order to help offset his costs, AZG hired him to work as a lab assistant.

After looking into it, Thi Ha Kyaing found there was a great need for programming for people living with HIV. He had always had family support, but his research made him realise that this support network did not exist for many of those living with HIV. As a result he founded Phoenix.

Phoenix's social project rebuilt 60 houses in 2007, provided funds for school fees and funerals, and trained caretakers who are required for HIV positive people to be admitted for treatment in the hospitals here. Phoenix was the first group to provide care in hospitals and the success of the programme has prompted other groups to provide the service as well. The group also has a garment workshop and has provided small loans for people to start their own businesses. Thi Ha Kyaing has planned for the future by securing private funding for the organisation through fundraising activities like donation boxes at the Summit Parkview, one of Yangon's premiere hotels.

One of Thi Ha Kyaing's beliefs is that there are very many HIV positive people who are great leaders and have great ideas but they are afraid to come out because of their status. He is trying to change that by making sure others are participating in his programmes and encouraging them to act on their ideas. He works to actively involve the whole group in decision-making, instead of choosing on behalf of the group. It is this inclusive decision-making process and his dedication to the community of people living with HIV that prompted the Alliance to recognize him with a leadership award.

Edward Nyein In Pyay, Edward Nyein works as the care and support project manager for Karuna, a Catholic faith-based organisation. Working through a religious organisation can present many challenges, especially when working with sex workers or men who have sex with men. Edward Nyein has found a way to work around that. He has organised the church as a venue for NGOs working with these communities, providing them shelter from outside scrutiny.

The first project he took on involved care and support for people living with HIV. His potential as a leader quickly became evident and it was decided that the programme would expand to include educating sex workers. Edward agreed despite knowing that the church might not be comfortable with the approach. He was able to convince the leaders that the programme was needed and also was able to find a way for condoms to be distributed to the sex workers. He has learnt how to effectively negotiate terms and conditions so that Karuna can continue to produce positive results and expand the vision of those around him.

Through this work, he has played a critical role in training sex workers to be peer educators in the community. He has also advocated on their behalf with local police and lawyers. This can be a very risky role for someone linked with the church, but Edward Nyein has found a way to work with all these communities, maintain his good reputation, and stay within the limitations set up by the tenets of his religion.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]