Empowering the community
FAITH’s approach from the very beginning has been to empowering the community we serve. Hence, we called ourselves Friends Affected & Infected Together in Hand and we carried this ethos through every component of our organisation. It has helped us to stay connected to the community we serve and be true to our mission. From the very beginning, we have demanded that we are part of each decision-making process that impacts our lives.
Shattering stigma
We believe in shattering stigma. We do not accept a world that discriminates people based on their illness, gender, or profession. We have confronted people’s biases, sexism and racism by continuing to push this agenda at the national stage. We are known for staging provocative events such as, the nude art exhibition titled, ‘Expression of Repression’ as well as academic conferences (3rd National AIDS Conference) and hosting national level advocacy events (World AIDS Day, National conference of Female Sex Workers)to initiate dialogue about stigma, discrimination and denial of basic human rights.
Using new media and pop culture
We have been at the forefront of using technology and pop culture to reach large number of people. We have used documentaries, television/radio Public Social announcement, short film to educate the larger public and policy-makers about HIV, Tuberculosis, and sexual and reproductive health and promoting positive role models with profound impact.
Building Networks
We recognise the importance of network organisations that share in our vision. From the very beginning, we have played a key role in giving rise to formal networks, sustaining them, and keeping them accountable to the people they serve. As we look ahead, we play a catalytic role in organizing communities of people and organisations and equip them with the tools to advocate for their rights.
Exploring beyond HIV
The scopeof our organisation continues to expand along with the evolving needs of the community we serve. The problems faced by people living with HIV are shared by the society at large and guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal: access to comprehensive health services, gainful employment, adequate nutrition, educational opportunities, clean and healthy environments, among others. We see ourselves working across multi-sectoral actors to ensure that minorities and marginalised populations can live healthy and fulfilling lives. These ideas are consistent with the prevailing Sustainable Development Goals, National Health Policy, National Health Sector Strategy and other such policies.