30 Years / 30 Lives : simplebooklet.com

Contentspreface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .730 Years / 30 Lives: Documenting a Pandemic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9United States of AmericaOpen Arms of Minnesota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Participant 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Participant 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Participant 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21South AfricaJ. L. Zwane Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Participant 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Participant 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Participant 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Scalabrini Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Participant 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Participant 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Participant 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Inzame Zabantu Community Health Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Participant 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Participant 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Participant 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Wola Nani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Participant 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Participant 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Participant 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Page 6

South Africa, cont’dYabonga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Participant 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Participant 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Participant 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Ikamva Labantu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Participant 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Participant 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Participant 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Treatment Action Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Participant 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Participant 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Participant 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77ThailandNew Life Center Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Participant 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Participant 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Participant 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85MexicoOrganización de Médicos Indígenas del Estado de Chiapas (OMIECH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Participant 28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Participant 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Participant 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93a word about photographic ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95organization contact information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Page 7

PrefaceDuring graduate school, as I studied religious responses to the great plague of 1347, I could not help but to notice parallels to the HIV/AIDS pandemic of our own day. Just as priests in the Middle Ages believed plague came as a punishment from God for sinful deeds, like gambling and prostitution, so did we hear pastors preaching from their pulpits that AIDS was God’s punishment unleashed on a sinful humankind. Just as those falling ill with fevers were ostracized from the community in medieval Europe, so were those acquiring opportunistic infections shunned in many communities in the United States, in Europe, in Africa, and in Asia. And, just as some—just a few, really—responded courageously in the Middle Ages, providing relief when the stress of illness seemed to overcome all else, so did few at first, but more over time, offer friends and loved ones assistance as AIDS shut down immune systems, killing one, then one thousand, then one million. . . .Noticing these parallels, it was only a matter of time before I became actively involved in HIV/AIDS response. For much of the past decade, I have been immersed in an interdisciplinary study of theology, public health, and photography—which has led, finally, to the photographs and scholarly essays that, together, comprise “30 Years /30 Lives.” By working locally with an organization that provides meals to those living with the virus, and by traveling to places where prevalence rates are among the highest in the world, I have learned a great deal about human dignity, about compassionate resistance, and about living with integrity.While these were not my first immersions into communities exuding resilience in the face of poverty, hunger, substance abuse, and violence—this work did mark a turning point for me as I continue to discern how best to invest my personal and professional energies. My husband and I were both granted sabbaticals from our teaching positions for academic year 2009-2010. We withdrew our children, then ten and five, from their public school systems in Minnesota and flew to South Africa where we lived, served, worked, and played for seven months. During that time, I had the great privilege of visiting many organizations responding to the structural drivers of the pandemic. In the second half of the year, I traveled also to Thailand and to Mexico in order to present a more demographically representative collection. Together with photographs of people in the United States, 30 people ultimately shared their perspectives about HIV/AIDS for “30/30,” providing the world with something of a mosaic of HIV/AIDS as the world marks the thirtieth year of our awareness of the presence of the virus in the human community.Breathing in the ocean from our seaside cottage in South Africa, and at times contributing to it in tears, I have envisioned a world where we recognize our interconnectedness—our interdependence on one another, and on the earth that sustains us. May the real presence of Beauty in these portraits, the same One who revealed a vision of ubuntu in Africa, stir in us a desire to care for one another, face to face. —kv, 11/2010i

Page 8

Page 9

30 Years / 30 Lives:Documenting a PandemicAs the world community approaches the thirtieth year of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, “30 Years / 30 Lives” aims to recalibrate our vision by introducing viewers to thirty individuals in the United States, South Africa, Thailand, and Mexico whose lives have intersected in some way with HIV/AIDS, whether through care for or loss of a loved one, engagement in humanitarian response, or acquisition of an infection personally.Each individual in “30/30” is affiliated with an organization that is responding to a structural driver of the pandemic. After conducting research to identify these underlying issues, and after locating organizations that are responding to each one, the photographer requested a meeting with administrators to introduce each organization to the project, and to request permission to include their work in “30/30.” Upon agreeing to participate, each administrator invited three individuals to represent its organization. Each participant signed a consent agreement, giving the photographer permission to take a portrait, and to publish the words each would share by writing into a common journal in response to the invitation: “tell us about you, and your thoughts about HIV/AIDS as the world approaches the thirtieth anniversary of the pandemic.” All participants received an 8” x 10” enlargement of their portraits as well as an 8” x 8” print of the portrait placed into a still life arrangement. Participants agreed to waive their rights to the sales of their photographs, recognizing that only the organization with which they were affiliated—neither the individual participant nor the photographer—would receive any potential profits from sales.The project aspires to raise awareness about the structural dimensions of HIV/AIDS in order to challenge commonly held assumptions about who is affected, and to encourage a just and compassionate response to what has been called the worst human rights disaster in history. By highlighting the work of ten organizations responding to socio-economic issues that the pandemic puts into sharp relief, “30/30” documents the structural drivers of HIV/AIDS, exploring how the virus proliferates when the public is complacent, content to tolerate:1. ridiculously high levels of poverty and hunger2. religious fundamentalism3. xenophobia4. inequitable access to healthcare5. violence against women6. illiteracy, and inequitable access to education7. mistreatment of elders and orphans8. AIDS denialism9. human trafficking10. political violence

Page 10

1. Ridiculously high levels of poverty and hunger. Paul Farmer, a medical anthropologist at Harvard and a practicingphysician, perhaps more famously than anyone, has brought attention to the intersections between poverty and AIDS by openingclinics in some of the poorest and most remote areas of the world. He has proved to skeptics that, with proper counseling andaccess, people without financial resources are able to maintain a pharmaceutical regimen, even one as complex as that used to treatan HIV infection. Such treatments are most effective when taken with stomachs that are made full by nutritious foods. Recognizingthat hunger and malnutrition are issues for people living with HIV/AIDS in Minneapolis, just as they are for people in Africa, OpenArms of Minnesota prepares meals for and delivers meals to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in the Twin Cities. In the“30/30” still life photographs, Open Arms of Minnesota is signified by a red rose, a symbol of pride, because in Minnesota the virusis still disproportionately prevalent in the gay community.2. Religious fundamentalism. Some Christian churches throughout the world claim that HIV/AIDS is God’s will—apunishment for behaviors thought to be sinful such as homosexual sex, promiscuous sex, and intravenous drug use. When confusedbelievers ask about the presence of the virus in victims of rape or in the bodies of children, some preachers have responded that HIVis a test sent by God to see if God’s people will respond compassionately. Such frameworks avoid a sincere grappling with the role ofreligion in judging, shaming, and stigmatizing those testing positive. They also prevent people from wrestling with the ways inwhich they have perpetuated the conditions in which HIV proliferates. The J. L. Zwane Church and Community Center in Guguletuwas among the first in the Western Cape of South Africa to encourage those testing positive to live openly in the community, withthe church’s acceptance and embrace. In the “30/30” still life photographs, the J. L. Zwane Center, affiliated with the Presbyterianchurch, is signified by a sunflower, a symbol of faith by grace.3. Xenophobia. The irrational fear or distrust of those who are different from oneself, xenophobia is countered by xenophilia—alove, acceptance, and embrace of “foreigners” or “otherness” that is fostered by face to face encounters. The Scalabrini Center is anorganization with Catholic roots in Italy that welcomes refugees and asylum seekers to Cape Town by assisting newcomers withimmediate needs as well as with life skills to enable thriving in a new environment. The Center also conducts voluntary testing andcounseling through its “Ukukhanye Kwetemba” or “Sunshine of Hope” program. In the “30/30” still life photographs, the ScalabriniCenter is signified by a strawberry, a symbol of good works.4. Inequitable access to healthcare. Because of the legacy of apartheid in South Africa, the infrastructure to handle a pandemicthe scale of HIV/AIDS was not in place when the new democracy was first in power. The country did not effectively distributeinformation about how to prevent infection, nor could it provide widespread testing or delivery of treatment. Moreover, becauseindigenous forms of the healing arts were widely thought to be in competition with scientific approaches to medicine, not tomention trials conducted by (white) European and American doctors on African and African American populations in the past,there was a severe distrust of Western medicine in Africa when the epidemic first became evident in South Africa. Access to qualityhealthcare in South Africa remains inequitable. While distrust persists, primary health care clinics, such as Inzame Zabantu inPhilippi, a township outside of Cape Town, have been built in the post-apartheid situation, and are successfully providing testingand treatment to some among the 1,400 people a day who are infected with HIV/AIDS in South Africa (6,000 a day worldwide). Inthe “30/30” still life photographs, the Inzame Zabantu Community Health Center is signified by a hibiscus flower, a symbol of goodhealth.

Page 11

5. Violence against women. Women are more vulnerable to an HIV infection than men biologically, culturally, and socially.Because of the greater surface area that can receive the virus when bodily fluids are passed during intercourse, women are morevulnerable to an infection than are their male counterparts. This is compounded by socio-economic and socio-cultural conditions.Sexual promiscuity is the norm for men in many cultures, putting women who have been faithful to their husbands in jeopardy.Situations persist where women are treated as if they were intrinsically inferior to men. Many are in cycles of domestic violence,dependent upon men for their survival, and not at liberty to request protection in sexual encounters. Misogyny persists, such thatwomen are, for example, blamed when they are raped for having tempted the male perpetrators of the crime, an insult compoundedwhere men are taught that raping a virgin cures HIV. Often denied an education and abandoned, women sometimes are desperateto feed the children for whom they are primarily responsible. Some will turn to the sale of sex in order to feed themselves and theirchildren. Recognizing how women are vulnerable to an infection given these realities, Wola Nani intervenes to support women,offering a means of income generation in addition to psychosocial support. In the “30/30” still life photographs, Wola Nani issignified by the calla lily for its uniquely South African concept that “through our embrace, we develop one another.”6. Illiteracy, and inequitable access to education. In 2008, 17% of the world’s adult population was estimated to beilliterate. Research has shown that the vocabulary of children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds lags a year or morebehind classmates of children from more advantaged homes. In South Africa, where the population continues to feel the effects ofapartheid and its substandard provision of education to African children, the achievement gap continues to exacerbate thedifferential in opportunities for privileged versus underprivileged children. Yabonga, an organization that supports children,women, and men testing positive to live healthfully and positively, has established educare centers to provide support to SouthAfricans in order to decrease the achievement gap, as well as to provide high-quality testing and counseling services to people livingin underprivileged areas. In the “30/30” still life photographs, Yabonga is signified by the plumeria, which symbolizes shelter orprotection, its five petals symbolizing the quest for perfection through sincerity, faith, devotion, aspiration, and surrender.7. Mistreatment of elders and orphans. In 2004, the UN published a volume called The Impact of AIDS, reporting how HIVhas affected the world’s ability to staff hospitals, schools, farms, and so on, to support the world’s increasingly global economy. Thevolume also discusses the impact of AIDS on households, noting how vulnerable persons, such as elderly people and orphans, havebeen adversely impacted by HIV/AIDS. In South Africa, for example, where the middle generation has been devastated by thepandemic, the elderly have been impacted profoundly. Under the new government in South Africa, people aged sixty-five and overreceive a monthly pension of R800 (about $100), to assist them to maintain a minimum standard of living. Many pensioners findthemselves taking on primary caregiving responsibilities for grandchildren, paying school fees and providing food, shelter, andclothing for the little ones whose parents have succumbed to the virus. In some cases, orphans and pensioners are targeted bygangs, since it is widely known when money is distributed. Others are abused by their own children, who steal the money to supporttheir own ambitions, addictions, and so on. These are the situations to which Ikamva Labantu has responded with an innovativeprogram to support elders in communities throughout the Cape Flats. In the “30/30” still life photographs, Ikamva Labantu issignified by the lotus flower, which symbolizes the struggle for life and how it blooms in old age—for the lotus only flowers after ithas emerged from the mud and muck from a river bottom or lakebed.

