13.11.2023, 18:42

Thank you to all of the people who have read and signed this petition and for your support. This is really great! I have shared this letter with Hamu Smith who also signed it. Hamu Smith is an LGBTQ rights activist who lives in the Kakuma refugee camp. He is the person who I met on X (before called Twitter) who told me about the current living conditions and needs of the LGBTQ community who live in the Kakuma refugee camp. I learned from him that people who live with HIV in Kakuma, including youth, do not have and can’t pay for medication for HIV that they need every day.

Today I read an article in the UN Chronicle called Differential Treatment: Restricted Access to Newer Antiretrovirals written by Sarah Zaidi. I learned about these 4 groups that could help that I will send this petition to. These groups are UNAIDS (Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS), Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
If you want to help with this please let me know. My email is eliza.dudelzak@gmail.com.

The right to life saving health care and access to treatment for HIV is a human right that everyone should have, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. Sarah Zaidi wrote that: “The most commonly used treatment in developing countries [such as Kenya] contains the drug Stavudine (d4T). This drug causes serious long-term, irreversible side effects. Although it is not recommended and is not used in the U.S. and most other places, people who live with HIV who live in developing countries and refugee camps continue to receive some combination of treatment containing it because of its low cost. The next best treatment option containing Tenofovir (TDF) is double the price.” The newest and most effective AVRs are out of reach in price for people in developing countries and who live in refugee camps.

Hamu is writing for financial contributions so that people who he lives with and knows who live in the Kakuma refugee camp can pay for food and cooking supplies and medication for HIV that they have access to now.
If you can contribute $25 to $50 today this will be live saving. This fundraising campaign on GoGetFunding is called: Support the Queers in Kakuma Refugee Camp. The link is gogetfunding.com/support-the-queers-in-kakuma-refugee-camp/

Thank you very much to all of you. I hope that you have a good rest of day. Best, Eliza