Feeling and Naming HIV/AIDS as a communication tool
Kibibi M. Amran
Université de Lausanne (Switzerland)
Kenyatta University, Nairobi (Kenya)
A presentation of partial results of my
PhD research
Map of Africa
Map of Kenya Kenya: A brief overview
™East African country
™Population: 39 million (2009 census) ™Multilingualism (English and Kiswahili official languages, Kiswahili the national language) ™More than 42 ethnic groups with corresponding languages and/or regional varieties (dialects)
™Ethnic, cultural, religious diversity (divergences and convergences in HIV/AIDS communication tools) Kenya’s AIDS strategy: overview
™Multilingualism as a tool ™Multisectoral approach to the fight against HIV/AIDS
™Kenyan government at the forefront in the fight against HIV/AIDS (since 1985) ™Kenya National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plans (KNASP) 2009/10‐2012/13, 2005/6‐2009/10, 2000‐2005
But… ™ Statistics show that about two thirds of Kenyans do not know their status (Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey Report, 2007, p. 10, published in July 2008)
™ 83% of HIV infected people do not know their status.
Reasons
63% ‐ low perception of risk
14% ‐ unaware of a test for HIV, or have no access to testing 16% ‐ do not want to know their test results, afraid others would access their results
5% ‐ distance to testing site.
But …
™ For the past 10 years Demographic and Health Surveys
and AIDS Indicator Surveys in sub‐Saharan Africa indicate
that there is a high level of knowledge on HIV/AIDS (80%) (African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) 2010)
™ The high level of knowledge is not translated to sustained
behavioural change (knowledge‐behaviour gap)
™ Misuse of E‐pill also known as «morning after pill » or « plan B » amongst the youth (highlighted by local and international media)
Example :« Kenya concern over pill popping » British Broadcasting Corporation 14/07/2009) University sub‐sector
™ AIDS Control Units ( ACUs)
(HIV/AIDS policies, health services, VCT, condom distribution…)
™ University HIV Testing Day
™ Curriculum courses ‐ certificate, diploma, post‐graduate, compulsory core unit on HIV and drug abuse
™ Awareness (peer education, publications (ACU Bulletin, Kenyatta University), Students’ digest (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology), Orientation week (ACU special
session with new students) …
Research questions
™After more than two decades of HIV/AIDS campaigns in Kenya, how is HIV/AIDS perceived ?
™Taking into account the ‘knowledge –
behaviour gap’ and given their level of education, what does the reality of HIV and AIDS represent to the youth?
™What feelings does the reality of HIV/AIDS evoke amongst the youth?
Methodology
™ Data collection tool:
‐Interview schedule
‐First section: sociological data ‐Interviews, recorded, transcribed (then translated to French)
‐Multilingual data collection tool
‐Questions asked in English, Kiswahili, Sheng ‐Answers also multilingual (any or all of the three languages)
‐The respondent also had the option of answering in mother tongue (translated into English or Kiswahili) ™ Data analysis: Feelings: Categorised, and frequency of each calculated
Names : List that was translated then analysed
Data collection ™ Only two questions chosen because they are the most suited to the theme of the workshop
™ Data from 50 respondents
™ The questions:
1. a) What do you feel when you see or hear the words HIV/AIDS?/Je, ni
hisia gani zinazokujia unaposikia au kuona maneno UKIMWI na
Virusi vinavyosababisha UKIMWI?
b) Why? /Kwa nini?
2. Apart from the scientific names HIV and AIDS, what other names can you give us? Remember they can be in your mother tongue, in Sheng, in English, in Kiswahili, etc.) / Mbali na majina ya kisayansi UKIMWI na Virusi vinavyosababisha
UKIMWI tupe majina mengine unayojuwa.
™ The respondents were allowed to give as many names as they could.
Research Findings : Feelings evoked by HIV/AIDS
™ Danger/death: 22 respondents (44 %)
™ Scared : 21 respondents (42%)
™ Sympathy/sad : 12 respondents (24%)
™ Neutral : 10 respondents ( 20%)
™ Helpless: 10 respondents (20%) (3 respondents did not answer the question so this data was
from 47 out of 50 respondents .)
Example: Feelings evoked by HIV/AIDS
1. a) What do you feel when you see or hear the words HIV/AIDS?/Je, ni hisia gani
zinazokujia unaposikia au kuona maneno UKIMWI na Virusi vinavyosababisha
UKIMWI?
I FEEL DESPERATION, DEATH AND HOPELESSNESS
1.b) Why?/Kwa nini?
“Because it has no cure. Those who have it even if they are healthy will be
stigmatised. They will suffer. It’s like you’ll be tormented even before death
because in some cases your loved ones will not take care of you while
they can take care of you when you have any other disease like cancer.
At the same time the fact that you know that the thing that you are
infected doesn’t have a cure means you will be hopeless in one way or
another because you are not certain that you will get treatment. At
the same time living in places like Kenya where access to ARVs is a big
problem it makes you lose hope even before you die.”
Names given to HIV/AIDS
UKIMWI was given as a non‐scientific name for HIV/AIDS by sixteen respondents, yet
it is the Kiswahili scientific name for AIDS.
Languages of the names given :
English, Kiswahili, Sheng, and mother tongue Categories:
1.Those that represent the acronym HIV or AIDS 2. HIV/AIDS = Death
3. HIV/AIDS = Fast death
4. Names representing the «strength» of and the struggle against HIV/AIDS 5. HIV/AIDS = «Clandestine invasion» 6. Others.
Names…H. I. & V.
Category 1.Those that represent the acronym HIV or AIDS a) HIV • HIVE (pronounced as /haiv/ because of the letter «i» but no further meaning was given)
• Hatari Imeingia Vitandani (Kiswahili) (Danger has entered our beds)
• Hatari Imo Vitandani (Kiswahili) (Danger is in our beds)
Example H. I. V.
