How to be empowered in the context of HIV/AIDS

Temjenmangyang Imsong is the achiever of Academic Excellency Award 2011in B. Th from Servanthood Bible College, Dimapur. As an appreciation for his achievement the Chumukedima Ao Students’ Union has also felicitated him with certificate. Temjenmangyang hails from Longkong Village under Mokokchung district.
 
Today, in our state, we often talk about HIV/AIDS and its consequences. We know how it brings demerits to our society, churches and individual. In fact we show more concern and measures but the problem is we cannot solve! WHY? What we have to do it? What organizations need to participate in this issue and what we have to upgrade to bring solution? We often talk but the problems arose more! WHY?  It will be good if civil societies take the initiative.

1. Churches need to be empowered:
 As we know we have many issues in our state but above all as I have said HIV/AIDS is the most serious one which leads many youngsters to end their studies, career, opportunities and dynamic life. We know that once we are infected by the virus we don’t have option to come back to the past life but to accept and live with it.
Now, in this contemporary time, I should say many churches in Nagaland are very much active in doing mission works outside of Nagaland, when in our state do the churches give attention to the infected people of HIV/AIDS. We don’t see many churches involved in this area. Doing mission works in other lands is also important but again we need to have concern for our people especially for those who are discriminated and rejected by others.
In this kind of situation, churches need to co-operate with care counseling centers, rehabilitation centers etc. Moreover, if the churches finance the area of need it will help in building up a better relationship of brotherhood as those infected people are our own brothers and sisters and they will be with us no matter what. So churches should take initiative measures by supporting and educating for them.

2. Societies need to be empowered:
As social being, without society we can not live because society unites us as one. It brings good relationship among all people. Here, society refers to the village Panchayat, town council, various organizations etc. In this aspect, what I want to say is society needs to stop discriminating those people who are infected HIV/AIDS. Instead societies have a task to tackle the situation by organizing awareness programme, media publication etc to eradicate discrimination among the people, because we should embrace them instead of neglecting them. Infected people might be innocent for their disease so society should understand and make a better living for them.

3. Family need to be empowered:
Family is the first institution where we learn many things and gain knowledge. It is the place where we are shaped and moulded. To strengthen the family it depends upon the parents, if they are dynamic parents they can build and balance well all the family issues and the growth will be smooth. But if not it may collapse in the journey.
In the context of HIV/AIDS here family needs to play a vital role, if a children gets infected by HIV/AIDS parents should imitatively and boldly declare it to the general people like their neighbors, relative. At first it will be very heart-breaking and you might feel in-confident but hiding it will create more problems and later it will be a great issue so parents need not hide about it to the people. As you should devote and give time for your children and love them equally also to support them.
To solve the HIV/AIDS it is not an ordinary thing or an over nigt show so everyone should support and help them. When we look in the bible Luke 4:18-19 it talks about the manifesto of our Lord Jesus Christ who came to the world to uplift and exalt those people who were rejected by the people and society. So it is our duty to take care of those people who are rejected and discriminated by loving and giving them “HOPE” for them.