Page 12

8. AIDS denialism. Dissident groups of AIDS denialists challenged accepted science on a horrific scale when Thabo Mbeki, theAfrican National Congress leader who succeeded Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa, refused to admit that HIV is thebiological cause of AIDS. Believing that pharmaceutical companies were in collusion with medical authorities to make profits off ofcommon illnesses that affect the poor, Mbeki’s refusal to link HIV with the syndrome of opportunistic infections that the viruscreates as it shuts down the immune system threatened his population. As a result, many people in South Africa failed to protectthemselves during sexual encounters, and others refused medications that could have saved or prolonged their lives. A studyconducted by Harvard University suggests 365,000 people died unnecessarily as a result. The Treatment Action Campaign, a publicadvocacy group attempting to ensure that every man, woman, and child has access to affordable treatment for HIV/AIDS, lobbies tomake pharmaceutical therapies as well as medications to prevent mother-to-child infections affordable and accessible in SouthAfrica. Its work continues to ensure equal treatment for all. In the “30/30” still life photographs, the Treatment Action Campaign issignified by the white chrysanthemum, which symbolizes truth.9. Human trafficking. In his book Women, Poverty, and AIDS: Sex, Drugs, and Structural Violence, Paul Farmerintroduces readers to several women from all around the world whose stories, though different in detail, are eerily similar. Hispoint is that, when girls and women are poor, they are vulnerable. Sometimes their fathers send them far from home inresponse to an advertisement that factory workers are needed—only to realize too late that they have been tricked intoenslavement in a brothel. In other situations, girls are intentionally drugged in order to addict them, making them dependent uponthe pimps and madams who profit from the services they provide to customers. This kind of forced or coerced recruitment,transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, known as human trafficking (or the modern-day slave trade) hascontributed to HIV/AIDS infection rates. The New Life Center Foundation supports ethnic minority girls and young womenthroughout the Mekong sub-region of Thailand who are at risk for, or victims of, labor exploitation, human trafficking, andsexual abuse, partnering with the Royal Thai Government and national NGOs to confront these problems collaboratively andto provide holistic care. In the “30/30” still life photographs, the New Life Center Foundation is signified by the presence ofthe orchid, which symbolizes both strength and innocence.10. Political Violence. Political violence, or the direct forms of violence that are used by governments, militaries,paramilitaries, and peoples to achieve political ends, is a driver of HIV/AIDS infection rates. The brutal practices of the apartheidgovernment in South Africa, the social unrest in Thailand, as well as the low-intensity warfare against the indigenous peopleof Mexico, for example, put vulnerable populations at higher risk for public health disasters, including HIV/AIDS, by forcingmigration, increasing poverty rates, and limiting access to education and healthcare. In 1994, on the same day that the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect, for example, a group of indigenous persons led an uprising inMexico. They protested their government’s alleged violation of the 27th amendment of the Mexican Constitution, protectingindigenous lands from corporate and national acquisition. They presented a thirteen-point list of goals for their movement,pointing to aspects of their lives that were substandard under the Mexican government: land, work, labor, nutrition, education,health, shelter, communication, culture, independence, democracy, liberty, and peace. The community’s struggle for autonomycontinues to this day. They have refused to accept government assistance, meaning that they are on their own in relation toeducation and healthcare. OMIECH, the Organización de Médicos Indígenas del Estado de Chiapas, provides training andherbal remedies to indigenous communities through a network of traditional healers, midwives, and health promoters. In the“30/30” still life photographs, OMIECH is signified by the presence of the lily, representing hope, and the nicotiana flower(tobacco), a plant sacred to the Mayans for its healing properties.

Page 13

“30 Years / 30 Lives” grows out of a conviction that the basic problem with how the public responded to the pandemic initially, and continues to respond to this day in many ways, is fundamentally a problem of vision. By peering at the pandemic’s victims as expendable, many in the human community displayed a troubling lack of insight. Some, however, demonstrated an alternative way of seeing. Where others only saw deformity, some recognized the dignity of people living with HIV. Where others saw a lacking of being, some noticed the value that is inherent in every human life. Where others observed nothingness, some responded with compassion to the diminished state of another. “30 Years / 30 Lives” invites viewers to look, trusting that the real presence of Beauty in these images will capture our gaze, transforming us to envision our common existence anew, and empowering us to breathe a more peaceful world into being.

Page 14

Open Arms of MinnesotaResisting poverty and hunger. According to epidemiologists, 33 million people throughout the world are living with an HIV/AIDS infection today. More than 25 million people have already died from the virus’s devastating impact on the body’s immune system. 96% of those living with an infection live in the “developing” world. Behind each of these numbers is a human being—a daughter, a son, a mother, a father, a spouse, a partner, . . . a friend. Each one has a name, a heritage, a history. Each one has a story. These statistics ought to interrupt us. When 96% of those living with the virus are concentrated in the poorest regions of the world, it is insufficient to point only to individual behaviors and to call for a higher morality. Reducing the rates of HIV/AIDS in the world is going to require moral accountability in the corridors of power that shape opportunities throughout the world—an accountability the public must demand. Such awareness in the public square is going to require a change of vision.Open Arms of Minnesota. Recognizing that marvelous things can happen when people break bread in community with one another, the kitchen is the heart of Open Arms of Minnesota. Their mission is deceptively simple: “With open arms, we nourish body, mind, and soul”—and it is a statement that is lived out everyday in this determined organization that represents something of an alternative universe, where compassion, acceptance, and gentleness of spirit are the norm rather than the exception, where even small things are considered with great intention, and where the dignity of every person who passes through the door is recognized genuinely with warmth and with grace. Since its beginnings in 1986, when founder Bill Rowe prepared meals for a group of friends who had contracted HIV/AIDS and who had become too ill to shop for or to prepare their own meals, Open Arms has expanded its services. The organization now prepares meals for and delivers meals to people living also with breast cancer, ALS, MS, and other chronic and life-limiting illnesses. In 2010, having successfully completed its building campaign and construction of a new site from which to operate, Open Arms aims to provide meals to anyone in the Twin Cities who is struggling with illness so that, as its director says so poignantly, “no one who is sick also goes hungry.”Rose. Because in Minnesota HIV/AIDS infection rates remain predominant in the gay community, therose, a symbol of pride, symbolizes Open Arms of Minnesota in the “30/30” still life arrangements.To learn more about Open Arms of Minnesota, please visit the organization online:http://www.openarmsmn.org.

Page 15

Page 16

“Participant 01” is a gifted musician whose love of poetry graces his journal entry.He quotes Kafka: “Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”“When I put my hands on your body, on your flesh, I feel the history of that body. Not just the beginning of its forming in that distant lake but all the way beyond its ending. I feel the warmth and texture and simultaneously I see the flesh unwrap from the layers of fat and disappear. I see the fat disappearing from the muscle. I see the muscle disappearing from around the organ and detaching itself from the bones. I see the organ gradually fade into transparency leaving a gleaming skeleton gleaming like ivory that slowly resolves until it becomes dust. I am consumed in the sense of your weight the way that your flesh occupies me—momentary space the fullness of it beneath my palms. I am amazed at how perfectly your body fits into the curves of my hands. If I could attach our blood vessels so we could become each other I would. If I could attach our blood vessels in order to anchor you to the earth to this present time I would. If I could open your body and slip up inside your skin and look out your eyes and forever have my lips fused with yours I would. It makes me weep to feel the history of you and your flesh beneath my hands in a time of so much loss. It makes me weep to feel the movement of your flesh beneath my palms as you twist and turn over to one side to create a series of gestures to reach up around my neck to draw me nearer. All these moments will be lost in the tears in the rain.” —David Wojnarowicz, 1990“There are no diseases. There is only ONE disease that manifests in different forms.” —O.Z.A. Hanish“Every disease is a musical problem, every cure is a musical solution.” —Novalis“Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” —Kafka“May I, composed . . .of Eros and of dust,Beleaguered by the sameNegation and despair,Show an affirming flame.” —Auden“From love comes grief; from grief / comes fear;one who is free from / love knows neither grief nor fear.” —verse 215 of OhammapadaThe light of God surrounds me, the love of God unfolds me,the power of God flows through me. Wherever I am, God is, and all is well. —21 August 2004, NaganoThe cool rain falls silently,Blinded by a bright bed of black-eyed Susans I wonder if I’ve learned,If I’ve changed, what pieces are missing still. Can I find the strengththe mosaic to survive? —9 August 2005, Nagano

Page 17

Page 18

“Participant 02” is engaged in humanitarian response to HIV/AIDS.She is at prayer; a collection of her favorite words appears in her journal.Love. Envision. Imagine. Hesed. Illumine. Compassion. Wisdom. Justice. Purity. Unity. Precious. Sacred. Create. Discover. Beauty. Grow. Hope. Forgive. Gentle. Kind. Explore. Spirit. Believe. Laugh. Ubuntu. Peace. Safe. Sanctuary. Breathe. Rest. Inspire. Together. Community. Trust. Holy. Divine. Faith. Life. Wholeness. Charity. Touch. Flower. Embrace. Wonder. Delight. Home. Contemplate. Calm. Content. Curious. Prayer. Mindful. Solitude. Promise. Thankful. Memory. Truth. Ritual. Gift. Miracle. Image. Reconciliation. Meditate. Adore. Luxurious. Light. Shalom. Cherish. Thoughtful. Warm. Moment. Nurture. Console. Goodness. Beloved. Lovely. Simple. Refuge. Womb. Soul. Mystery. Ultimacy. Integrity. Joy. Courage. Tender. Companion. Garden. Tranquil. Service. Abundance. Breathtaking. Generous. Patience. Dream. Art. Virtue. Aspire. Friend. Play. Celebrate. Smile. Dance. Nestle. Think. Wish. Share. Honesty. Educate. Inquire. Help. Gratitude. Excellence. Remember. Capture. Yearn. Blessing. Path. Journey. Sincere. Always. Awe. Enjoy. Charm. Magic. Care. Reflect. Haven. Vision. Secure. Time. Pleasant. Being.

Page 19

Page 20

Blinded by an infection, “Participant 03” is a public policy student who advocates forthose living with disabilities. HIV has taught him about the beauty and fragility of life.“I am so grateful and blessed for the richness that fills my life today.” That may seem like an odd statement to begin a reflection on how HIV/AIDS has affected my life over the past 20+ years, but to be absolutely honest with myself, it is a completely true statement. Oh sure, I could choose to focus on the misery and physical pain I experienced as I lived HIV/AIDS in the mid 1990s, and surely no one would blame me. But, they are not how I choose to “remember.” It does me little benefit to dwell on them today. Even as I now live as a total blind person, one more “gift” that HIV/AIDS presented me with, I would not be alive and in the throngs of wonderful opportunities had those experiences never happened.I believe we each have incredible power to control how we choose to approach life, and how we choose to move ahead with that life. Although we may not have complete control over what happens in our lives, we certainly can control how we react to the experiences. To me, the beauty of the lives that have intertwined with mine in the name of HIV/AIDS, the beauty of those fragile relationships I am the recipient from because of HIV/AIDS and my perceived role as one who continues to live in spite of so very many others who did not get the same opportunity as I, gives me pause each and every time my inclination begins to take on a negative tone; instead, to me, the best way I can honor those who have gone before me and who died from HIV/AIDS, honor those who taught me humility, compassion, and dignity as they took their last breath, and honor the very meaning of life itself, is to move forward while being cognizant of the richness that does still fill my privileged life today.Even amidst my loss of sight, I can see and feel that I stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before me. It is therefore essential for me to move forward intentionally and purposefully, choosing to focus on the countless incredible opportunities ahead and thankful for the gifts I have been given all while being ever mindful and thankful for my past . . . for without my past, I would cease to be who I am today.

