Justin Mucheri © David Tanner/ Progressio

Justin Mucheri is a HIV and AIDS Development Advisor with the Somaliland HIV and AIDS Network (SAHAN) in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Justin is from Zimbabwe.

Justin Mucheri faces a difficult challenge: building the capacity of a new organisation, SAHAN, to help it tackle the growing problem of HIV and AIDS in an Islamic country where there is still significant stigma associated with the disease.

In developing strategies to tackle HIV and AIDS, Justin is focusing on two target groups: religious leaders and refugees. In countries where religion is an integral part of everyday life, coopting the voice of religious leaders to help in the fight against the disease is vital, according to Justin: 'Stigma reduction is a perceived responsibility of the religious leaders who preach compassion and care for the ill,' he says. 'Religious leaders have a big influence on the behaviour of their followers, and hence they are an important vehicle for messages in HIV and AIDS control.'

Stigma of HIV and AIDS is high in Somaliland and the disease is associated with minority groups, particularly refugees, says Justin. 'Working with refugees in HIV and AIDS prevention has been a new experience for me. I have gained an insight into the plight of refugees: the social and political context of refugees is very challenging.' As a result, Justin has become involved in advocating for the rights of refugees as a way of tackling their vulnerability.
 
This work comes under Justin's wider role of helping partners - local NGOs, religious leaders, health workers, and the national HIV and AIDS Technical Committee - to devise and implement activities aimed at responding to HIV and AIDS in Somaliland. His work includes:

• providing support and advice to the national committee, including arranging exposure visits and conferences
• working with organisations interested in HIV and AIDS in Somaliland to encourage linkages and networking
• providing support to the recently formed national HIV and AIDS network (SAHAN), including helping SAHAN develop clear strategic objectives with a detailed action plan and clearly specified roles for those involved.

Justin often worked closely with Dr Hashi Abdi Abdirashid, a Progressio development worker (DW) working as an advisor on sexually transmitted infection, and Ahmed Ismail, a Progressio DW working as a HIV and AIDS youth worker. The HIV and AIDS team of DWs, under Progressio's Somaliland programme, is recognised as being key in the fight against the disease in the country. The team has involved key leaders within health organisations, local NGOs and religious institutions to help raise public awareness of HIV and AIDS, reduce the stigma associated with being HIV positive, and develop appropriate responses to the needs of people living with HIV and AIDS.

Justin's comments about his partner organisation, SAHAN, may equally apply to the country as a whole: 'SAHAN is a fairly new organisation which is tackling a growing problem of HIV and AIDS. As a new organisation the partner needs a lot of support. Progressio Somaliland has been instrumental in the development of the partner organisation. The partner organisation staff and board members are keen on learning, hence sharing our skills becomes easy.'

Justin is originally from Zimbabwe and trained as a Trainer or Trainers in HIV & AIDS counselling before working for an AIDS service organisation for over 5 years before joining Progressio in 2004.

The HIV and AIDS project in Somaliland that Justin Mucheri is placed with is generously supported by Comic Relief.