Organization: Bar Hostess Empowerment & Support Programme (BHESP)
Region: Africa
Nationality: Kenya
Country: Kenya
Interests & expertise: Community leadership, co-morbidities (NCDs, mental health, etc.), COVID-19 and HIV, differentiated service delivery, financing the HIV response, HIV cure, HIV prevention, HIV testing, HIV treatment, human rights, key populations, person-centred care, stigma, structural barriers, youth leadership
Profession or occupation: Advocate/activist, healthcare worker/social service provider
2022 Person-Centred Care Advocate
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
As a sex worker openly living with HIV, I'm inspired to work and bring change for the community of sex workers living with HIV with whom I identify to improve our health outcomes. As a health rights activist, I believe that most treatment outcomes are based on the quality of service delivery offered by healthcare providers to our clients. I am able to combine both those aspects and be a part of this great journey of change making by acting as an example to my healthcare providers to change their attitude and offer stigma-free services to everyone, including key populations, for improved health outcomes.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
As an IAS change maker, my goal is to reduce stigma in our healthcare systems and improve service uptake and delivery to key populations, especially the female sex worker community. It will delight my soul to see the community I identify with able to receive services without fear of discrimination, to see people living with HIV able to achieve viral suppression and improved health outcomes observed from all service delivery points and new skills developed in offering person-centred care models.