Page 21

Page 22

J. L. Zwane Community CenterResisting religious fundamentalism. Religious fundamentalists, especially those within Christian churches, condemn from the pulpit those falling ill. They teach believers that people contracting HIV/AIDS are being punished by God for their homosexuality, their promiscuity, or their drug addiction. When asked by confused believers about the relative innocence of infants and faithful spouses also falling ill, some are told that God is testing the faithful to see if they will respond compassionately. These confused and dangerous teachings emerge from a theological imagination that understands God to be violent and vengeful, and serves further to shame and stigmatize those testing positive. Moreover, such a framework fails to require people of privilege to consider their own participation in the structures that perpetuate HIV/AIDS infection rates among those most jeopardized by the systems as they stand. J. L. Zwane Center. A different theological imagination is at work in Guguletu, South Africa, where as many asone in three people is said to be living with HIV/AIDS. Rising above the shacks and simple brick houses wherepeople live in this township outside of Cape Town is a clock tower—an unmistakable landmark in the community.The tower belongs to the J. L. Zwane Church, founded in 1952 by Jeremiah Zwane who came to Guguletu toreestablish the church as a vibrant presence in a community deeply wounded by apartheid’s brutal practices.Understanding God to be on the side of the oppressed, the church became a center of resistance. When democracycame to South Africa in 1994, the J. L. Zwane Center was established as a joint initiative of StellenboschUniversity, the Presbyterian Church, and the Guguletu community to meet the needs of the people. Instrumentalto all of this was the work and vision of Rev. Dr. Spiwo Xapile (his name means “gift” in Xhosa), who came to thechurch in 1989 and who has developed strategic partnerships with people in business, academia, and governmentto expand the Center’s programs. Among these programs are HIV/AIDS support services, developed strategicallyto counter the fundamentalism of so many churches throughout the region.Sunflower. Because of its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church, a denomination emphasizing justification by grace, the sunflower represents the J. L. Zwane Center in the “30/30” photographs. Like the human heart which, Presbyterians believe, is turned to faith by the gift of grace rather than by an individual movement of the will, so is the flower drawn to face the light by the power of the sun. To learn more about the J. L. Zwane Center, please visit the organization online:https://www.facebook.com/jlzwane/

Page 23

Page 24

“Participant 04” is a widow living in Guguletu who has opened her home to twelve orphaned and abandoned children. She wishes she could do more.I live in one of the low socio-economic group areas where the large part of it is still informal settlements; where people live in shacks. This creates overcrowding and hygiene is not that much observed. In this area HIV and AIDS are rife. The government and some of the non-governmental structures are trying to educate people about prevention of HIV and AIDS treatment available for it—but it is still a problem because people are unwilling to disclose their status due to the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS. Some people would rather go to sangomas (witchdoctors) for treatment and end up dying. Parents die leaving behind orphans some of [whom] are also infected. Some of these children are abandoned with none to take care of them, or would be left with an elderly lady who also needs to be taken care of. This is very pathetic. This is what touched my heart and I opened my home to such children. I am presently staying with children whom I take care of, to see to their needs and love them. I would do more if I had means and make a difference to my community.

Page 25

Page 26

Participant 05” is a seven-year-old boy who struggles with meningitis, among otheropportunistic infections. His mother writes about their challenges in her journal entry.In 1992, after being involved in a car accident, I was diagnosed HIV-positive. I knew very little about HIV and I had no sign of being ill or of the struggle that la[id] ahead for me and my family. I was healthy and fit until 2001, after I had fallen pregnant with my youngest son. I had two children already, so I thought it was no big deal. After a difficult pregnancy, I gave birth to a baby boy, [who] was immediately diagnosed as HIV-positive. His CD4 count was zero, like myself, and the doctors predicted a very short life span for him, for he had TB at birth. Today I thank God, for he has celebrated his seventh birthday in July this year. In spite of being a very sick boy, he also goes to school when he can, and when you look at him some days, he looks and plays with other children like any seven year old. I try to make his life as normal as I can for in a house with lots of grandchildren and friends, he is the only one who is very sickly and sometimes does not go to school for long periods at a time, and misses a lot of school work, but he at least gets some kind of education. He has been put on the second line of ARVs, because of his very high viral load and very low CD4 count. At the moment, he is suffering from slow meningitis, and I am suffering from cancer and four other opportunistic diseases. Through all our past & future struggles, I thank God for the strong support system I have at my church & support group that I joined about four years ago. They are with me every step of the way & it makes my life a whole lot better than it could have been. I am also an HIV & AIDS activist, for I know that HIV [and AIDS] are maintainable, if you take your [medicine], and abstain from sex or protect yourself, and surround yourself with family and friends as a strong support system. Aluta continua!, the struggle continues. . . .

Page 27

Page 28

"Participant 06” discusses helplessness in the face of the pandemic. She hasopened her home to her “daughter” and “grandson,” both living with HIV.I do not know much about HIV, but I do know that it is a struggle that I won’t wish on anybody, as a mother staying with my positive daughter and grandson. [T]o see them struggling with this terrible disease makes me feel very helpless and heartbroken. When she first told me her status I was very worried, for I thought they would die soon, but after watching their struggle for many years, I do not know which is better, death or the struggle. I am thankful that they are still alive, but not being able toknow how to help makes me feel like an outsider, watching my children die day after day. My helplessness makes me very thankful to God for the J. L. Zwane Support Group and Centre, for, if it was not for their daily help I do not know where we as a family would be. They are helping my daughter with everything and by helping her, they help my whole family. My own congregation is helpless in this epidemic, they can only pray when they happen to get into contact with us. My health is also going down faster, because of my anguish when my children are sick. I also have the support of the J. L. Zwane members [who] are my neighbours. May God bless them richly for their help to us. May he also give them strength, patience, and wisdom to keep up the good work in our community.

Page 29

Page 30

Scalabrini CenterResisting xenophobia. Although factors contributing to the xenophobic violence in South Africa are complex, it is clear from every report that tensions are running high in part because the country is experiencing unemployment rates nationwide of about 40%. This rate soars above 70% in many so-called “coloured” and “black” townships established during apartheid, and in the informal settlements and shantytowns that continue to build up around them. Tensions erupted when perceptions circulated that “foreigners” were taking jobs that could go to native-born citizens, creating a distrust that was fueled by accusations that these immigrants were actually drug traffickers who were making illegal substances readily accessible to youth who were joining gangs and destroying the community with violence. These rumors caused immigrants in South Africa to become targets of attacks that captured the world’s attention in 2008, when more than sixty people were killed in outbreaks of violence ranging from throwing stones and lighting shacks on fire, to exchanging gunfire and murdering foreign nationals.Scalabrini Center. The Scalabrini Center in Cape Town counters xenophobia (the fear of strangers) with xenophilia (the love of strangers) by welcoming immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers to Cape Town. Founded by John Baptist Scalabrini in 1887 to serve the welfare of migrants, the Scalabrini Order continues its founder’s mission. In Cape Town, the Center offers material support in the form of food parcels, clothing, and blankets. Also serving displaced and homeless people, the Center links refugees with social services available in the city, operates an employment help desk, offers courses in English and digital literacy, runs a sewing laboratory to help women start sustainable businesses as tailors, and prepares food in its soup kitchen. Finally, the Lawrence House, a project of the Scalabrini Center, is “a place of hope . . . where [abandoned and orphaned] refugee children can regain their childhood and prepare for their future.” Since it opened in 1994, the Center has grown increasingly aware that where there is migration, there is HIV/AIDS. In response, the Center has added Ukukhanye Kwetemba (meaning “Sunshine of Hope” in Xhosa), a counseling center through which the Scalabrini Center is able to offer voluntary testing and counseling for those living with HIV/AIDS.Strawberry. Because of its affiliation with the Catholic Church, the strawberry, a symbol of “good works,” represents the Scalabrini Center in the “30/30” still life arrangements.To learn more about the Scalabrini Center, please visit the organization online:http://www.scalabrini.org.za.

Page 31

Page 32

“Participant 07” is a refugee from the DRC. She addresses in her journal issues ofpromiscuity, fidelity, grief, and care of orphans. She advises men to be faithful to their wives.I am a 56 year old widow. I tested HIV positive in 2005. My CD4 count was 134. [At t]hat time I had TB. I did not know that I had the virus before because I was fit and healthy. I know I contracted the virus from my late husband who was a drunkard and very promisc[u]ous. I was a very faithful wife and to this day I never slept with any other man. I would like to urge men out in the world to be faithful [and] to stick to one partner. At the present moment I am looking after three grandchildren orphaned due to AIDS. My daughter married a man who was also promisc[u]ous and she contracted the virus and they both died at an early age. The husband was 33 years old and the wife was 26 years old. People should be educated about these things. They should be made aware.

Page 33

Page 34

“Participant 08” shares how, even though she has lost trust in her promiscuous husband,she has learned to live positively with HIV. They are estranged but not yet divorced.I discovered I was HIV positive six years ago. I was numb with shock and disbelief. “WHY. . . HOW. . . COULD THIS BE HAPPENING TO ME.” After the shock and disbelief I started wondering if my two sons were also HIV positive. I got flashbacks of the times they ha[d] been ill and tried to figure out if perhaps they were HIV negative. Routine tests proved that they are negative. “GLORY TO GOD.” The love and trust I had for my husband vanished overnight. His denial left a bitter taste in my mouth. We are estranged. He does not want a divorce yet. He refused to use protection during sex. I made a choice five years ago to move out with my children. . . I got a job. . . [Now I] lead a healthy and fulfilling life, and have been on ARVs for five years now. I have forgiven my husband but I can never get back together with him as the love and trust is gone.

Page 35

Page 36

“Participant 09” migrated to Cape Town as a refugee from Zimbabwe half a decade ago,after losing three of his children to HIV/AIDS. He believes stigma destroyed their lives.Way back I could not believe that the story of HIV/AIDS was real because I had not seen anyone who was a victim of it. I came to know this when I got married and lost my loving kids, one after another, [within] 3 months. I believe it was of stigma—that’s why my first two kids just died and we could not get tested for this HIV/AIDS. I came to know of this problem when my third kid was ill and tried to save her life but she died. The doctors told us that she was HIV positive, so we got tested and the truth of HIV/AIDS was real. [T]hen I got tested and accepted the results and came to understand what it means to live with HIV/AIDS. This came about after going for counseling. Now I understand what it means to be with the HIV/AIDS and [to] be able to live positively. To all people who cannot believe if they should be tested and [find] their status—it is just good to know and live positively and that [it is] not the end of life. It has not been my wish to [lose] my three kids but because of stigma HIV/AIDS took advantage and destroyed their lives. My life still goes well though [I am a] refugee.

Page 37

Page 38

Inzame Zabantu Community Health CenterResisting inequitable access to healthcare. Despite the election of a president who is more astute in relation to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in his own country of South Africa than his predecessor, global funding to make medicines to treat an HIV infection widely available, and a network of community health clinics and NGOs working to distribute information about prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, 1,400 people daily become newly infected with HIV in South Africa. These account for nearly 20% of the estimated 7,400 new infections occurring daily worldwide. Likewise, the actual number of deaths related to HIV holds steady at about 1,000 a day in South Africa, again accounting for about 20% of the 5,500 people dying daily worldwide from complications arising from an infection. There are a host of complications around access to healthcare in South Africa. During apartheid, the government focused on the development of providing primary care to the public through a nationwide system of hospitals, leaving the masses living in townships with little access to a network of quality care. Under the new government, community health care centers are slowly but surely increasing access to primary care in impoverished communities.Inzame Zabantu Community Health Center. Inzame Zabantu is a medical clinic situated in Philippi, an extremely underprivileged area within the townships outside of Cape Town that began offering services out of shipping containers in 1994. Through an innovative strategy, administrators of the clinic raised funds for a new building. Whereas many governmental clinics in South Africa are dreary structures, worn by time and lacking funds for proper maintenance, Inzame Zabantu is light and airy, with windows that wash the waiting area with warmth and sunlight. The walls are painted in bright colors, and the grounds are well tended, even with a garden outside its front door. The facility was given the name “Inzame Zabantu” by the people it serves—a phrase in Xhosa that means “the people’s initiative.” It is the only primary health clinic in this densely populated section of the Cape Flats where the rate of HIV/AIDS is one in every five. Inzame Zabantu started offering ARVs in July 2007, and has registered more than 1,200 clients on antiretrovirals with hundreds more awaiting grants for services.Hibiscus. The hibiscus is a flower that symbolizes good health for its health restoring properties. In the “30/30” still life arrangements, the hibiscus signifies Inzame Zabantu’s efforts in the community to restore visitors to good health.For more information, visit:https://www.medpages.info/sf/index.php?page=organisation&orgcode=138717.

