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SAfAIDS Wins Auxillia Chimusoro Award
Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS)
January 29, 2002

Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS), popular musician Oliver Mutukudzi, and the New Start Centre initiative have won the prestigious 2002 Auxillia Chimusoro Award for achievement in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation in Zimbabwe.

The award, funded by USAID, is given in honour of Auxillia Chimusoro, the first person in Zimbabwe to openly disclose her HIV-positive status in 1989.

Auxillia worked tirelessly to demystifying HIV/AIDS, give public talks and helping form support groups for the infected and affected. Bruce Wharton, director of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Harare described Auxillia as a pioneer in HIV because of the courage and spirit she channelled into the cause.

Her advocacy work is well known in Zimbabwe. She founded the first HIV support group in Harare. Before she died in 1998, she had established more than 50 support groups in both rural and urban communities throughout Zimbabwe.

Internationally, her activism took her to far away places like Amsterdam where she spoke at the 1992 International AIDS Conference. Her speech touched the hearts and minds of many people. At one point she was offered antiretroviral therapy, but declined, opting to wait until those she represented back home could also have access to treatment.

Information is an important component in the awareness, prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. In presenting the award, the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Joseph Sullivan acknowledged "...the impressive contribution of SAfAIDS ... for documenting analysing and disseminating accurate HIV/AIDS information." The Ambassador noted that SAfAIDS "...is recognised in the region for building the capacity of NGOs, media houses and the private sector to effectively respond to the epidemic."

Dr Sunanda Ray, SAfAIDS Executive Director, accepted the award and emphasised the need for on-going commitment from all sectors in the response to HIV/AIDS: "Auxillia Chimusoro campaigned to show what living with HIV was like, that we should all be working towards more compassion and empathy for
people with HIV. We have all been affected by losing our loved ones to AIDS. In line with this award for outstanding leadership, we call on overnments, NGOs and faith-based organisations including churches, temples and mosques to lead the public in breaking down the walls of stigma and discrimination."

Oliver Mutukudzi is a famous musician whose music is an inspiration to many Zimbabweans and people in southern Africa. Mutukudzi, like SAfAIDS, received one million Zimbabwe dollars and a plaque. He donated the money to Island Hospice - a charity organisation.

The New Start Centre initiative also received the award for its dedication to the successful voluntary counselling and testing initiatives throughout Zimbabwe - a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, USAID and Population Services International (PSI).

Joshua Chigodora
Information Officer
SAfAIDS
email: joshua@safaids.org.zw

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