Signatories461 NGOs support the Code
Lutheran World Federation
- Website:
- www.lutheranworld.org
- Country:
- Type of organisation:
- Human
- Description:
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF now has 140 memebers in 78 countries all over the world representing nearly 66.7 million Christians.
LWF is a champion of the Code
Seeking a way to share LWF's commitment to the Code, the organisation sought to tackle the difficult problem of stigma and discrimination for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) within their community. Through their organisational efforts, they decided to run a ‘training of trainers' workshop for ten people living with HIV.
Demonstrating a productive relationship with the government, LWF arranged for an expert from the Ministry of Health to speak for five days on strengthening organisational capacity and eradicating self-stigma. The workshop participants then provided the leadership for a sensitisation workshop directly reaching 250 community, religious and union leaders as well as police, youth and women's associations. The PLHIV volunteers engaged the participants via drama, poems, and discussions about HIV and the disclosure of their HIV status. Feedback from the community noted that the prominent involvement of PLHIV in the workshop was very effective in strengthening the impact of the message.
Following the workshop, the PLHIV group received numerous invitations from organisations and unions to conduct similar workshops in neighbouring communities. The LWF notes that the results of this project went well beyond their expectations and through the support of the Ministry of Health, LWF and BIDHO, the PLHIV trainees have now organised themselves as a group - ‘The Children of Love' - and are committed to continuing their community sensitisation work.
- Champion NGO