Page 39

Page 40

“Participant 10” was tested for HIV only recently, and has disclosed his status to hiswife, but not to his daughters. He advises others to protect themselves, and to be tested.I’m staying in Brown’s Farm (in Siyahlal, an informal settlement). I’m married. I have two children. The first is 15 years old; the second is 8. They are both girls. I was only diagnosed this August [2009]. The first sign was shingles. I went to a private doctor. He said I must come to the clinic to check for HIV. I am still working. The children are in school. I have disclosed my status to my wife. She has been tested, and so far she is negative. The three-month window for retesting is almost here. My wife and I haveagreed to use protection to prevent her from becoming infected. At the present moment, only my wife and I know. Even our daughters do not know. They are still too young. . . . Before I knew my status, I was drinking a lot. Since I got the news, I’ve stopped. I don’t know how I got HIV because I am an honest person. I’ve looked after my wife. My only advice is to use protection, and to share any information you have with your spouse. You must trust no one. You must protect yourself.

Page 41

Page 42

“Participant 11” describes his situation in Samara, a section of Philippi, where access tofood and water are scarce. He is especially concerned about the safety of his daughter.I am from the Eastern Cape. I’ve been here for four years now; I came to Cape Town in 2005 looking for work. I was employed, and was on treatment in 2005. And I was married. But she was very sick—vomiting, with diarrhea. Her entire body was aching. She was unable to walk. She was not on medication; she did not go to the clinic to see what the problem was. Instead, we went to our church to ask the pastors to pray for her to be healed. But she passed away earlier this year—in June. We have a daughter who will be thirteen years old this year (grade 6). She is staying with me. We are alone now. This is the second month I have been unemployed because of poor health. I was losing my eyesight; I have gone completely blind now. Also, I had terrible pains on the right side of my chest. I went to the doctor to see if it was TB. I am still waiting for the results. I am underweight. We have very little food to eat, and no money. We are staying here in a very poor community. We live in a shack. More than 15,000 people share one tap of water here. Four families share every toilet. The situation is very difficult. The government distributes porridge to try to avoid a famine. When they are able, our neighbors sometimes give us their leftovers. Because I am HIV+, I may qualify for a grant to help subsidize us. We are waiting for the CD4 count to come back to know whether I qualify. But it is taking so long. It is terrible for my daughter. She goes to school hungry. I am worried about her. I’m worried she will be abused—that when I’m gone, people will offer her bread to sleep with her. We have no one to look after us. Can anyone help us? Please, can anyone help us?

Page 43

Page 44

Page 45

Page 46

Wola NaniResisting violence against women. South Africa has the highest ratio of reported rape cases per capita (per 100,000 people) in the world. Estimates suggest that a woman is raped every 26-36 seconds in South Africa, where a child is raped every 15 minutes. South Africa also has a high number of incidents of infant rape or “baby rape,” as it is more commonly called. Indeed, 41% of those raped in the country are under the age of 12, according to South African police reports. Scholars have articulated at least six theories in an effort to understand the underlying causes of violence against women in South Africa, where democracy came only sixteen years ago after widespread brutality had been inflicted by the white government of apartheid against 80% of the population that was designated “black” or “coloured” (people of mixed ethnic heritage). These theories go beyond the more obvious conclusion that individual men have made the choice to brutalize their mothers, sisters, girlfriends, wives, and daughters. The truth probably lies in an interweaving of theories that the individual choice to commit sexual assault against a woman is correlated to a combination of factors, including persistent poverty, circulation of myth, cultural norms to subordinate women, male disempowerment, broken familial structures, and lack of legal deterrents.Wola Nani. In Xhosa, Wola Nani means “through our embrace, we develop one another.” Founded by South African activist Gary Lamont in 1994, Wola Nani’s mission is, simply put, “to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and AIDS.” Without denying services to men, Wola Nani has focused on bringing relief to the communities hardest hit by HIV, recognizing that women have been disproportionately infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. The organization’s concern for the welfare of women is evident in its areas of focus which fall broadly into three categories: client support; education and awareness; and skills development. In addition to its famous “Red Ribbon Campaign” to keep HIV and AIDS awareness alive in the public square, the organization’s arts and crafts program provides income generation for HIV-positive women accessing Wola Nani’s services.Calla Lily. The Calla Lily, native to South Africa, means “Magnificent Beauty.” In the “30/30” still life arrangements, the Calla Lily signifies Wola Nani, whose magnificent and beautiful work to embrace and develop one another is uniquely South Africa’s gift to humanity.For more information about Wola Nani, please visit the organization online:http://www.wolanani.co.za.

Page 47

Page 48

“Participant 13” is a member of the team at Wola Nani. She reflects on the changes shehas seen in the lives of those now living positively because of the work of this organization.I’ve been working with Wola Nani since 1994. We were working then only with HIV+ women. It was very difficult at that time because of stigma. The clients we saw—they didn’t want to attend the clinics. We used to do home visits: helping the people, washing them, referring them to the hospital. In 2002, most people broke the silence. We were assisting them to live positively in support groups. As a result, most of our clients were talking about HIV and spreading the word about the work of Wola Nani. Wola Nani planned to enter the townships, and played a big role in our communities—[in] Khayelitsha, Philippi, Guguletu, Mfuleni, and Nyanga, through support groups from these areas and in the IDC [Infectious Disease Clinic] at the Red Cross Hospital. So if I compare 1994-2000, and 2000 until now, I feel like Wola Nani changed a lot for the clients. They make paper maché bowls and bead work. Wola Nani trained them, and now they can be with their families, and do something to earn money. Most of our clients manage their HIV well. We’ve started a support group for children. Our staff taught even the children how to live positively, and to be confident about speaking about HIV. I’m very proud of the work we are doing at Wola Nani.

Page 49

Page 50

“Participant 14” is a counselor for Wola Nani. She informs HIV-positivemothers how to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus.I was diagnosed [in] 1990 in Cape Town. I found [out after] giving birth. [Then I] got sick with TB. By 1998, I treated it. So [during] all [those] years there was no medication. By 2003 I started the ARVs so that I [could] be healed. Because I was [at] Stage IV and my CD4 count was 175, I discover[ed] that I had pneumonia. By 2004, [I treated it.]. By 2005 I develop[ed] asthma, so I [have been] using [Asthavent] to make it better. I [joined] Wola Nani in 1998 at the support group whereby I get very strong and I [learned] that I . . . [am not] alone living positive. I started to do bead craft [in] that year. By 2000 I started to train the other[s in] doing craft[work]. By 2007 I started to work as a counselor at Wola Nani. [I have been conducting] the program of mother to child transmission. There I’m telling mothers to prevent their children [from becoming infected] by doing HIV test[s] when they are pregnant. When they [find] out that they [are] HIV positive there is a treatment that they get during [their] seventh month [of] pregnancy. They get dual therapy but if their CD4 count is less than 250 they go on ARVs to protect their babies. [I also teach them] about feeding options [that are] their choice: breast or formula feed[ing].

Page 51

Page 52

“Participant 15” writes about her own quest to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and about how she works to empower others to do the same through Wola Nani.I [was] born in [the] Eastern Cape. [In] 1999 [I] tested for HIV. [I t]ested positive. Not sick. Just [was] curious to know. Then [I planned] to have a child. 2001 get pregnant. Was hungry [to] prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) because I need to prevent my child from HIV. I [read a] book [about] PMTCT. Then my child tested when he was nine month[s] old. He was born [in] 2002. Tested negative because of PMTCT. [I w]as in need of support. I got lot[s] of support from my family. My CD4 count was 870 in 2003. Also attending clinic for myself. Because I was hungry [for] informationI [I] started to join a support group where I met others [where we could] also share our stories. Then 2003 NGO FAMSA [sent] me for intensive counseling course. Also 2003 started to join Wola Nani as a client. Attend support group each and every weekday. [We shared] our ideas with others. Then 2004 I started to work for Wola Nani as a home carer. [This i]s whereby we visit sick clients [and] also check their meds (those [who] are using [them]). Also deliver food parcel[s]. Then 2005 January I have been promoted to work as a counsellor at Red Cross Hospital [through] information I have because I was . . . involved with TAC, ARK, and FAMSA [who] provide[d] me with training. At Red Cross I’m working as a counsellor doing pre-, post-test counseling, adherence counseling. [I’m] also helping [with] interpreting for doctors. To work in a HIV facility, it empower[s] me a lot because I was helping clients to deal with stigma, denial, discrimination. Also [I am helping] them adhere to their treatment. Challenges that we [face include] denial [and] also disclosure which lead to adherence problem[s] but we deal with [these by] giving them information.

Page 53

Page 54

YabongaResisting illiteracy and inequitable access to education. As UNICEF attests, “It is education that will provide the next generation with the tools to fight poverty and conquer disease. School also offers children a safe environment, with support, supervision and socialization. Here they learn life skills that can help them prevent diseases. . . . [E]ducating a girl dramatically reduces the chance that her child will die before age five, and improves her prospects of being able to support herself and have a say in her own welfare and in society” (http://www.childinfo.org/education.html). However, one sixth of all people are functionally illiterate (with skills inadequate to navigate daily living and employment tasks), and just under 20% of the world’s adult population are estimated to be profoundly illiterate (unable to read or write)—a percentage that UNICEF predicts will increase in the twenty-first century because only a quarter of the world’s children were in school by the end of the twentieth. In South Africa, a sizable achievement gap persists in classrooms still largely segregated, even after the fall of apartheid.Yabonga. Within a few years of experiencing the ousting of the apartheid regime in South Africa, it was clear to educator Ulpha Robertson that high-quality school readiness programs in underprivileged areas would not be among the top priorities of the newly elected government. Therefore, she collaborated with Austrian-born Ursel Barnes, herself a parent with an interest in shaping the direction of education within South Africa’s emerging democracy and, in 1998, together they founded Yabonga (a Zulu word meaning “they thanked,” or “they saved”). With an aim to strengthen young children’s preparedness for mainstream schooling, Yabonga focused initially on establishing educare centers—places that were dedicated to preventing an achievement gap from opening between privileged and underprivileged children from birth to age five. However, within two years of Yabonga’s founding, the staff encountered a child living with HIV—the first among many. It was an experience that caused them immediately to expand their programming to provide education, support, and skills development for mothers testing positive, so they could be present to their children to support them as they grew into adults.Frangipani. The frangipani (plumeria) is a symbol of shelter and protection. In the “30/30” still life arrangements, it represents Yabonga’s efforts to shelter those living with HIV/AIDS from shame and stigma, and to protect the future by closing the achievement gap through its educare programs.For more information about Yagonga, visit the organization online:http://yabonga.com/site.

