Papua Churches and HIV

Papua churches powerful source for preventing HIV and AIDS

Julie DeLuca

Julie DeLuca is a writer for Mennonite Central Committee.
June 5, 2007

Traveling door to door or just talking to people they meet along the street, HIV and AIDS trainers Ibu Lis and Ibu Yohanna have an important message for friends and strangers.

According to UNAIDS, the tropical province of Papua in Indonesia faces one of the most serious HIV epidemics in the entire Asia–Pacific region.

These women are on a vital quest to educate their communities, holding the belief that the church is a potentially powerful source to help prevent the spread of HIV.

“Sometimes we have to journey a long way. The transportation is difficult and the roads aren’t very good. [But] I feel very wrong if I don’t share what I’ve learned,” says Ibu Yohanna.

MCC’s partner Bethesda Health Organization began Sexual Health training in Papua for provincial church leaders in 2006. Previously, Bethesda worked hard to inform people about AIDS. Today they address AIDS in the context of broad issues including sexuality and healthy relationships.

A District Liaison Officer for the program helps to adjust training materials to avoid offending local sensitivities. Their goal is to respect local cultures as they inform them about relationships, HIV and AIDS.

Six months after the training, 40 pastors and lay leaders gathered to discuss their experiences of teaching sexual health, HIV and AIDS in their congregations. One leader expressed her concern for speaking on sexual health from the pulpit. “Even if we want to, our congregations would protest,” she said.

Pak Benn, a trainer from Bethesda, inspired the leaders to extend the mission beyond their church walls. He said, “We are the church. Everything that we do, every day, is the church. If you can't talk about this on Sundays, talk about it with your neighbors, your friends, your men's meetings, your youth meetings, when you go the market, in the bus!”

Ibu Lis and Ibu Yohanna, who attended the training, do that by acting as field workers for the program. “We as teachers for the young people in our churches and in our families can come alongside them with the word of God. I hope to spread the information … so that [what] we gain is not in vain,” Ibu Lis says.

Both women stress the message to be careful. According to Ibu Yohanna, the women she educates are often afraid because they do not understand the causes of HIV. Teaching them about HIV and AIDS and healthy relationships increases their courage to make good choices.

“I tell them to be careful,” says Ibu Yohanna. “We are very thankful because we have received the training which allows us to bring this experience to people. This training and information has been very important for me.”

MCC IN INDONESIA