‪#‎Sautiskika‬ SETTING THE PACE, PUSHING FOWARD GAINING MOMENTUM

Adolescence living with HIV (ALHIV) in Kisumu county,Kenya ‘’ #SautiSkika ambasadors’’ , Local TB-HIV/AIDS coalition-G-NET (Grass Root Network)children’s clubs ,local media network ,NGO’s,FBO’s,Civil Society Organization, community based organizations, support groups, government agencies in commemorated the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial and related activities, which took place in Kisumu city Pandpieri Catholic Centre,Nyalenda B ward in Kisumu City Kenya on 16th may 2015 attended by more than 1,000 people including 500 adolescences mobilized from the local communities. The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV awareness. The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May. It is led by a coalition of community organizations in 115 countries, and is coordinated at the global level by the Global Network of People living with HIV. 2015 Candlelight Memorial theme calls on leaders to support the future of people living with HIV On World AIDS Day, 1 December 2014, the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP) unveiled the theme for the 2015 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, which will fall on Sunday, 17th May 2015 – ‘Supporting the future’. This annual mobilization campaign has been taking place every year since 1983 The theme for 2015 “supporting the future’’ fits well with adolescences living with HIV call into action ‘’#EndAdolescentAIDS #SautiSkika ‘’ to raise awareness on TB and HIV issues among children especially in disclosure, testing,prevention,vaccines, treatment and care. We as G-NET (Grass Root Network) commemorated the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial with a children’s activity #EndAdolescentAIDS #SautiSkika. We had HIV testing, letter writing to our leaders, video shows discussions, procession, speeches, poems (by children) sensitized guardians /caregivers and also lit candles the occasion was graced by the global head of International Community of Women Living With HIV Rebecca Hulahoop Matheson based in Nairobi Kenya , Florence Anam it’s advocacy officer and other local leaders who echoed the efforts at the grassroots and made commitment to support the ALHIV initiatives