Page 55

Page 56

“Participant 16” writes about the painful realities of working with childrenliving with HIV/AIDS. She has served Yabonga as a peer educator and counselor.I started knowing [my HIV+ status] in 2002 while I was sick. I had TB and it was for the second time and my doctor decided/advised that I should do an HIV test. It was something new for me and I did it. Unfortunately I tested +. I just thought it was the end of life for me but [the] one thing [that] kept me going was my child. I prayed to God that he must not take me because my son is still young. Apart from that was to join Yabonga support group in 2002 at M/Goniwe Clinic in Khayelitsha. The lady who was a team leader there gave me all the support that I needed and I felt very strong after that. In 2005 I was so lucky to be trained as a peer educator at Yabonga. Then [in] 2006 I started working and fortunately for me I was a youth counselor. I had to deal with children who are infected with HIV/AIDS and affected. Some of them are orphans through HIV/AIDS. Finally it started as something good for me because I was working, but later I discovered that, this is worse to deal with children’s challenges. I worked in different places where Yabonga is having containers at the clinics. [Shipping containers are used as freestanding buildings in many township communities.] I remember while I was in Kraai-Fontein [in] 2007, there were two children. [O]ne of them is HIV+ and their mom didn’t have any means to provide for them but because in our OVC programme we give these children all the support [they required] including [a school] uniform and some food, and they come to our centers after school for food as we have community moms to cook for them. These community mothers are our clients who volunteer themselves to cook for the children after school. The food and everything is from Yabonga and they just open their homes for our children. But with a [stipend]. So for some children it is a great privilege for them to be part of Yabonga at least to have them all to get the support they need. Some of these children become infected, so we have to deal with these problems but we refer them to [relevant] places for counseling. There is a boy in Gugulethu who touched me. He is HIV+ and is always sick. He is [in and out of the] hospital. I was so worried when the doctors said they are going to stop him from taking ARVs because he doesn’t improve, but through our prayers, I again heard that there is doctor who said he wants to monitor him and he is not stopping medication. I think [his] story is touching everybody because he is really a fighter. That is not something nice. People might think we are happy because we have accepted our statuses and our families do, but what about the fact that [we are] going to be on medication for the rest of [our lives]? [the s]truggle continues

Page 57

Page 58

“Participant 17” writes about how the Institute for the Healing of Memoriesconducts retreats to help caregivers cope with the trauma of HIV/AIDS.I live in a community [where] people are confronted by the reality of HIV&AIDS on a daily basis. People choose to respond to the pandemic in many different ways. [The Institute for the] Healing of Memories and HIV/AIDS is about creating a safe space for those infected and affected by [this disease]. Many people infected and affected by HIV&AIDS continue to experience rejection and isolation. This [leaves] people with a lot of feelings, [like] pain and disappointment. [The Institute for the] Healing of Memories create[s] an opportunity for people to deal with the negative feeling[s] they have because of how we respond to those living with the [disease]. People are struggling with feeling[s] of anger because of a partner who infected them with the [disease], because of being isolated by family and friends. [Facilitators at the Institute for the] Healing of Memories listen to the pain of those who have been affected and infected to help people journey with strength and believe that they are not alone.

Page 59

Page 60

“Participant 18” is a peer educator for Yabonga, and credits the organization for teachinghim to live positively. He has turned his life around, and is studying for a bachelor’s degree.I [was] born in 1968 [on] the 19th September in the North West Province of South Africa. I went to school in 1975 at Makgori Primary in Makgori Village. We then relocated to Tshidilamolomo in 1977. I continued with my education until 1985 when I pass[ed] my STD8 [standard eight, or eighth grade]. I couldn’t continue with my studies due to [a] lack of finance[s]. I stayed at home doing odd jobs to earn some income. [In] 1991 I went back to continue with my studies and I completed my matric. In 1994 Iwas employed as a temporary teacher. When my contract was terminated in 1997 I went back to do my odd jobs to earn some income. In 1999 I tested HIV-positive but didn’t believe in HIV/AIDS. I then moved to Cape Town where my brother is staying. I continued working in building construction as I liked working with sand and stones. In 2004 I went to do VCT [voluntary testing and counseling] again, hoping to be negative but FORTUNATELY I tested HIV-positive. I couldn’t do anything about it but toaccept the results. I met the Yabonga HIV/AIDS Peer Educators who encouraged me to accept and forget about where I [got] the virus [from] but to continue living my life but differently. That’s changing my lifestyle. Living positively with positive mind. I joined the support group and that is where my future with Yabonga started. I went for an interview in 2006 at Yabonga and I went through. [In] 2007 I was trained to be an HIV/AIDS Peer Educator. I could speak openly [about] my status to everybody includingmy family and friends. A person living with HIV is a normal person. It was also my step forward. I am presently a student at the University of South Africa and am going to be graduating in years to come. Every person can fulfil his dreams living with the HI Virus. I am now taking my ARV medication and keeping well everyday. Thank you Yabonga for having me as [your] employee.

Page 61

Page 62

Ikamva LabantuResisting mistreatment of elders and orphans. The United Nations volume called The Impact of AIDS outlines the dire ramifications of HIV on households, noting especially a “change in household composition, with the gradual disappearance of the parental generation and children being cared for by grandparents and other relatives . . . [or] an increase in one-generation households headed by older children” (39). According to avert.org, an international AIDS charity, there are more than 15 million AIDS orphans in the world today. These realities are painfully evident in South Africa, where grandparents—grandmothers, in particular—are caring for their grandchildren, even as they mourn the passing of their own children. Elders in the communities speak of how they are worried about the young adults in the community—and about how many of them, experiencing hopelessness from grinding poverty, inadequate education, and joblessness, are becoming addicted to drugs. Stories circulate about drug-addicted adults and gang members who steal pension checks from elderly persons in order to pay for their next fix. The middle generation is leaving elders and orphans to care for one another.Ikamva Labantu. For more than 30 years, Ikamva Labantu (“The Future of Our Nation”) has been involved in social development. Recognizing the pressure that seniors are under in the new South Africa, Ikamva Labantu has created an innovative senior program to provide a place for seniors to find rest and play, as well as support and community. In a single day at any of the seventeen senior centers that have been established in the Western Cape Province, visitors might find seniors enjoying a meal, visiting with friends, exercising their bodies, playing a game, making crafts, tending a vegetable garden, or attending special events. Additionally, the centers provide assistance for seniors who are completing applications for pensions, social services, or disability grants. Today’s senior centers are being transformed into integrated activity centers to care for both grandparents and orphans, providing a place for elders to rest even as the young ones in their care are given nutritious food, homework assistance, and a safe place to play.Lotus Flower. Because the lotus flower only blooms into a magnificent flower after emerging from the mud at the bottom of a river or lake, the lotus flower or water lily represents, in the “30/30” still life arrangements, Ikamva Labantu’s program for seniors who have emerged from the muck of apartheid to bloom into magnificent and wise elders in their communities.For more information about Ikamva Labantu, please visit the organization online:http://www.ikamva.com/seniors/index.html.

Page 63

Page 64

“Participant 19” cares for an HIV-positive daughter and her children,sharing openly their struggles with alcohol and drug addiction.I am a 67 year old mother of 2. [My] daughter is 44 and son is 42. In 1994 my first-born daughter was diagnosed HIV-positive. She grew up in the Eastern Cape [and was] brought up by my mother. At first I blamed myself [for] not bringing her up myself. But later I accompanied her to the clinic for counseling. It took time for her to accept [her status]. She kept saying it can’t be her blood. I kept taking her to different places to be tested. At last she believed it and kept it [a] secret at home. I tried to go to workshops to learn more about this disease. It is very difficult to live with my child. She turned to drinking and gets very aggressive when drunk which is almost every day. She has two sons. I brought them up myself and put them through education. They are both working but [are] affected by the situation. The younger one is on drugs. They all stay with me. I am only sane by the grace of God. We pray together most of the time. I support them with my pension. I struggle to have [her take her treatments]. It is a miracle she lasted so long taking medication and alcohol. I praise the Lord for all blessings. I[t] affects me [for] whenever she is in pain she comes to me and I can feel the pain. The big blow was this year when I phoned a place she went to for chest X-rays. I was told she has no lungs. I nearly died. All in all it is not easy to nurse someone who sometimes blames me for wanting her to die. I pay for funeral policies. She doesn’t get [a] disability grant because she drinks. It is depressing. I just trust in the Lord to make me strong when the time comes.

Page 65

Page 66

“Participant 20” raised her grandchildren when her daughter passed away.She advises people to get tested in order to prevent further spread of the virus.I am 59 years old. I live in the township[s] of Cape Town. Ten years ago I discovered that my 27-year-old daughter was infected with HIV. I was very shocked, not knowing what to do, and at that time I was still in the dark about HIV. I knew my daughter was dying. I didn’t know what to do, but I manage[d] to share with my neighbours, my church collegues, and my fellow workers. They supported me with prayers. She became very sick and there was no help of ARVs at that moment. There was nothing I coulddo but to wait and pray.Apparently, I came to Ikamva Labantu for help, and the only help I could get at that time was support. She was fully blown and after a long time she died. I was in a trauma of accepting the death of my daughter and [taking] care of her two children, a boy of 9 and a girl of 3 at that time. I was open about it although I was depressed, but through [counseling] I survived.I raised those two children out of my income. Now the boy has turned 20 and the girl is 14. They are very beautiful and fortunately they are not infected.I would like everyone to accept the d[i]sease, but to try and prevent it. If you happen to be HIV[-positive], it is not the end of the world. There is help at the clinics. [I]f you don’t know your status go and get tested before it’s too late.

Page 67

Page 68

“Participant 21” lost two daughters to HIV, and cares for their children. A thirddaughter is also HIV-positive. She encourages parents to accept their children.I am a 61 year old who lost children, 2 daughters: 1 in 1999 and 1 in 2005. And [they both] were infected by HIV. The eldest daughter left me with 2 children who are now at the age of 25 and a boy of 13. Fortunately they are not infected. The second daughter died in 2005. [She] also left 2 children, a boy of 20 and another boy who is now 4 years. I struggle to raise them, but with the help of Ikamva I do survive. I was very hurt, but what can I do? The d[i]sease is here and everybody must accept the fact that it is here.I miss my daughter. I pray to God that I can live longer to take care of the little ones, because I am the only hope for them.I have [a] third daughter who is 31. [S]he is also infected. I sometimes think that I am cursed, but again I know that is not the fact. It is just that we must be careful, and try [to] educate our children about HIV. To the parents out there, I would like to send a message: Accept your children and support them. They need you as a parent to give them hope.I would like to plea to everybody: let us hold hands as parents and support one another in this pandemic. We have become carers and I support them out of my little pension. It’s not enough but I survive.

Page 69

Page 70

Treatment Action CampaignResisting AIDS denialism. Even as the numbers of those testing positive in his country multiplied, former South African President Thabo Mbeki adopted an AIDS denialist philosophy, believing among other lies and distortions that the science around HIV was a conspiracy to force governments to purchase expensive pharmaceuticals for common diseases like pneumonia and cancer. A recent study by researchers at Harvard estimates that Mbeki contributed to the premature deaths of at least 365,000 people as a result of his allegiance to the denialist position, which prevented his country from accessing the anti-retroviral medications that were having a “Lazarus effect” on millions of people testing positive throughout the world.Treatment Action Campaign. Within this context of AIDS denialism, the deaths of two men in South Africa quickened the founding of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), an organization devoted to ensuring that every person living with HIV in South Africa has access to quality comprehensive prevention and treatment services to live a healthy life. Simon Nkoli, an anti-apartheid and gay rights activist, died from AIDS even when ARVs were available to wealthy South Africans. Shortly after Nkoli’s death, Gugu Dlamini was murdered due to his HIV activism. In response, on International Human Rights Day 1998 (December 10), Zackie Achmat and ten other activists launched TAC. Using memorable direct action tactics borrowed from the South African anti-apartheid movement in order to achieve its aims, the organization has been enormously successful. Very early on, members of the group (positive and negative alike) fought AIDS stigma by wearing t-shirts imprinted boldly with the words: “HIV Positive.” Recognizing the vast inequities in access to pharmaceuticals, Achmat himself pledged not to take ARVs until all South Africans could obtain them. Achmat relented and took the drugs only after Nelson Mandela himself in unison with members of TAC pleaded with him to save his own life. TAC has been credited with South Africa’s implementation of a country-wide mother-to-child transmission prevention program, as well as forcing the reluctant government to make ARVs widely available to South Africans. TAC continues to advocate for equal access today, when still only about 40% of those requiring these drugs have access to them.Chrysanthemum. When white, the chrysanthemum signifies “truth.” In “30/30,” it signifies the Treatment Action Campaign’s defense of scientific truth in its efforts to ensure equal access to treatment.To learn more about the Treatment Action Campaign, visit the organization online:http://www.tac.org.za.

