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Interview with Ms Mary Makokha and Ms Rosalyne Nasimiyu from REEP, Kenya
'People find the solution themselves'Making HIV-positive people believe in their own strength and abilities. That is what Kenyan organisation REEP aims for. Mary Makokha and Roselyn Nasimiyu tell about the positive developments within the community since they implemented storytelling into their counselling practice. From its headquarters in Butula Mary works as the director of REEP. Her colleague Roselyn is in charge of the health unit. Their organisation deals with HIV prevention and the mitigation of the impact of HIV and AIDS. REEP carries out various activities like education, group therapy for orphans, prevention, capacity building and the protection of HIV/AIDS related human rights for vulnerable people.
The organisation helps people who were tested positive to cope with their status through counselling or through referral. Also, REEP provides diagnosed people with information on how to live with the disease. Roselyn: ‘We try to make them see that becoming positive does not mean the end of life. It all depends on how people receive the results. It is about accepting their present status.’ Also, REEP teaches those who are not allowed to continue their work skills on how to start small businesses or agricultural businesses. In this way infected people do not become dependent on others.
AwarenessThe methodology gained from the Action Learning Case Study changed the way the organisation works. Mary: ‘The knowledge we got from action learning, made us take up storytelling in our counselling in order to make people see their own situation through their story.’ REEP decided henceforth to delve deeper into people’s background by letting them talk about themselves. They must tell how they were born, how they had grown up, how they had become infected. Mary: ‘After the person tells his story, the questions we ask will bring out awareness.’ ‘Before, when someone with HIV came to us and told he was disinherited from his property, we took it from that level. We made it a big thing. And we usually saw the others as perpetrators.’
By letting people tell their whole story, REEP’s staff discovered that the cause of the situation is often less obvious. Mary: ‘Maybe the person has been going through a lot of stress after finding out about his positive status. This can make himself very uncooperative towards his family.’ ‘When we get that sort of information through the story, we try to make our client see his own role in what has been happening. And sometimes he sees that it is his own fault. In this way we have been able to reconcile many families.’
Change agentsRoselyn adds: ‘The Action Learning Case Study has helped us to look beyond the symptoms. We used to be looking at the problem, but not at the person’s life. Like, handling the symptoms of a disease and not going into knowing the cause.’ ‘We’ve been able to make people see themselves, just by prodding,’ says Roselyn. ‘After that, people actually come up with the solution themselves. Action learning has really complemented our counselling.’ Action Learning has helped Mary to listen more and it has even changed her relationship with the community. Instead of people coming for REEP to solve their problem, they now come and solve their own problem. Mary: ‘We only assist them to see the dilemma from their own eyes. Rather than saying ‘you should do this and stop that,’ we help them find the solution themselves. This allows us to reach out to more people.’ Those who have realised some change are very proud. Mary: ‘You see that dignity and self esteem grow.’ REEP makes them role models for others, lets them become the change agents. ‘We tell them ‘She’s made it, she’s a widow like you and HIV positive. But look, she has built her own house. If she can, you can’.’ |
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