batwa – HIV stigmafighter

United through art: Celebrating Gihanga’s 6th talent show

30 November 2025hivstigmafighter

My lovely people, how are you? It has been a while, but I have not forgotten any of you. Many of you remember where I spent World AIDS Day last year and the excitement I felt watching the young talents of Gihanga during the 5th edition of the Gihanga Talent Show. This year, for the 6th edition, I rejoiced in being back in Burundi and joining Inyambo Stars to organise this event. It took place on Saturday, 29 November, during the same week as my 49th birthday.

In celebration of World AIDS Day 2025 in the Gihanga community, we continue our mission of reducing stigma. We organised the 6th edition of the Gihanga Talent Show under the theme “Let’s stand together against HIV stigma.” This event remains one of the best opportunities to educate young people and raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.

As always, at Inyambo Stars and HIV Stigmafighter, we give space to any young talent who wants to share their arts to help break stigma. We have such a diversity of young people from all communities in Gihanga, including youth from the Batwa (pygmee) community and people with albinism. It is a positive step that encourages the community to recognise their talents and embrace them fully. We stand together against stigma.

Mr. Shaddy, also known as Shadrack Nahumuremyi, opened the competition with a beautiful reggae‑style song. The local authorities were represented by the Communal Counseller of Gihanga Zone. They delivered a powerful speech encouraging the young talents of Gihanga to continue their amazing work by raising HIV awareness and educating both youth and adults through their artistic expressions.

This year’s show included singing, traditional and modern dance, comedy/sketches, and catwalk. I am proud to see so many young talents in Gihanga. The winners made me proud. As a member of the jury, it was difficult to choose the first place in each category because so many participants delivered beautiful and powerful messages.

I hope that in the next edition we will receive more support so we can offer prizes for second and third place instead of first prize only. I had dreamed of including an HIV testing team at the event, but I learned that in Burundi testing is no longer done at events as people must go to designated testing locations.

Still, I am very proud of the progress in our community. Every year, I see a change in attitudes toward people living with HIV in Gihanga. Since the beginning of this event in 2020, the goal has been to normalise HIV. Seeing a young person confidently wearing a T‑shirt that says “People living with HIV are like us, don’t stigmatize them” or watching a sketch explaining that “Women who take HIV medication during pregnancy are protecting their unborn babies” shows how impactful the Gihanga Talent Show has become.

I had the opportunity to share my story and remind people living with HIV that taking medication and staying healthy is essential. Looking after ourselves, accepting our diagnosis, and living beyond it is what matters. I reminded everyone why we must end HIV stigma, because stigma is now the biggest killer. It is the reason people fear testing, the reason some believe HIV is gone. Silence keeps stigma alive. If we do not speak out, fight back, and educate others, we will spend another 40 years facing the same challenges we faced 40 years ago. We have the tools, and the Gihanga Talent Show is one of them. Let us continue, we are moving in the right direction!

We would like to thank our local authorities for supporting us and allowing this event to continue for the past six years. We thank all jury members – Enos Pro, Pisco, Landy, and Eliane – for your hard work.

Congratulations to the winners:

Singing: Stide
Modern Dance: Gwezo – Team A
Modern Dance: Inyambo Stars Abasangwabutaka
Sketch: Cabiza TV
Catwalk: Kenthia

Here you can enjoy a few more pictures of the talent show:

We thank all participants who shared their talent. Your contribution to combating HIV stigma is valuable to the Gihanga community, to Burundi, and to the world. As the Burundian proverb says, “Haburana babiri hagatsinda umwe”- in a competition, only one can win. Keep sharing your talents to fight HIV stigma, maybe next time you will be the one.

Thank you to our amazing MC Machad de la Capital, to Irene Kundubumwe from Inyambo Stars, to Remegie and Yves Don Darcy for coordinating logistics, and to BAWA for providing a person living with HIV to share their testimony.

To all the amazing young artists of Gihanga: you are an inspiration. Let us continue this great work with positive energy and hope to end HIV. This is how we transform the HIV response.

Peace,

Eliane

Share talent, break HIV stigma

24 August 202225 August 2022hivstigmafighter

I was honoured to be selected by IAS to participate at the 24^th International AIDS Conference. AIDS2022 took in place in Montreal between 27 July and 2 August.

Let me first of all state that everyone, including me, was so disappointed that so many participants where denied visa by the Canadian Government. I was looking forwards to meet Delegates from Burundi and other parts of Africa, butso many did not make it in the end. If Governments continue to exclude delegates from countries where the pandemic hits hardest, how will we end HIV in 2030?

