Kia ora e te whanau PWI,
[Hello PWI Family]
We are delighted to share the Positive Speakers Bureau continues to tick along with regular engagements and opportunities in which to share our stories. We are noticing an increase in virtual engagements alongside our usual in-person talks and lectures.
The highlight of being the Positive Speakers’ Coordinator, continues to be receiving the feedback surveys after the speaking engagements. Here are a few of the many encouraging things that have been shared in the past two months.
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It was an amazing and eye-opening experience to attend *****’s guest talk on stigma and discrimination around HIV. The way in which he was willing to share his journey turned into a genuine experience of the lived effects stigma can have; especially the shame and fear he faced. I found a lot of meaning in his reflections and I will carry it with me for the remainder of my nursing career. The most prominent idea I walked away with was how stigma can cause isolation and the inability to access support, which may be glaringly obvious in a small or rural community like mine where HIV is not publicly spoken about. *****’s work in raising awareness is both courageous and paramount, and it made me consider my role as a novice nurse with providing safe spaces and inclusion for people who may live in silence. I feel fired up and more motivated than I ever have been to advocate for people affected by HIV and help decrease stigma wherever I see it.
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I learned so much today. I appreciated *****’s authenticity and honesty. I learned how I can be a better clinician to everyone regardless of their health conditions. I hope I can help every patient to feel comfortable in my chair.
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***** explains his topic very well. He is very knowledgeable
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was great to see up-to-date information and to hear from a person who has been affected with the virus and who is so open and happy to talk to us about anything related
A huge thank you everyone involved in the Positive Speakers Bureau. It is a privilege to work alongside such an amazing team.
Allow me to share a quote that I have been holding near recently:
“Shame dies when stories are told in safe places” ~Accredited to Ann Voskamp~
Ngā mihi māhana,
[Warm greetings],
Heather 😊
