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6 MARCH 2015 www.namibtimes.net
A bird’s eye view of the new Dunes Mall that will be developed at Walvis Bay’s Diaz Circle, at the entrance to the town’s central business area
Women's Prayer Day Page 2
Swakop swemmers soek antwoorde
Bladsy 3
Open letter to Mayor Kambueshe Page 8
Green Light for huge Retail Investment in Walvis Bay!
Construction of eagerly awaited mall to start immediately Bernabé Blaauw 21, HIVThe entrance to the harbour town will be changed forever when construction on the N$480 million Dunes Mall, to be developed on the Diaz traffic Positive circle, starts next week. After numerous complaints of residents over the years that major retail developers are ignoring Walvis Bay, this will soon be a and scared thing of the past.
S
6 MARCH 2015
According to Mr Kallie e from our van derOnes Merwe, CEO Open Letter to our Young your of Safland International with – 21, HIV-positive, and scared Property Services, namib times-PEPFAR’s HIV/Aids campaign, “Share your status with the Ones you Love” focuses on Walvis you love” young people around 22 years of age, who are HIV-positive, living a healthy life, in a relationship, and Bay will become only the feeling great. A young woman has identified strongly with this campaign, and wrote us the following, aign lettersecond town in Namibia ssador, to boast a modern regionrd al centre after the Grove oto Mall in Windhoek that opened its doors in November last year. Construction will commence immediately and Page 10
sary living with HIV 2014 in Walvisbay
tested HIV positive almost nce then he has been involved awareness and fighting for who have been infected. Kaed his joy with the campaign atform he is given, he will do ng the Erongo Region’s fight
y of with now and pass un-
ese ons, ted ” he
ways use protection * Refrain from falling for sugar daddies and mommies * If you have a partner, share you status – often girls will get pregnant while partners do not yet know whether the other one is HIV+ or HIV- and you have to know, for the sake of your child. * Stay free from alcohol abuse * Concentrate on your education and your future – that is the greatest gift to yourself.
I am a 21-year old and HIV-positive. It was discovered that I was positive when I was 11 years of age. I got infected through helping to take care of a family member that was positive. I was so young but I learnt at that age how to look after myself responsibly. I could not really enjoy my childhood recklessly because there was no time for that. I was at first scared to go take my treatment, thinking of what people would say - I kept hiding every time I saw my friends. But as time passed by, I started to accept that it was really to my benefit. With that mindset I can now freely collect my treatment. But then I grew older and I started to date. Dating was never easy because of the rejection and stigma HIV positive people got from society. A lot of guys changed after they heard that I was HIV positive, this happened a lot and I started to feel I will never find a guy that will stay with me. With that on my mind everyday it caused great pain in my life.The more open and honest I was the more rejection I got from guys. Until one day, when I met a guy that became my confidant. I trusted this guy so much. And at that point in time I thought that I have met a guy that loves me for who and what I am. To my disappointment, this guy was only using me and never did I foresee this - until I got pregnant for the 1st time and he convinced me that having an abortion will be the best. I trusted this guy, and I went for the abortion. This process took a turn for the worst, and I almost lost my life. But that ordeal did not make me come to my senses, before I got pregnant again the next year. The guy met another girl and moved on with his life - and I had to be a single parent. But never do I regret keeping my next child, as she brought a lot of joy into my life and made me see the great importance of parenthood. My child is HIV negative and is a very
healthy and intelligent little girl. I am blessed to have her. Out of all this I have learnt that we are nothing without God. My relationship with Him kept growing as my situation kept me on my knees. When my life was at its darkest, my Lord stood by me and I could feel his presence every time. God opened doors for me in the times that I lost the most faith in Him. And, today I praise him gratefully. Today I have found an amazing guy that loves me and wishes to marry me. That is my story which I wish to share with so many young people that are HIV- positive. I would like to encourage them to keep the faith that one day a cure will be found to help us. But for now, that we reach out to each other and try to help, support and guide each other, in order to build a good foundation on everlasting friendships. Let us work together to make society understand that we also have rights and that we also have feelings, that we also want to be loved, cared for, supported by everybody. We