Now on to my time at AIDS2022. I kicked off strong right away! On the 27th of July I was a speaker on the 9^th International Indigenous Pre-conference on HIV and AIDS. I was humbled to share the experiences of the indigenous (Batwa) community of Burundi. To me it is clear – all over the World indigenous people are still facing inequalities, leading to relatively higher numbers of indigenous people affected by HIV and AIDS whilst also facing reduced access to HIV education and care givers. We cannot end HIV and AIDS when we leave indigenous people behind!

Panel member of the Indigenous pre-conference

There is still much so much to do around education, awareness raising, access to health campaigns for the indigenous community. This is true at least for my home country Burundi, hence also my commitment to breaking this trend. This event gave me refreshing insights into working with indigenous people to address HIV/ AIDS and other pandemics, and planted the seeds for new partnerships in Burundi and elsewhere.

Together with Karl Schmid from +life at the U=U Summit

My second major activity was to participate in the U=U Summit on the 28th of July where I was able to meet many of my fellow activists after so many years only communicating online. Did you know that there are still a lot of countries that are not endorsing U=U? This despite knowing that U=U is an immediate and effective response to destroy HIV Stigma which is still a public health emergency. Again we have to keep on investing in finding the right ways to break HIV stigma!

Ready for action! The Stories of Hope stand at the Global Village

Which brings me to Stories of Hope! The main reason to be on this conference was to share my project through a 3-days exhibition at the Global Village from 29 July to 2 August . As many of you already know, Stories of hope is an initiative where people living with HIV share their talents to break HIV stigma. The launch of Stories of Hope in 2021 was supported by EATG, and the exhibition was proudly supported by HIV vereniging through sponsoring of beautiful materials and hand-outs. Organising an exhibitions at the Global village, allowing me to meet so many activists, artists and conference participants gave me a such positive energy! I am so proud that Stories of hope has reached so many global delegates and that Stories of Hope unites us in breaking HIV stigma by sharing our talent.

Interacting with global delegates during the 3 days exhibition

There were so many amazing side events to still do around the conference. Just to highlight a few: I participated at the famous AIDS Conference party called “No pants, no Problem” where I performed as Eric the Drag King and performed a dance called “Flush out HIV stigma”. We actually managed to raise 12,000 Canadian Dollars during the event in support of HIV+ women. Eric the Drag King is another me you did not know about, right? Again another great way to share my talent to break HIV stigma.

Eric the Drag King at No pants, no problem

I am very thankful to be part of AIDS2022. I want to extend a personal thank you to the Heroes of Hope who shared their stories during the conference; Adam, Matthew, Gloria and Faustine. And I know there are still more Stories of Hope to come from other people I met at AIDS2022. Keep an eye on Stories of Hope for more interviews and portraits!

Share talent, break HIV stigma!

Peace,

Eliane

Photo impression – Stop HIV stigma Show

7 December 20208 March 2025hivstigmafighter

Last Saturday 5 December I organised the “Stop HIV stigma Show” in my hometown, Gihanga, Burundi. I believe that by organising these type of events that one day my dream will come true: To defeat HIV stigma in our community! Here you find an impression of this beautiful day.

Pictures of this day are made courtesy of Ingabire Media and Chouman. Enjoy! Peace, Eliane

Here are a few pictures of the fashion show organised by the lovely people of the Fit Fashion Fire Team:

There was a lot of entertainment as well. Multi-talent Bryere in a traditional outfit playing the igondera, gifted Devie with a beautiful HIV stigmafighter button, the brilliant girls of Amazing Team, a group of awesome visuallly impaired singers from Lycee Kanura Band, a young performer from Fit Fashion Fire Team, and our two enthousiastic MCs Emi-Bravo and Chadou:

Then there was lots of important speakers during the event. The co-organiser Irene Kundubumwe, the representative of the network for people living with HIV in Bubanza Province Madame Kanyana Daphrose, national association of young people living with HIV Nshimirimana Salvator and Chantal Mbonankira

And to finish this beautiful photo impression, here you see my Batwa friends posing in front of the banner for the show. These were my real guests of honour and had a well deserved frontrow seat during this amazing day in Gihanga. Mwarakoze!

Let’s get back on track!

1 December 20208 March 2025hivstigmafighter

It is 1 December, WORLD AIDS DAY, and this year’s theme is “Global solidarity, resilient services”.

The world has known a rough year because of covid-19. And this has sometimes made us forget about the fight to end HIV and AIDS by 2030. I would like to take this moment to bring our fight back to the communities that need access to health services most, for example our Batwa, indigenous people in Burundi.