Page 71

Page 72

“Participant 22” is a treatment literacy trainer at the TAC offices in Khayelitsha.After trusting traditional healers to cure him, he joined TAC to help get the truth out.I was born in the Eastern Cape, [in a p]lace called Sterkspruit in the former Tran[s]kie. Then I came to Cape Town in 1990. I have two children girl & boy. She is 8 years and the boy is 2 years old. In 2004 I was diagnosed with HIV on the 7 of August because I was very sick. [I had] shingles, [diarrhea], skin problem[s]. The nurses d[e]cided that I should do VCT [voluntary counseling and testing]. The result came back positive and my CD4 count was 34. I couldn’t believe when they told me that I am HIV positive. I then did not want to go to the clinic as we believe in traditional medicine most of us. I went to Free State where I met the traditional doctor who claim[ed] that he [could] treat & cure HIV & AIDS but I found out that I was not getting better. Instead things were becoming wors[e]. I came back to Cape Town very sick. CD4 of 9. The doctors suggested that I should start ARVs imm[e]diately. I started ARVs on the 8th of March 2005—but I had lots of side effects like [lipodystrophy], peripheral neuropathy, vomiting. But I am happ[i]ly married but my wife is still HIV negative because we take [pre]caution[s] or use condom[s] everytime we [have] sex. In 2007 I did spermwash cause I wanted a child. Now my 2-year-old son is also HIV negative. My message is that living with HIV & AIDS is not the end of the world. I make sure that I protect my partner and adhere to my treatment correctly. I am a treatment literacy trainer in Khayelitsha. Now my CD4 count is 388 & the viral load is undetectable.

Page 73

Page 74

Among other roles, “Participant 23” works as a TB coordinator for TAC.More than anything, she wishes to be a healthy mother to a healthy baby.Originally I am from Eastern [Cape] from the place called Butterworth. I was diagnosed HIV+ in 2002 when I was having TB of the pulm for the second time. At that [time] my CD4 was 39, and I had to start ARVs. I started ARVs on 13 of April in 2002. Two months after my CD4 was 90. I felt good. In 2004 towards the end I decided to get pregnant because my CD4 was very high at 880. My doctor advi[s]ed me to do the papsmear and CD4 and viral load for my pregnancy. I was referred to Hanover Park. That [is where] I delivered an HIV negative boy from the weight on 4.2 kg [9.25 lbs.]. I was working at the hospice in 2003 up to 2005. It’s where I’ve noticed that I have to work closely with HIV client[s] to give them the education and information that the community need[s] outside. In terms of stigma and discrimination I didn’t experience anything. I experienced lots of side effect because AZT, 3TC, Effavirenz. When I decided to get pregnant & was [switched] from Effavirenz to Nevirapine. Currently I am working for TAC since 2006 for the integration of TB and HIV clinic as a TB coordinator. I am good, healthy and my CD4 is 940. I want to s[t]ay a healthy mom to [a] healthy baby. Let’s come together and fight this epidemic. Alluta || continua || Amandla

Page 75

Page 76

“Participant 24” goes to clinics for TAC to share information about how to prevent HIV.She believes the South African constitution secures the “right to adequate healthcare.”Originally I am from Eastern [Cape] in the place called Carth-cart. I am 46 years of age. I started to know about my status in 1999. In 2001, I started my ARVs Effavirenz, AZT, 3TC. I had experienced asthma and I had TB and asthma. I joined TAC in 2000 as an activist. Now I am doing Prevention Treatment Literacy at the clinics and I joined the P-WA sector within TAC. Also I [am] participating at the women’s sectors as a chairperson. I know how to challenge the denialists of HIV. As [our] constitution says, “We have a right to adequate healthcare.” I know HIV treatment literacy and [challenge] the homophobia in our community. I am doing workshops, education within the community. To be an activist—it means a lot to me. Currently my CD4 is 775, but I started ARVs when my CD4 was 179. My concern is only asthma. I don’t worry about HIV. Alluta Continua!! Amandla.

Page 77

Page 78

New Life Center FoundationResisting human trafficking. According to the 2007 U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons report, “there are 12.3 million people in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, and sexual servitude at any given time,” though it admits that “other estimates range from 4 million to 27 million.” Annually, according to U.S. Government-sponsored research completed in 2006, approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders. Approximately 80 percent of transnational victims are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors. The majority of transnational victims are females trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. These numbers do not include millions of female and male victims around the world who are trafficked within their own national borders—the majority for forced or bonded labor.The New Life Center Foundation. Despite greater access to elementary education and the promulgation of awareness campaigns in the Mekong subregion of Asia (including Southwestern China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand), vulnerability to human trafficking and labor exploitation in the region persists. Founded in 1987 by Dr. Paul and Ms. Elaine Lewis, anthropologists who worked in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Thailand for forty years, the New Life Center Foundation supports over 200 women annually, providing educational and residential services, vocational and life skills training, and therapeutic activities for girls and young women who have been identified through the social welfare system in Thailand as victims of human trafficking. When they arrive, the residents work with the Center’s staff to identify goals that might include obtaining a high school or University education, receiving vocational training to increase their chances of finding work in beauty salons, tailoring shops, or clinics, and gaining confidence in basic life skills by participating in workshops on reproductive health, hygiene, human rights, and gender equity. The Center also supports income generation by a handicraft program. Dolls, bags, and jewelry are available for sale in the Center’s shop. More than 800 women who were identified through Thailand’s social welfare services as victims of human trafficking, prostitution, labor exploitation, and sexual abuse have been assisted by the Center’s services since its inception.Orchid. Because the orchid is the national flower of Thailand, and is a flower that signifies both “hope” and “innocence,” two concepts that the New Life Center Foundation represents so integrally, the orchid represents the New Life Center Foundation in the “30/30” still life arrangements.For more information about the New Life Center Foundation, please visit the organization online:https://newlifecenterfoundation.org.

Page 79

Page 80

“Participant 25,” now seventeen years old, was sent away from home at the age of elevento work in a restaurant. The owners arranged for her to meet several “customers” daily.When I finished the third grade, I did not think I would meet with the issues that I faced next but shouldn’t have. But when we have passed a certain stage, we shouldn’t destroy ourselves. We are bearing the consequences of what we have done.Sometimes I think of having HIV, and I think that nobody will love me. And sometimes when I see others enjoying their lives while I am suffering in my life with the virus, [I am sad because] I should not have it. Sometimes it also causes me to think back to the past. It gives me an experience [to say] that we do not have to work in those kinds of jobs again. There are many other people who are suffering more than me, and they are not going into despair about the problems they are encountering.When we come to a safe place, it gives us happiness and joy. I want to tell everybody that is like me that I wish they did not have to go through this. Please obey your parents. If [girls] want to work, [I want to tell them to] find appropriate work for their age, and to find work that is legal. Don’t think that all work is good work. It is not true. It might not be suitable or appropriate [what people are asking you to do]. I don’t want any woman to do the work that I have done.I have had this experience. I want to share this with people who have not done this work in the past. I cannot change what happened that gave me the virus. The only thing that I can do is to look after my health and to exercise regularly.I am concerned about women because we have the same hearts.

Page 81

Page 82

“Participant 26” is a graduate of the New Life Center Foundation. She hopesto protect her daughter from the trafficking to which she was vulnerable.I remember the Lahu New Year’s celebrations when I was little. It was so much fun. It was the only time of year that we had new clothes made and we enjoyed showing off our clothes with our friends. I remember playing games in the village with the other kids, catching fish and swimming in the rivers. It was so much fun.I am interested in the well-being and development of my daughter. If I [were] well, I’d be able to work and earn more money for my daughter. But I can’t really do that. But my main interest, the thing that is most important to me, is my daughter.I’d like the broader public to understand how vulnerable young women are, to being trafficked and becoming HIV+. Becoming aware of exploitation and AIDS after the fact is too late. You must have awareness beforehand. Why do young women believe the people who lure us into these types of places?Why do we believe others so easily? You must not be so vulnerable, so easily tricked (like I was). My hope for my future is that I’ll live long enough to see my grandchildren. I hope and pray that we can find a medicine that allows me to live for many, many years, so that I can see my grandchildren. Right now, I don’t know how long I’ll live, but please help find medicines that will keep me alive. This would be a good thing.

Page 83

Page 84

“Participant 27” has been traumatized by the experiences that ultimately brought her to theNew Life Center Foundation. She is now charting a new course free from exploitation.When I was a little girl, I loved to go fishing with my big sister. This actually is my happiest memory, because I was living in the forest [at the time]. There was a river and I loved the environment with fresh air and clear skies. Even though during my childhood I did not get to eat delicious food—and even went without meals sometimes—I was so happy because I was with my family—my father, my mother, and my big sister. In terms of my interests . . . I like to play the guitar. I like to look after the fish (in the fish pond), and plant trees and flowers—especially orchids. I like orchids so much because they have beautiful fragrance and beautiful colors. In terms of the things important in my life . . . my relationship with God is important to me. God has provided me with a place to live, food to eat, and medicine to care for me. Also, what is important is that God is healing my heart and making me stronger. I’d like to tell tribal women in northern Thailand to have awareness, to have knowledge and not be so easily manipulated. Because in today’s society, [there are] many areas in which you can be duped or tricked. If you believe people too easily you might be tricked easily, into many different things. I want to recover fully from this disease. I dream that one day there will be medicine to heal me. I place my hope (and trust) in God because if that day could truly come, I’d like to have a complete family.

Page 85

Page 86

OMIECH:Organización de Médicos Indígenas del Estado de ChiapasResisting political violence. In Chiapas, Mexico, the indigenous population has received substandard services from the Mexican government for generations. Anticipating the devastating ramifications of the North American Free Trade Agreement on widening the gulf between the rich and the poor, and to show outrage for the government’s removal of its 27th amendment to the constitution which had guaranteed land reparations to indigenous groups throughout Mexico, the Zapatistas led an uprising in 1994 hoping to inspire a revolution throughout Mexico. In addition to equity in health, the people articulated their right to land, employment, fair wages, food, healthcare, shelter, communication, culture, independence, democracy, liberty, and peace. Today, they continue to strive for autonomy from the Mexican government—including autonomy from the Mexican healthcare system, which has provided universal access to ARVs since 2003. According to a September 2010 profile of HIV/AIDS in Mexico by USAID, “HIV infection in Mexico is concentrated in urban areas, where 78 percent of the population lives. Most HIV prevention programs focus on urban populations, although there are efforts to reach out to rural, mobile, and indigenous populations. The biggest challenge Mexico currently faces is unequal access to quality care.”Organización de Médicos Indígenas del Estado de Chiapas (OMIECH). OMIECH offers a system of primary healthcare to the indigenous peoples of Mexico through its regional center as well as through its network of community associations. A regional center in San Cristóbal de las Casas operates a museum, a demonstration garden, and an herbal shop/pharmacy. From its center, health promoters go into the communities to run workshops to inform people about issues related to health. In addition, a midwife program fosters discussion in the communities about reproductive freedom. Those testing positive for HIV/AIDS often use medicinal herbs in conjunction with Western medicines when they are available. Other activities of OMIECH include the defense of indigenous medicine against biopiracy; the rescue, conservation, and development of herbal medicinal arts; and the development educational materials to inform native peoples about health and human rights.Nicotiana / Lily. Because the tobacco plant, or nicotiana, is sacred to the indigenous people of Mexico, it is planted amid the ivy in the “30/30” still life arrangements. The lily symbolizes hope that resistance to the structures driving the HIV/AIDS pandemic will enable us to know again a world without AIDS.For more information about the OMIECH, please visit the organization online: http://www.facebook.com/museomedicinamaya/.

Page 87

Page 88

“Participant 28” is a traditional healer at OMIECH. He believes he has successfullytreated people living with HIV, but keeps the treatment a secret due to fears of bio-piracy.I have taken care of three people in the community: San Antonio Naranjal [Orange Grove], in the Municipality of Simojovel, Chiapas, that are infected with AIDS. I treated them with medicinal plants for 10 days or up to a year. [The length of treatment depended upon] how they reacted to the medicine. In this way, I verifiably cured them. As to which plant I used, I will tell no one, for this remains among us, since it is a secret among indigenous doctors, so that later on we [are able to] retain the authority to patent it, as the case “Pozol y Frijoles Rojos” [the case of “boiled barley and red beans”] already demonstrates. I knew that a person in the city of Guadalajara patented Tepezcouite, that is, a plant that serves [to treat] the burns of the skin. Then, an announcement followed that our plants served their needs, so they stole them from us and patented them. [Once they are patented,] we no longer have them to use. / I have said to them also in the United States, in Arizona, where I have visited, that if they already patented our pozol, this means that it is no longer ours. For us rural folk, pozol is our only food, and already they took it away from us. Our pozol, that is made from corn, is, for us, sacred. / When one knows the illness and its symptoms, one can apply medicine by means of the plants. I am old, but I do not need to go for a [doctor’s] analysis, because I know the plants than can cure me. / AIDS spreads because there are many women who are sold to be with men. But also the infected males transmit that illness to their spouses or to other people. That is very serious, because sadly they do not take care of themselves. / I have seen that there are people who have been infected—they do not disclose [their status] to the public, because they are afraid to be rejected, or mistreated by the community, friends, and family. [Their status] remains a secret. Other times, what is even more worrying, is if a man is infected who wants to have sexual relations with his spouse, but he tells her nothing, the consequence is that he infects his spouse. And this is also very serious. More should be communicated to couples to prevent the illness. This is not only the case with AIDS, but also with other contagious viruses. / In another case, I encountered patients who came from Germany. They came to visit us at OMIECH. I also treated them with medicinal plants, because they suffered from infections, one with syphilis and the other with AIDS. They told me that during the treatment, they functioned well. Before, they burned and itched a lot. After two months of treatment, they went on living. This means that we can cure illnesses by means of our herbs.

