People Living with HIV/AIDS in Mozambique - Sewing Project

"This project has been already made a big impact on the lives of the association members," says Irene Cossa, the assistant president of Kindlimuka.

Kindlimuka has about 480 members in the city and province of Maputo. It was established in 1996 to facilitate the development of coordinated actions to combat discrimination and stigma experienced by People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

The association is striving to improve the quality of life of its members through the development of sustainable income generation activities. These activities not only generate income for the members but also provide occupational therapy that is crucial in the mitigation of stigma and discrimination.

The sewing project was initiated and is owned by people living with HIV and AIDS who are members of Kindlimuka. It is headed by Elevina Cuco, who offers training to other members, and produces school uniforms (especially for orphans and vulnerable children), beads, bags and other items with HIV and AIDS messages.

"Since I started working at the project, my life has improved tremendously; I can now adhere to the ARV therapy because I can afford to buy food and eat well. I can also take care of my family because I get some income from the products we sell like the bags and the beadwork and also we also get big orders from the schools."

"Most importantly, I am happy because I don't have to sit at home and feel sorry for myself because of my HIV positive status. I can now look forward with hope and optimism and know that each day is worth living for," says Rosa, the youngest of the women at the Kindlimuka sewing project.

This is part of Skillshare's People Living With HIV/AIDS project funded by Irish Aid

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