Negemelelakennew HIV Positive Women Support Organization (NLK) is a much needed space for women living positively in Ethiopia. The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) has provided NLK with US$80,000 in grants since 2007. AWDF’s grant making and capacity building support to NLK has included supporting the leadership of the organisation to strengthen their resource mobilisation skills by participating in the International Workshop on Resource Mobilisation, and supporting NLK’s economic empowerment activities which has included supporting the purchase of sewing machines, and training women living positively in sewing and knitting skills.

Recently NLK went through a leadership transition and Ms Beteleheam Ashebir, former General Manager, in an email to AWDF stated:

“At the time of NLK’s conception as village level consultation and experience sharing meeting group of 5 HIV positive women, we did not realize that one day NLK would become a large organization reaching thousands of women and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS; today but, NLK has grown-up to be one of successful front liner reputable charity organization in changing the tide of HIV/AIDS in the countrywide grass root communities of Ethiopia. Beloved sisters, all these development and achievements would have been never possible without generosity support of several international and national compassionate donors such as African Women Development Fund (AWDF), Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF), World Learning- USAID, Global Fund for Women, Global Fund, Volunteer Services Over Seas (VSO), Federal HIV/AIDS Control Office (FHAPCO); and People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) Networks. On behalf of our HIV/AIDS infected and affected target groups we are dedicated to work for life time; we value, appreciate and heartily thank forever these partners. Indeed, I cannot have enough words ever to thank our most respected donors- African Women Development Fund (AWDF),World Learning- USAID and Stephen Lewis Foundation(SLF) for their long term incredible dedication and devotion to the cause of NLK women from the past to present and future as well I believe. Indeed, the lion’s share of NLK’s achievements belongs to them.”

AWDF is honoured to have had the opportunity to work with NLK. We especially thank Ms Beteleheam Ashebir for her hard work, sacrifice and dedication to improving the quality of life for thousands of Ethiopian women living positively. AWDF is especially impressed with the rigourous steps the NLK has taken to ensure a smooth leadership transition. A testimony of the impact of Beteleheam Ashebir’s work is evident in the letter sent to AWDF by Ms Rahel Gizachew Demussie, NLK’s new General Manager.

The letter is shared in full below with the permisson of Rahel.

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Dear Beatrice and all colleagues at AWDF;

Kindly allow me to introduce myself. My Name is Rahel Gizachew Demessie the new General Manager of NLK since June 22, 2013 succeeding Mrs. Betheleheam Ashabir. Dear Colleagues, firstly, I would love to share on my association to NLK and Mrs. Betheleheam Ashabir long before the current transition.

I knew Mrs. Betheleheam Ashabir before we co-founded NLK with other three sisters in 2005. I met Betheleheam for first time late 2003, when she was teaching positive living for People living with HIV/AIDS to general patients at waiting room of a hospital in Addis Ababa. That day was not the first day I went to Hospital to consult my physician about my Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), but it was the first day; I saw a confident HIV Positive women speaking out openly about HIV/AIDS from her own experiences.

Influenced by her speech, I approached and told her after teaching session, about my distressful life due my HIV status. That time I was 20 and dropped out of school upon learning my status six months before. My status was confidential, nobody even my parents, but only the physician I was being supported at the Hospital. That day, I confidentially requested Bethlehem, if she could be help and advise me on perspective of future life and hopes as I was young and HIV positive. Bety replied, “Rahel, you know I am also HIV positive women, does not matter, we can still live positively and help ourselves and even others, we can still make difference, we can still live for purpose, strictly follow the advice of your therapists and Adhere to your ART, be strong, Tomorrow is Another Day”.

Then, I left to my home. That night though I went to my bed I could not sleep as my mind repeating her words as “tomorrow is another day, I can live and help myself and even others. Dear Colleagues, I cannot tell enough how much I was inspired by her responses. Her inspiring respond to my questions did pour power into my soul; changed my long perspective of self-worthless for optimism of bright future and purposeful life

A few weeks later, I went back to Betheleheam to thank her for her inspiring responses to my questions on the earlier week. I told her since that day, my soul filled with power and hope; my worthless self-perspective had been changed. In response to my feedback, Bety jumped up with joy, “Yes, Yes” she said. She was extremely happy about the new experience and change in my life shortly. She happily said to me, “thank you Rahel! Now I advise you to restore to your education and I need you to work together in future on purpose as well” Six months later, she organized us with 4 HIV positive women in the community whom she knew taught at the hospital to work together in future to support other women living with HIV/AIDS in our communities. Then, with no delay, we got to discussion on how we would go ahead to realize our dream. Shortly; we formed ourselves as village level consultation and experience sharing meeting volunteer group and started with confidence speaking out to families, neighbors, friends, relatives and the community members that we were all HIV positive, but we wanted to provide consultation and share our experiences to save the new generation from HIV/AIDS.

