Feb. 28, 2005.
Botswana beauty pageant takes away stigma of HIV
Botswana beauty pageant takes away stigma of HIV
Places bravery ahead of looks
Contest seen as vehicle to educate
KRISTY SIEGFRIEDSPECIAL TO THE STARGABORONE, Botswana—The beauty pageant that took place in Gaborone on Saturday night followed all the usual conventions. There were the turns on the catwalk, a dance routine and questions from a panel of judges. The evening even ended with a crowning and a few tears.
But it was a beauty pageant in form only.
The event was "Miss HIV Stigma Free" and the 12 contestants had made it to the final round, not for their beauty but for their bravery — all have HIV.
Botswana's energetic response to the AIDS epidemic is often held up as a model to other African countries. In 2002, it became the first country on the continent to offer free antiretroviral drugs and currently 32,000 of the estimated 300,000 people in Botswana with the disease are receiving the life-prolonging medication.
But stigma still prevents many from accessing treatment and only a brave few are willing to speak openly about their status and risk discrimination.
The goal of the pageant, organized by the Centre for Youth and Hope is to fight discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
The centre's director, Kebsego Basha-Mubeli, founded it after testing positive and being forced to leave her job because of stigmatization.
She conceived of the idea for the pageant, first held in 2001, as a fun way to educate people about the need to erase stigma.
Early in the evening, which interspersed contestants' appearances with performances by local musicians and dancers, an audience favourite emerged.
With all the charm of a typical beauty queen combined with the energy of a committed activist, 32-year-old Cynthia Leshomo, earned the loudest applause for her responses to the judges questions.
"Let us fight HIV/AIDS, but not people living with HIV and AIDS," she said, before taking home the crown.
KRISTY SIEGFRIEDSPECIAL TO THE STARGABORONE, Botswana—The beauty pageant that took place in Gaborone on Saturday night followed all the usual conventions. There were the turns on the catwalk, a dance routine and questions from a panel of judges. The evening even ended with a crowning and a few tears.
But it was a beauty pageant in form only.
The event was "Miss HIV Stigma Free" and the 12 contestants had made it to the final round, not for their beauty but for their bravery — all have HIV.
Botswana's energetic response to the AIDS epidemic is often held up as a model to other African countries. In 2002, it became the first country on the continent to offer free antiretroviral drugs and currently 32,000 of the estimated 300,000 people in Botswana with the disease are receiving the life-prolonging medication.
But stigma still prevents many from accessing treatment and only a brave few are willing to speak openly about their status and risk discrimination.
The goal of the pageant, organized by the Centre for Youth and Hope is to fight discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
The centre's director, Kebsego Basha-Mubeli, founded it after testing positive and being forced to leave her job because of stigmatization.
She conceived of the idea for the pageant, first held in 2001, as a fun way to educate people about the need to erase stigma.
Early in the evening, which interspersed contestants' appearances with performances by local musicians and dancers, an audience favourite emerged.
With all the charm of a typical beauty queen combined with the energy of a committed activist, 32-year-old Cynthia Leshomo, earned the loudest applause for her responses to the judges questions.
"Let us fight HIV/AIDS, but not people living with HIV and AIDS," she said, before taking home the crown.
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