WCC FEATURE: EHAIA, an African initiative going beyond Africa

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World Council of Churches - Feature

EHAIA, AN AFRICAN INITIATIVE GOING BEYOND AFRICA

For immediate release: 01 March 2012

By Astrid Berner-Rodoreda (*)

The Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA) has recently
documented the impact it has achieved since 2002. While commemorating its
10th anniversary this year, EHAIA reflects on how churches have become
“HIV-competent”, meaning they are well informed about HIV, are
welcoming HIV positive people and are fighting against HIV and AIDS in
Africa and beyond.

Thousands of church leaders have been trained by EHAIA staff. Ten
theological institutions in Central Africa alone incorporated HIV into
their curricula due to EHAIA supported initiatives. Several books with
theological perspectives on HIV and gender were written by EHAIA staff in
the last ten years and are used widely around the world.

With innovative approaches and dedicated staff, EHAIA has managed to break
the taboos and to start talking about sexuality, gender relations and
related violence, issues that are delicate even outside the churches.

By using the powerful tool of contextual Bible studies from the text such
as the story of Tamar (2 Samuel 13) EHAIA has brought out perspectives of
women and men on issues like rape and discussed these issues with women
and men in their own social context. EHAIA has also been sensitive not to
see men merely as “perpetrators” but to create safe spaces
(Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=bd09e8452217b023cba3
) for men to discuss what role models they grew up with, their
relationships with their fathers, their lives and interaction with women.

EHAIA runs several masculinity workshops. These help men to get on board in
responding to HIV in a meaningful way. This approach has created an impact
beyond church circles. As a part of this initiative, prisons in Lesotho
hold trainings on masculinity, transforming men’s behaviours by helping
them think differently.

From Africa, the impact of EHAIA’s work extends to the rest of the world.
In many countries EHAIA staff has been invited to share their
perspectives. Prof. Ezra Chitando (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=9093e903426fbf25b8af
), theological consultant for EHAIA, was invited to the University of Oslo
in Norway to present a paper on masculinity. There he met with students
who worked on masculinity issues and were using EHAIA’s publications.
EHAIA’s theology curriculum on HIV was also adapted in India and
Jamaica.

At a training seminar on HIV, gender and domestic violence organized by
Bread for the World (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=0b8bd89217332f555960
) in Germany in January this year, EHAIA coordinator Rev. Dr Nyambura
Njoroge explained EHAIA’s approach in presenting the Tamar Campaign
(Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=201dfdb4f6531baf8d12
). At the training, around thirty participants analyzed the biblical text
and discussed the impact of HIV in their own communities. They also
expressed their commitment to introduce EHAIA’s approach to other
organizations and networks.
Raising awareness on HIV

In December last year, Hendrew Lusey (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=cbe42b312456dd2c55e5
), EHAIA’s regional coordinator for Central Africa, was the guest
speaker on World AIDS Day in Helsinki, Finland, having been invited by the
Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission.

Rev. Dr Charles Klagba, EHAIA’s theological consultant, took part in the
International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=8a8125dc5ee292a2d096
) in Jamaica in May last year. There he presented the issues of
gender-based violence and the churches’ response, introducing contextual
Bible study.

During the convocation, safe spaces were created to discuss sexuality and
HIV, led by a woman from the Philippines who referred to EHAIA as a
“source of inspiration to the churches”. In the first draft of the
communiqué An Ecumenical Call to Just Peace (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=122488f6a875c340704d
) there was no mention of gender-based violence or sexuality. Due to the
intervention by this group, this particular concern was incorporated in
the document.

Dr Susan Parry, EHAIA’s regional coordinator for Southern Africa, was
invited to share her insights from experiences in India and Burma. There,
she interacted with representatives from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam,
Philippines, Indonesia, India, Thailand and Bangladesh, countries faced
with a growing HIV epidemic.

The Asian participants showed immense interest in the WCC publication
Beacons of Hope (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=a3acd704f229a533195a
), authored by Parry. Sections of this book have been translated into
eight languages. The Christian Conference of Asia (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=f7bd6fbf00c99a717522
) used the book as basis for their own publication "Building HIV Competent
Churches: Called to prophesy, reconcile and heal”.

With the approach of the WCC 10th Assembly at Busan, Korea in 2013, EHAIA
hopes to inspire churches in Asia and around the world to tackle issues of
HIV, gender and sexuality creatively and competently. Given the positive
impact EHAIA has already achieved, the staff and partners of EHAIA would
like to see EHAIA’s approach being taken up by more churches, religious
and secular institutions around the world, and EHAIA is committed to play
its part in spreading the message farther.

[734 words]

(*) Astrid Berner-Rodoreda is advisor on HIV and AIDS at the Bread for the
World, Germany and chairperson of EHAIA’s International Reference Group.

More information on EHAIA  (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=c696646a892ec072eb45
)

Read also:

A toolmaker for HIV and AIDS awareness in Lusophone Africa
(Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=47cdf68578a54ccc10fc
)

West Africa: Mobilizing youth and women to reduce HIV  (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=993a2f8cf956dde19130
)

Building AIDS-competent churches in southern Africa  (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=5266140414afe3a70346
)

Central Africa: Breaking the silence on human sexuality and HIV
(Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=ff137df0c03be74352b5
)

Rethinking theology for HIV response  (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=7fbb0b057bc768ac5291
)

Accelerating the church's response to HIV (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=f61ffa6ba946b3606401
)


The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness 
and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of 
churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, 
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, 
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.



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