Shared Hope

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By Cheick Oumar Sissoko, Mali, based on an original idea by Andréa Ouédraogo, aged 21, from Koudougou, Burkina Faso

Annie is in a state of despair. She confides her painful secret in her friend Myriam: Annie has just discovered that she is HIV+. Myriam offers words of reassurance and hope. But Annie - still in a state of shock and panic - reacts violently. How could Myriam have any idea what she's going through?

• length: 5 minutes 53 seconds
• date: 2001
• currently available in: French, English, Portuguese, Dioula, Wolof, Pulaar, Mooré, Fon, Twi (plus additional languages courtesy of project partners)
• starts at 0:36:27 on the VHS compilation cassette

Topics for discussion
(See also complete Users' Guide)

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Key topics for discussion:

• Seeking a friend's support in a time of need

• Living positively with HIV: attitude

• Living positively with HIV: taking care of yourself

• People living with HIV: their crucial role in a community's response to AIDS
  

Discussion topic 1:
Seeking a friend's support in a time of need

IN THE FILM: Why do you suppose Annie chose to visit Myriam at that moment of despair? Why didn't she just keep the news to herself?

IN REAL LIFE: If a close friend of yours were to come knock at your door this evening and tell you that he or she just got a positive HIV test result, what would you do? What would you say? How could you help your friend? Would you be able to tell them about good sources of support in your area?

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Discussion topic 2:
Living positively with HIV: attitude

IN THE FILM: How would you describe Myriam's attitude toward living with HIV?

IN REAL LIFE: Can positive attitude be beneficial to your health?

Psychologists who work with people living with HIV, as well as support groups of people living with the virus, can provide countless examples of the healing powers of positive attitude. They can relate story after story of people living with HIV who have gone from feeling frail and ill to being strong and vibrant without ever taking a single pill, simply by adapting a positive attitude.

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Discussion topic 3:
Living positively with HIV: taking care of yourself

IN THE FILM: How does Myriam look to you? She says that she takes good care of herself -- what do you suppose she means by that?

IN REAL LIFE: What simple things can a person living with HIV do to protect his or her health?

Here are some of the things that a person living with HIV can do take good care of themselves:

• Keep a positive outlook on life; have plans and projects and dreams; don't stop loving life.

• Maintain an active social life.

• Pay special attention to basic rules of good hygiene.

• Get enough sleep.

• Avoid stress.

• Eat well:
  • Avoid alcohol, tobacco, foods that have been improperly preserved, potentially contaminated water, and food sold by street vendors and exposed to contamination.
  • Make sure that fruits and vegetables are thoroughly washed.
  • Eat a balanced diet.
    
    

• Avoid reinfection with HIV.

• Stay in close touch with your doctor and HIV advisor/counsellor.

• Stay well-informed about scientific advances in HIV/AIDS and about new local resources available to you.

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Discussion topic 4:
People living with HIV: their crucial role in a community's response to AIDS

IN THE FILM: Myriam tells Annie that there are ways in which they can play an important role in the community's response to AIDS. What exactly did she say?

"There are other people like us who are going to need our support and understanding, and maybe our advice."

IN REAL LIFE: How can people living with HIV contribute to a community's response to HIV/AIDS?

Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, the world has come to understand that people living with HIV play many invaluable roles in efforts to stop the spread of the virus and to improve the lives of others who are HIV-positive. People living with HIV can contribute to the community's response to the epidemic in many ways. Here are a few examples:

• They can make sure that they do not spread the virus to anyone else.

• If they would like, they can make themselves available to provide comfort and advice to others who have received positive HIV test results.

• Some people who live with HIV, after careful preparation, decide to speak publicly about the fact that they are HIV-positive. Such public testimonials can be an invaluable part of a community's prevention efforts; they are a good way to convince sceptical people about the existence and dangers of HIV.

• People living with HIV are essential advisors in projects that aim to create educational materials (leaflets, books, theatre pieces, radio shows, films…) on HIV/AIDS. People living with HIV have played a central, vital role in the creation of the Scenarios from the Sahel films and the Users' Guide.
  

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