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hen Nelia was first introduced to the staff at KALMI (Konbit Ayisyen Pou Lavi Miyo—Haitian Collective for a Better Life), she was at her lowest point. Although she had never finished elementary school and had no job or income, she had always been able to survive through the help of family and friends. But when Nelia learned she had contracted HIV from a former partner in 2000, this support disappeared. Facing poverty, discrimination and rejection from those she loved, Nelia turned to the two places she knew she could trust: the Church of God of Jacmel and St. Michel Hospital. At the Church, Nelia found peace in praying for God’s strength and forgiveness. At St. Michel, a hospital known for its anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment, Nelia found care and KALMI, one of seven indigenous NGOs that form Haitian Partners for Health (HPH), an umbrella organization that works under the auspices of NPI grantee World Hope International (WHI).

In the nine years since she learned she was HIV-positive, Nelia has attended the Church of God of Jacmel in southern Haiti twice a week. Infected with HIV by a former partner who died in 1999, and shunned by her family when she disclosed her infection, Nelia went there to pray and ask God for strength. Nelia never finished elementary school and had no job or income to sustain her. Faced with poverty, persistent discrimination and rejection from friends and family, she eventually found herself homeless and alone. She heard that PEPFAR had started providing anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) in Haiti and sought care and support at St. Michel Hospital, one of the first ARV centers in the country. Through staff at the hospital, she was put in touch with KALMI, (Konbit Ayisyen Pou Lavi Miyo—Haitian Collective for a Better Life), one of seven indigenous NGOs that form Haitian Partners for Health (HPH), an umbrella organization that works under the auspices of NPI grantee World Hope International (WHI).

Along with the other local NGOs which had little or no experience working with the U.S. Government, KALMI receives financial, programmatic and technical assistance to scale up its activities and extend the reach of HIV/AIDS prevention and care services across five regions of Haiti. Through WHI’s tailored trainings and one-on-one technical assistance, KALMI has strengthened its administrative systems, expanded its services and developed the skills of volunteers like Nelia. As a person living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and a promoter for KALMI, Nelia both uses the organization’s services and provides them. She accesses medical care, receives monthly assistance to cover the costs of clean water and nutrition and attends a support group, where PLWHA come together to discuss common struggles and voice their feelings in a safe environment. This physical, medical and emotional support along with her training has enabled Nelia to help others who are in similar situations. By visiting the homes of other PLWHA and accompanying them to service delivery sites and workshops on income-generating activities, Nelia shares the hope that changed her life with others.

By building the capacity of KALMI and other organizations, WHI-HPH has helped to build a legion of Haitians who are creating and implementing activities that have reached over 40,000 of their fellow Haitians. Because of them, orphans and vulnerable children who would have otherwise ended up on the streets or in institutions have a support network; PLWHA who were once isolated now have access to quality palliative care; and fragile communities overwhelmed by poverty and AIDS are beginning to mend.

On January 17, 2009, Nelia returned to the Church of God of Jacmel once more, but this time for a very different reason: to celebrate her wedding to Soliman, a PLWHA whom she got to know through the activities at KALMI. The two exchanged vows and thanked God for the help of WHI-HPH and the chance to build a new life together.