Page 89

Page 90

“Participant 29” is a Tzeltal midwife, who shares what is known about HIV/AIDS in herindigenous Mayan community. She emphasizes an ethic of treating all people respectfully.In our community, we knew that AIDS existed five years ago. This is a new illness that can kill us. Health promoters told us of other illnesses, but not of AIDS. In our indigenous communities, little is said about AIDS—just that it is a virus [contracted by] sexual relations. Other people say that they suffer from it because they have bad luck, and they acquired the very harmful illness by means of sex. And that [through that] person he liked, he bought the illness. At times, some people are of bad faith, and they discriminate against the person who suffers from it. Upon learning [of someone’s status], I would not divulge that a woman or a man suffers from AIDS. We should respect them, and not discriminate against them, and we should lift them up, and their spirit, for their quick recovery. My grandmother and my grandfather educated me to be respectful. They told me that if a person falls sick, we are not to discriminate against them or to cast them aside, but to support them. If we do not respect them, and if we mock them, God punishes us; God does not forgive us for that which we do. Thanks be to God the Father, because we do not suffer this illness. In my community, the topic of AIDS is not spoken of much publicly; it is a secret topic.I also tell my people to protect themselves against AIDS, because I have a good heart to tell them. If a woman or man comes to marry, I tell them to love one another always, and not to seek other people to have sex; that is evil. They tell me that it is very good that I have informed them about how to protect themselves, so as not to be killed by this mortal illness.The people who are more [at risk] to contract AIDS in the native communities are people of scarce economic resources who, because of their need, emigrate to places like the United States, or to other parts of Mexico, in search of work. The people who do not suffer from AIDS are the ones that have economic resources, and who do not have to leave their community in order to seek work. They remain in their community, in their country, where they are happy.I am an indigenous Tzeltal midwife. My thoughts are informed by what I have seen.

Page 91

Page 92

“Participant 30” is a health promoter working with indigenous communities inChiapas, Mexico, who shares in her journal some Mayan perceptions of HIV/AIDS.I will talk about my experience with AIDS, working with women in traditional Indian medicine. In communities where there is an AIDS infection, or an illness, [the diagnosis] is not clear. What is AIDS? People only speak of [in Tzotzil] “potz lomal chamel,” which is found in bed, so to speak. (For example, when someone invites us to go swimming in the river, we encounter the spirit of disease.) For diagnosis, it is necessary to ask: How did we encounter it? When did it come? What symptoms do we have? When did they start? Traditional doctors make the diagnosis by [reading] the blood, whereas the doctors at the hospitals make the diagnosis by means of special machines. “Potz lomal chamel” is not the same as AIDS, but it also causes the body to weaken. Sexually transmitted diseases are complicated. And so this is presented as AIDS.When men and women go outside of their communities, and migrate, they spread the illness when they return, infecting their wives or husbands. So grows the seed.AIDS in the community is called [again in Tzotzil] “veel chamel” because it is something that eats you from the inside. It is difficult to speak of AIDS, due to grief, prejudice, customs, and because you must not speak publicly about the private parts of men and women (the penis and the vagina). When we speak of AIDS, we speak about how to prevent it by using medicinal plants. People who are sick, only they know in their hearts [that they have AIDS]. They do not speak of it due to grief [and] fear. It is not made public—only the one who tested [the blood], only the doctor knows. It is not God’s punishment! On the contrary, lack of self care is bad. We are to protect the body and to prevent illness, and to treat the body. God has given us medicines and plants, which we respect. We listen to those who know (doctors and midwives) that it is the devil’s work simply to have sex with anyone. Furthermore, there is no communication between the young, who do not understand advice and who do not care to prevent diseases. So there are herbs that we can use, but we must not condemn people, for it is most important to prevent discrimination among the population. There are some herbs that we take butbecause of a lack of economic resources, they have not been researched to show their effectiveness and thereby help to prevent and cure AIDS in the population.

Page 93

Page 94

Page 95

A Word About Photographic EthicsContributors to a recent volume called Beautiful Suffering: Photography and the Traffic in Pain (University of Chicago Press, 2007), raise disturbing questions about the ethics of documenting human rights disasters photographically. Persuasively, these scholars demonstrate how photography often fails to acknowledge dynamics of power and privilege at play in the exchange, often stripping the humanity of the people it aspires to document, and circumventing the very reaction it aspires to elicit. By affirming the compassionate nature of the viewer who is moved upon seeing a photograph, these scholars argue, photographs rarely intervene to bring about social change. Viewers are moved to tears, but rarely to action, especially as the public becomes increasingly desensitized to images of suffering due to their prolific distribution in the public square. Moreover, the encounter with a powerful image can prevent people from asking difficult questions about the so-called “objective” source behind the camera who is “loading,” “aiming,” and “shooting,” to “capture” an image on film or in pixel for distribution in the public square. Recognizing that censoring documentary photography is neither realistic nor desirable (witness the problematic dearth of images in America related to the Iraqi and American dead and wounded in its recent wars), “30/30” attempts to forward one model for photographic ethics in the context of humanitarian relief. Among the ethical considerations of “30 Years/30 Lives” are these: OPPOSING STIGMA: “30 Years / 30 Lives” confronts the problem of stigmatization of people who are living with HIV by acquiring the consent of every participant, and by including in the series portraits of people who, while HIV-negative, have nonetheless been affected by HIV through loss or care of a loved one or involvement in humanitarian response. The HIV status of the participants is not disclosed unless participants reveal their status in their journals. While giving a degree of protection to those participants living with HIV, this is intended simultaneously to discomfort viewers by preventing them from gaining access to information they desire to have in order to prompt questions, such as: Why do I desire to have that information? For what purpose? In opposing stigma, questions a photographer might consider are: Will the photograph threaten the security of the one depicted? Has the person consented to be photographed? How does the photograph challenge architectures of shame that feed stigma?EMBRACING SOLIDARITY: “30 Years/30 Lives” is undertaken within the context of the photographer’s larger humanitarian response to HIV/AIDS, such that the project is not an enterprise of dropping in, shooting the image, and fleeing again. Rather, much of the photographer’s last decade has been spent largely devoted to the issue of HIV/AIDS. In embracing solidarity, questions a photographer might consider are: What degree of investment does the photographer have in the people and issue he or she is covering? Is it an assignment like any

Page 96

other, or is it the photographer’s passion? Is the photographer embracing solidarity with the people she or he is photographing and, if so, how—and for how long? Is the photographer accompanying the people, or viewing them from a distance? Are the people three dimensional in the photographer’s mind, or flat? If flat, is it ethical to spread such a perception? Does the photograph tell a story and, if so, whose? If the story is the photographers rather than the participant’s, is it valid?AVOIDING OBJECTIFICATION: “30 Years / 30 Lives” recognizes that related to questions about solidarity are questions about objectification. To some extent, it can be argued that to make a photograph of anything is to objectify it. By making a photograph from the “shooting” of a person, an animal, or a place, the photographer has created an object for consumption. Recognizing this, are there ways to overcome this consumerist tendency? Are there ways to accentuate distance between the viewer and the viewed, or to close the gap? Could exhibit events bring participants face to face with an audience thereby highlighting distinctions between the actual participant and their photograph? Can a montage be created to bring more than just one image to the public in order to prevent a flattening of life to a single moment? In what ways can the photographer educate viewers to look at imagery critically, and to engage questions of objectification and ethics in relation to viewing images? In what ways can the photographer, too, receive ongoing education in critical engagement with visual culture? Can such an education help to prevent sensationalism of issues on the one hand, and romanticization of difference on the other? How?APPRECIATING DIGNITY: One intention of “30 Years / 30 Lives” is to recognize the inherent dignity of every human person. The intention of the portraits is to capture the beauty of the human spirit, and to call attention to that inviolable aspect of human nature that is beloved by God. By so doing, and remaining mindful that the entire world community is responsible for responding to violations of human rights, the series aspires to call the public to a just and compassionate response. In appreciating dignity, questions a photographer might consider are: What is the photographer’s philosophical approach to the human person? Are all human beings considered to be inherently valuable? Does the image that the photographer is taking capture such a philosophical approach? Do the decisions the photographer makes behind the camera in terms of framing, cropping, and zooming reflect his or her own philosophical perspective, or contradict it?RESTRAINING VOYEURISM: “30 Years / 30 Lives” is created with the recognition that there is a voyeuristic tendency that is often operating behind both the taking and the viewing of photographs—a desire to be informed from a distance, without necessarily entering compassionately and actively into situations that are curious but sometimes dangerous or, at least, uncomfortable. By inviting the viewer to respond by learning more about the organizations that are responding to each structural driver named in the project, “30 Years / 30 Lives” attempts to overcome this tendency. In preventing voyeurism, it is important for the photographer to acquire the informed consent of the person he or she is photographing by providing as much information to the participants about the project as possible. Also, the photographer ought to think about the purpose behind the images he or she is capturing. What is the purpose of the photograph? Is it to inform? Is it to raise awareness? Is it to motivate a compassionate or justice-filled response? Does it sensationalize? Is it propoganda? Does it masquerade reality? Will the photograph provoke antipathy by creating a sense of hopelessness in the viewer, or will the project inspire and motivate action? Is there a mechanism in place by which to help the audience to respond?

Page 97

AVERTING EXHIBITIONISM: “30 Years / 30 Lives” recognizes that, at the other end of the spectrum, is exhibitionism—another drive that is potentially in operation when covering anything from the aftermath of a storm to a human rights catastrophe. In approaching organizations to participate in “30 Years/30 Lives,” the photographer explained a desire to bear witness to the structural side of the story that is often overlooked in coverage of HIV/AIDS, when the emphasis is on individual human behaviors that lead to infection. In averting exhibitionism, questions a photographer might consider are: Do those who agree to be photographed have agendas that compromise the photographer’s integrity in some way? How might the photographer be up front in an effort to prevent exhibitionism? A related set of questions involves monetary transactions. Is it ethical to pay someone to sit for a photograph? Does payment invite exhibitionism? Does a monetary transaction by definition compromise the integrity of the image, or of the project? Has a person sold their soul for a loaf of bread? In the same vein, if a person is hungry, is it ethical not to pay someone to sit for a photograph? Is it possible to be even-handed?OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES: In order to avoid broad strokes and generalizations that often come in reference to those at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS, “30 Years/30 Lives” has been intentional in including a demographically-informed representation of people to challenge stereotypes about who is living with and/or affected by the virus. Participants are both male and female, homo- and heterosexual, adult and child, from relatively higher income and relatively lower income levels, and with ethnic origins from Africa and Asia, as well as the Americas. In overcoming stereotypes, questions and considerations with which the photographer might engage are: Just as I, as an individual, do not represent all who are my age, gender, orientation, nationality, economic class, and so on, so are the ones that I take photographs of individuals who do not represent everyone of their age, gender, orientation, nationality, economic class, and so forth. Does the photograph resist the temptation to make the person a representative of something? How might that risk be mitigated photographically? Do the images underscore the public’s stereotypes, or challenge them?ENGAGING RESPONSIBILITY: “30 Years / 30 Lives” recognizes that conversations about HIV/AIDS in the public square are focused overwhelmingly on choices that are made by individuals in their private lives, and the lion’s share of prevention funding has gone to an effort to shift individual behaviors. Given that 96% of those living with HIV/AIDS are living in the developing world, “30/30” attempts to address corporate responsibility by covering structural drivers of the pandemic—issues that require responses at the policy level. In engaging responsibility, questions a photographer might consider are: Is there a way to engage responsibility photographically, such that a holistic framework for accountability for the situation is addressed? Is it possible to avoid the tendency to “blame the victim”? Is it possible to engage in the photographs themselves the socio-cultural and socio-economic structures and systems that are in place to create situations of profound human suffering?MITIGATING PRIVILEGE: “30 Years / 30 Lives” acknowledges that the one behind the camera possesses power in relationship to the participant. The photographer met with each participant prior to the photo shoot and, by conceptualizing the portrait and the still life with the participant, each participant had a controlling voice in how she or he was portrayed. Furthermore, journal entries offered participants something of a projection system, so that their voices could be heard. In relation to the journal, participants could opt either to have their words made public or private, thus giving the participant a controlling voice in the process of putting his or her photograph on the market. In mitigating privilege, it is important for the photographer to consider such questions as: Is there a way to mitigate the photographer’s privilege? Does the participant have a controlling voice at all in how he or she wishes to be portrayed? Does the participant have a controlling voice in how the image will be shared? Is it possible to include the actual voice of the person who is photographed in some way?