At that onset, I cannot tell enough the extent of hardship we faced from our own families and community members for doing that. We were blamed, Judged, and labeled. Besides, there were many who abusively ridiculed us. Nevertheless, under the dedicated leadership of Betheleheam, all the challenges could not stop as from moving forward; selflessly, we continued be involved in a wide variety of activities at all levels of the fight against AIDS; from appearing on posters, bearing personal testimony, and supporting and counseling others.

That selfless commitment gradually resulted into remarkable changes. We could be able drew attention of most community members and local support providers after one year of such tough work. Subsequently, we could be able to upgrade our village confined experience sharing and consultation group to “HIV positive women support association” which we called NLK is Acronyms which stands for “NEGEM LELA KEN NEW” in Amharic which means “Tomorrow is another day” in English.

In 2006, the meeting group (now NLK) with a membership of 70 infected women gained NGO status with legal registration by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia charities and Societies Agency. It further entered into Project Agreements with the respective bureaus of Addis Ababa City Administration, Amhara and Oromiya Regional National States of Ethiopia in 2006 which has been renewed every three years and renewed this year up to 2015 as well. As April of 2013, the organization’s membership is in excess of 1200 members, associate members and 2200 volunteers of which women account for 90%. NLK has a General Assembly which has supreme power over all corporate matters and has 19 members with wide ranging experiences; and has a clearly articulated constitution which governs all of its’ activities.

Today, NLK operates through a National Secretariat in Addis Ababa and has three regional offices located in Ambo Town of Oromiya Regional National State, Shewa Robit and Ataye towns in Amhara Regional National State. NLK’s activities in Addis Ababa are focused in Gulele and Addis Ketema Sub Cities. In addition, NLK has three IGA training centers for training all beneficiaries.

Currently, NLK has equipped with qualified and well experienced 19 employees. Luckily, the NLK staffs are reliable and most dedicated to the shared vision of NLK. I cannot tell enough their earnest feeling of organizational ownership, devotion, belongingness, flexibility and ability. They are outstanding performers independently and as Team. That is why we call them always “The NLK Team!”

Today NLK become a meaningful organization reaching thousands of women, grandmothers and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. Indeed, many thanks to our national and international compassionate partners, including our respected donor African Women Development Fund (AWDF) without their generosity and dedication to our effort all would have been impossible.

Dear Colleagues, on this historical transition I am really proud of Betheleheam as she is leaving us on good foundation. Going forward, however, we still aware of waiting tough work and commitment as NLK continues to respond to truly curb the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in our communities. On this regard, during working with Betheleheam on the transition process, I was informed many programmatic and institutional issues seek attention prospectively. Among others, diversifying the resource base of NLK and enhance its ability to garner adequate resources required for executing projects that is going to be undertaken in order to meet the need of our target affected and infected women, grandmothers and OVCs as in our strategic objectives, establishing NLK’s own building which will serve for offices and all IGA centers at one center… and ensuring NLK’s long term sustainability are most attention seeking priorities.

Going forward, therefore, primarily, we continue engage in aggressive executive board, management and staff, involvement in effort of local resource mobilization; on this regard, the current resource mobilization strategy developed plan through the compassionate assistance of AWDF will be our guiding tool. Moreover, we continue work hard to strengthen ties with our existing financiers of NLK’s national and International Organizations whilst continue more assessing the interest of national and international donors financing in the area of HIV/AIDS and proactively designing and proposing projects that are acceptable to them.

Dear colleagues, I regret to take much of your time on this, but I feel to ensure our partners keep well informed on this transition process and our way going forward. Thank you so much indeed for your understanding, cooperation and continued dedication to NLK and our target needy HIV/AIDS infected and affected poor women and children we continue work for with full commitment and dedication.

Warmly Regards

Rahel Gizachew Demessie
General Manager
Negemelelakennew HIV Positive Women Support Organization,(NLK)