«Ni kaa vile tuliambiwa na mwalimu
wetu… ukisikia jina HIV‐ Hatari Imo Vitandani . We ukiona mtu na mtu fulani
wako kitandani wakianza kuhave sex the first thing that comes to your mind…HIV.”
(It is like what our teacher told us…when you hear the name HIV (it means) Hatari (Danger) Imo (is) Vitandani (lit. in beds= in our beds). If you see two people in bed and they start having sex the first thing that comes to your mind is HIV ( meaning Hatari Imo Vitandani (Danger is in our beds)) Names…. A. I. D. & S.
b) Names associated with AIDS
• Adhabu Iliyoshukishwa Duniani Sasa (Kiswahili) (The punishment that has been sent (from above) to the world (now))
• Adhabu Imeingia Duniani Sasa
(Kiswahili) (Punishment has entered the world/has descended upon the world (now))
HIV/AIDS = Death/danger
Category 2: Names that associate HIV/AIDS with death or danger
1. Umeme
Kiswahili
Lightning
2 .Stima
Kiswahili
Electricity
Coup de
foudre, électricité
Électricité
3.Kimeta
Kiswahili
Anthrax
Anthrax
4.Miwaya
Sheng/
Dholuo
In
kiswahili:
Kunja
waya
Somali
Bend a wire*
Plier un fil* (on devient
très maigre = fil facile à
plier)
Quelles
sont
les
conséquences?
Disease that kills
Maladie qui tue
5. Udhurdilay
6.Amekanyaga waya Kiswahili
He/she has stepped Il/elle a mis son pied sur un fil
on a live wire
conducteur
7. Fagiliya
Sweep
Kiswahili
Balaie /balayer
HIV/AIDS=Death/danger
Name
Language
English
French
8.Ugonjwa
mbaya /
bad disease
9.Death
sentence
10. Killer
Kiswahili
/English
‘Bad’ fatal disease
Maladie fatale
English
Death sentence
Condamnation
English
Killer
Tueur
11. Ayaki
Dholuo
That which destroys
Ce qui détruit
12.Deadly
disease
13.Okeda
English
Deadly disease
Maladie fatale
Sheng/dhol
uo
Dholuo
Kiswahili:
Nachokoza
He/she is struggling against me
Il /elle se bat
contre moi
Je provoque…
14. Akinyo
I am provoking …
HIV/AIDS = Fast death
Category 3 : Names that associate HIV/AIDS with
fast death
1.
2.
3.
4.
Umeme (lightning)
Stima (electricity)
Miwaya (fold a /the wire)
Amekanyaga Waya (he/she has stepped on live wire)
5. Fagiliya ( Sweep, sudden and kills many) Strength of and struggle against
HIV/AIDS Category 4: Names indicating the strength of and struggle against HIV/AIDS Name
Language
English
French
1.Okedo
Sheng/
Dholuo
Sheng/Dholuo
He/She works
hard
He/she is
struggling
against me
I am provoking
…
Il/ Elle est travailleux/
-euse
Il /elle se bat contre moi
2.Okeda
3. Akinyo
Dholuo
Kiswahili:
Nachokoza
Je provoque…
«Clandestine invasion» Category 5: Names that associate HIV/AIDS with a «clandestine invasion» by an animal (Insect)
Name
Language
English
Kiswahili
Mdudu
Sheng/Kiswahili origin
Insect
Insecte
Kamdudu
Sheng/Kiswahili origin
Small insect
Petit insecte
Other names given to HIV/AIDS
Category 6: Others
™It spreads fast and wide:
K24 (Kenya 24 – a relatively new radio station)
™Makes stale, spoils
Stale in the vagina
Conclusion
™ Though there is an element of normalisation, the majority of the feelings and the names given have negative connotations (HIV/AIDS = doomsday , HIV/AIDS kills, HIV/AIDS evokes despair, lost hope, pity)
™ This could constitute a barrier to the fight against HIV/AIDS
™ HIV/AIDS is «OURS» «affects all of us» not just «them» is one of the messages carried by the Kenyan HIV/AIDS campaigns. Having such
data sheds some light onto the level of «appropriation» vis‐à‐vis the «distanciation» that is present in the target groups’ minds as far as the reality HIV/AIDS is concerned. HIV/AIDS evokes pity (= distance), can lead to not wanting to know one’s status or for one’s
status to be known,etc. Who wants to be the object of pity? ™ Collection of data on the Perception of HIV/AIDS could serve as a good tool for the formulation of HIV/AIDS messages and could
facilitate HIV/AIDS communication campaigns.
References
•
Chambers J. (1995). Sociolinguistic Theory. Linguistic Variation and its Social Significance, Oxford, Blackwell.
•
Flament C. &Rouquette M‐L. (2003). Anatomie des idées ordinaires. Comment étudier les représentations sociales, Paris, Armand Colin.
•
Grawitz M. (2001). Méthodes des sciences sociales, Paris, Editions Dalloz.
•
Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey. Preliminary Report 2007 (KAIS 2007). Published in July 2008 by NATIONAL AIDS AND STI CONTROL PROGRAMME (NASCOP), Ministry of Health, Kenya. •
Kenya National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2005/6‐2009/10
•
Kenya National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2009/10‐ 2012/13
•
Mbua P. (1995). An investigation into how HIV/AIDS information is communicated and perceived in Kenya. A case study of Kenyatta University. Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, Kenyatta University, Kenya.
•
Singy P. (2004). Le sida au cabinet médical. Les mots pour en parler, Genève, Médecine et Hygiène.
•
Thomas L. (1978). Mort et Pouvoir, Paris, Petite Bibliothèque Payot.