"POSITIFS!" is a collection of audio podcasts aimed at amplifying the voices of young people living with HIV in Senegal. The result of a participatory project focused on empowerment and scientific mediation, Positifs! was produced by IRD, RAES, and Réseau Convergence des Jeunes to change society's perception of these young people. Equipop is launching a program with these young people.
With a view to strengthening the individual and collective power of young people in Senegal, EQUIPOP is working with young people from the Convergence Network to promote new feminist approaches in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Enabling young people to make decisions about their health, to act individually and collectively, to defend their interests, and to renegotiate gender relations are all advances that are particularly relevant to young people living with HIV. In contexts where young people living with HIV suffer from self-stigmatization and remain largely invisible, these participatory approaches highlight their potential and knowledge. They also contribute to raising awareness of their ability to build community projects and initiate transformational leadership.
A collective podcast
Access to antiretroviral drugs in Africa during the 2000s led to the emergence of a population of adolescents and young adults living with HIV since childhood, yet invisible in health policies and virtually unknown to the general public. Like others, these young people work, study, have fun, love, and have plans and desires. It is precisely this perspective that young people living with HIV from the Réseau Convergence des Jeunes (supported by the TRANSITIONS program) in Senegal wanted to share and make heard. A collection of nine podcasts, entitled "POSITIFS!", was produced with the support of TransVIHMI (IRD) and RAES.
Intimate stories and political impact
Far from the media coverage, which is still heavily stereotyped and tends to emphasize the discriminatory and harmful nature of the infection, these intimate stories reveal alternative voices and accurately and emotionally convey the unique perspectives of these young people's lives: managing their HIV status at school or within the family, apprehension about romantic relationships, confidentiality regarding treatment, social and economic insecurity, prospects for the future, etc. All these topics are also addressed in a song by a young artist from the network, JomenKör, entitled Bu nu ko daw ("Let's face it"), which accompanies the collection. The podcast format is perfectly suited to spreading these socially engaged messages with a strong political dimension. The "POSITIFS!" collection is therefore a valuable tool for advocacy and raising awareness about the stigmatization of people living with HIV, already being used by partners in the field and community radio stations involved in the SANSAS project (Solthis, Equipop, RAES, LARTES, Enda Santé) on the reproductive health of adolescents and young people in Senegal.
To access the collection: “POSITIFS!”
This podcast collection is presented and produced by IRD, RAES, and Réseau Convergence des Jeunes. Design: Cécile Cames and Pascale Hancart Petitet (IRD, TransVIHmi) / Testimonials: Réseau Convergence des Jeunes / Music credit: JomenKör / Production and direction: Sarah Memmi, Tidiane Thiang, Siham M’rabet Ouriaghli (RAES), Cécile Cames (IRD) / Production: Tidiane Thiang / Artistic advice: Claire Lissalde and France Toma (IRD multimedia), Mbathio Diaw and Marianne Paulot (RAES) / Medical and social validation: Dr. Aminata Diack and the HIV care team at the Albert Royer Children's Hospital in Dakar.