Page 98

PREVENTING EXPLOITATION: “30 Years / 30 Lives” recognizes that it is possible, and even easy, to exploit someone photographically. The project does not exploit its participants. Each participant signed a consent form, and agreed to sit for a photograph in exchange for nothing more than receiving an 8” x 10” copy of the finished product. Moreover, the consent form stipulated that neither the participant nor the photographer would benefit economically from “30 Years/30 Lives.” The agreement further specified that the photographer would give any proceeds from the potential sale of photographs to the organizations through which she identified her participants. In avoiding exploitation, it is important for the photographer to consider such questions as: Is it possible to give someone who has agreed to sit for a photograph a copy of the image? Is it possible to share with the participant profits that will be earned from the sale of photographic prints and copyrights? Is it possible to work out such an exchange agreement at the time the photograph is taken?This in no way pretends to be a comprehensive list of ethical issues and concerns involved in documentary photography/photojournalism, but it offers a start for those of us who are engaged in this kind of work, and who desire to do it respectfully. Certainly, shortcomings remain, conceptually, ethically, and aesthetically. Nevertheless, the project aspires to advance the conversation about documentary ethics, structural violence, humanitarian engagement, and theological aesthetics, all the while documenting the lives of thirty remarkable people whose portraits will, I hope, help us to recalibrate our vision in such a way that we learn to see beautifully.The first two rules of photographic ethics are:1. Do unto others. Do unto others as you would have done unto you (or, better: do unto others as they would have done untothem). That means you need to learn what cultural norms and expectations guide the community you are entering.2. Do no harm. Ask yourself: if the positions were in reverse, would I want to be photographed or filmed? Recognize that youare inevitably making an object when you take a photograph or make a film and ask yourself, in this instance, is itappropriate to do so?

Page 99

Ten other guidelines:1. Recognize that your gaze wields power. Overcome opposite ends of the spectrum—from the voyeuristic tendency of thephotographer (and potentially the viewer) to gaze where it is inappropriate to gaze, to the exhibitionistic tendency of onewho wants to attract your attention. If you enter a community that has been challenged by poverty, war, or other forms ofviolence and people (especially children) run over to you saying “cheese!,” smiling and posing as soon as they see you—putdown your cameras. These little ones have already been conditioned to please you, and groups like yours.2. Mitigate your power and privilege. If you are taking a photograph of a human being whose identity will be evident in thephotograph, always ask permission. Explain why you are interested in capturing the person in an image. Ask the personhow they want to be depicted, and be intentional with him or her about how you intend to share image (i.e., will it be onsocial media, or only in a personal collection?).3. Offer to share the photo. Exchange contact information—and carry through on your promises to share the photo with theone of whom you take it.4. Prevent exploitation. Refuse to take photographs of children and people who are vulnerable in any way.5. Beware of the savior complex. Does your photo (especially your selfie) make it seem like the situation is all about you andyour contribution to the “salvation” of those with whom you are interacting? If so—don’t take it.6. Consider the possibility of not taking photographs. Particularly if you have not been part of the community for an extendedperiod of time, consider not taking a photograph.7. Be thoughtful. What is the purpose of the photo? Is it to capture a memory that you only will enjoy? Or is it for a Facebookprofile or Instagram feed to communicate something about you and your experience? Why do you want to post the image?If it is to communicate something more about you than about the one you photographed, something is wrong. Somephotographs might be better suited to personal scrapbooks than social media sites—so try to sort out what you want to dowith the photo before you take it—and abide by the choice you made in the moment, no matter how tempting it may be topost it somewhere else later on.8. Appreciate the dignity of the human person in every photographic choice you make. From aiming, shooting, and capturingan image (note, these are all violent concepts), to cropping, posting, and distributing the image, ask yourself: In the artisticchoices I am making, am I glorifying suffering rather than acknowledging the humanity of the one I am photographing? Ifso, rethink your strategy.9. Challenge yourself to name stereotypes you carry about those with whom you are interacting, and then refuse to take aphoto that participates in perpetuating such stereotypes. Capture something that is unexpected—that broadens horizons.Avoid taking photographs of white people or Americans caring for people of color who are struggling in some way (mostoften due to the way in which white folks have structured the world).10. Engage the responsibility of those who will “consume” the photo. Write a caption that invites people to think about howthey can live into a different imagination of what it is to be human.

Page 100

Page 101

Ikamva Labantu160 Sir Lowry RoadCape Town, 7925SOUTH AFRICA+27.(0)21.461.8338https://ikamva.org.za/Inzame ZabantuERF 2495, Msingezane StreetPhilippi, Cape TownSOUTH AFRICA+27.(0)21.374.6063https://www.medpages.infoJ.L. Zwane Community CenterP.O. Box 154Guguletu, Cape Town, 7751 SOUTH AFRICA+27.(0)21.633.5033https://www.facebook.com/jlzwane/New Life Center FoundationP.O. Box 29Chiang Mai, 50000THAILAND+66.(0)53.351.312https://newlifecenterfoundation.org/Open Arms of Minnesota2500 Bloomington Avenue South Minneapolis,MN 55404USA612.872.1152https://www.openarmsmn.org/Organización de Médicos Indígenas del Estado de ChiapasAv. Salomón González Blanco No. 10, Col. MorelosSan Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, 29230MEXICO01.967.678.5438https://www.facebook.com/Museomedicinamaya/Scalabrini Center47 Commercial StreetCape Town, 8001SOUTH AFRICA+27.(0)21.465.6433https://www.scalabrini.org.za/Treatment Action CampaignTown 1 Properties, Sulani Drive Site BKhayelitsha, Cape Town, 7784SOUTH AFRICA+27.(0)21.364.4187https://www.tac.org.za/Wola Nani9 Drake StreetObservatory, Cape Town, 7700SOUTH AFRICA+27.(0)21.447.2091https://wolanani.co.za/Yabonga2 Main RoadWynberg, Cape Town, 7800SOUTH AFRICA+27.(0)21.761.2940https://yabonga.org/ORGANIZATION CONTACT INFORMATION

Page 102

Page 103

CREDITSI am grateful to the thirty people who shared their stories and their portraits for “30/30.”To them, I extend my sincerest thanks. I am appreciative, as well, to the following people:in the United States:Kevin Winge at Open Arms of Minnesota in Minneapolis;in South Africa:in addition to Richard Cogill for accompanying me:Revs. Spiwo Xapile and Edwin Louw at the J. L. Zwane Center in Guguletu;Melanie Kohl at the Scalabrini Center in Cape Town;Zethu Xapile at the Inzame Zabantu Community Health Center in Philippi;Moira Jones at Wola Nani in Observatory;Lara Kelly at Yabonga in Wynberg;Beaulah Jordaan and Christelle Cornelius at Ikamva Labantu in Cape Town; andMandla Mojola at the Treatment Action Campaign in Khayelitsha.in Thailand:in addition to Molly Matheson Gruen for accompanying me:Karen Smith and Kit Ripley at the New Life Center Foundation.in Mexico:in addition to Chris Smith and her students for welcoming my accompaniment on their Global Justice trip:Roberto Rafael Alarcón Lavin and Agripino Icó Bautista at theOrganización de Médicos Indígenas del Estado de Chiapas,and to Teresa Ortiz, for translating.

Page 104

In deciding to work with the above organizations, I visited others which, for various reasons, did not work out in terms of participation in “30 Years / 30 Lives.” I am thankful to the following people for the access they provided me to the amazing work they are doing in the communities where these organizations are based:in Minnesota:Lee Haugee and Debbie Wyman at Clare Housing;and Amy Brugh and Kate Nelson at Minnesota AIDS Project.in South Africa:Linda Grootboom, deputy director-general of the Provincial Government Western Cape, for meeting with me to discuss the aims of the project, and for suggesting avenues for further investigation; Nomfundo Walaza, the CEO of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, for introducing me to their “schools for peace” initiative; Anthony Williams at the Jooste Hospital in Manenberg, for offering me a tour of a hospital much maligned in the press for inadequate facilities, and for introducing me to the staff of the Thuthuzela Care Centre, a comprehensive care center on site at the Jooste Hospital for women who have been raped; Themba Lonzi, for introducing me to the work of the Institute for the Healing of Memories; Miriam Fredericks for meeting with me at the Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture and for introducing me to the workshops they run for caregivers of those living with HIV/AIDS; Mary Sili for thinking with me about the impact of HIV/AIDS on senior citizens and for her prior work at the Guguletu Senior Centre; Nic Fine for introducing me to the work of the Hearts of Men, which is now independent from Usiko, the organization through which I learned of them; and Jim Cochrane and Barbara Schmid, for their hospitality during the conference hosted by Arhap (African Religious Health Assets Programme) during my first weeks in Cape Town, where I learned about their mapping project and efforts to connect the public health sector and religious communities with one another.For their financial support, I also extend thanks to: the Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies, for a grant to allow me to travel to Thailand; the Center for Arts, Religion, and Education, an affiliate of the Graduate Theological Union, for a grant to support the printing of the exhibit catalog; to the Faculty Development Office at the University of St. Thomas, for approving my sabbatical leave as well as for a sudden opportunity grant for travel to Chiapas, Mexico; to the Luann Dummer Center for Women, as well as the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas, for grants to support exhibits of “30 Years / 30 Lives.”I would like also to thank Christine Carlson and Gracey Boucher for framing the photographs, and Cathy Pino for proofreading the exhibit catalog. Finally, I extend love and thanks to my family: Joe, Abe, and Andy. Your support means so much to me.

Page 105

About the PhotographerKimberly Vrudny is a professor of systematic theology at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she also served as founding director for HIV/AIDS initiatives through the University’s office of service learning. She teaches courses in the Christian tradition, Christian doctrine, political theology, and in Christian theological aesthetics, including a study abroad course in South Africa called “AIDS, Apartheid, and the Arts of Resistance" which has now evolved into "The Theological Roots of Nazism and Apartheid." She teaches occasionally in the graduate program in theology as well as in the undergraduate honors program. She has been recognized by her peers and students for excellence in teaching, receiving the Global Citizenship Award through the University’s Office of International Studies in 2010, as well as the faculty award in service-learning through the University’s Office of Service Learning in 2006. Vrudny is the author or co-editor of several books exploring the intersections between theology and the visual arts, including Friars, Scribes, and Corpses: A Marian Confraternal Reading of the Speculum humanae salvationis (Peeters, 2010); Visual Theology: Forming and Transforming the Community Through the Arts (Liturgical Press, 2009); and Arts, Theology, and the Church: New Intersections (Pilgrim Press, 2005). She is contributing to the emerging field of political theological aesthetics by interpreting and producing art that is socially engaged.