also want to be in relationships of our choice and with the men or women of our choice. We are just as strong and capable of anything and everything, as long as we set our minds to it. The only thing that makes us different, is that we have a (+) in our status, and they have a (-), but not even that makes them more important than us. As for before God and even by law, all men and women are equal. But what does society do to us: * They reject us and make us feel like we do not deserve to be part of the Namibian nation. * We are so scared to expose our status to society, because they make our status a label. Namibian society brand us like it’s something abnormal. * We are discriminated against, with no one taking into consideration that not everyone that is HIV positive, went out
Francis in Addis Ababa
to look for it. Our feelings seem to be invisible to this nation. * We are not free and comfortable in our own places in public, like schools, universities and social groups, because there are always those that make a mockery of people that are HIV positive. They forget the pain and suffering that infected people go through each and every day. And rather for society to help, support or assist us, they add to our pain and suffering, they sometimes make life almost unbearable for us. Our outcry is so loud - for people to one day sit back and try to walk in our shoes, for them to see that we are not only just affected physically by this virus, but also emotionally. We are already going through so much and yet we have to fear our own brothers and sisters of our own country. We desire that we can live freely in our country. That we can discuss and talk openly about our status. That those who are negative, learn through our experiences, that we can teach them that we can do anything we wish to do that is positive and aspiring. We ask to be loved by each and everyone in this country, that we can date freely and have children with our partners. Without our partners and children being judged because of our status. I wish that our youth would start to take in the information that is given out by the government, NGO’s and social media campaigns. It’s a pity to see how the youngsters claim to know everything about the virus and then, when they are confronted, they tend to know nothing. Prevention is better than cure, ignorance will not take away the situation that the nation is facing. But more willing hearts will contribute to a happy nation. United we are stronger and will stand firm, but divided will surely fall into a broken nation.
ade: x – al-
that HIV is not spread
sweat, or saliva. You can-
21, HIV-positive and scared
HIV-positive. However, many of these drugs are
In one study, as many as 30% of African-Ame-
expensive and produce serious side effects. None
ricans and Latinos expressed the view that HIV
yet provides a cure. Also, drug-resistant strains
was a government conspiracy to kill minorities.
of HIV make treatment an increasing challenge.
Instead, higher rates of infection in these pop-
Practicing safer sex - wearing condoms or using
ulations may be due, in part, to a lower level of
dental dams - can protect you both from becom-
health care.
ing exposed to other (potentially drug resistant)
Because HIV is spread through blood, people
strains of HIV.
at or doorknob handle after
have worried that biting or bloodsucking insects
rson
might spread HIV. Several studies, however,
ter fountain
show no evidence to support this - even in areas
Most men do become HIV-positive through sex-
Continue reading below...
with lots of mosquitoes and cases of HIV. When
ual contact with other men. However, about 16%
You can be HIV-positive and not have any symp-
sitive
insects bite, they do not inject the blood of the
of men and 78% of women become HIV-positive
toms for years. The only way for you or your
nsils with an HIV-positive
person or animal they have last bitten. Also, HIV
through heterosexual contact.
partner to know if you’re HIV-positive is to get
lives for only a short time inside an insect.
Myth No. 7: If I’m receiving treatment, I can’t spread the HIV virus.
tested.
shaking hands with some-
pment at a gym
m infected blood, semen,
er's milk.
don’t need to worry HIV positive - new me well.
Myth No. 4: I’m HIV-positive - my life is over.
mall. According to the developers this is also the most ideal position for retailers, banks and other service providers wishing to serve customers from Kuisebmond, Narraville and Meersig alike. The size of Dunes Mall, which will be the first phase of the Dunes mixed use district, is 28 000
square meters and the projected development cost stands at N$480 million. The primary design focus for Bob Mould & Scheffer Architects, the project architects, was to create a cocoon to protect shoppers against the very harsh elements experienced in Walvis Bay. In order to achieve this,
the centre’s back is turned to prevailing winds and the approximately 80 stores will be spread over two shopping levels. This will allow developers to create three wind-protected parking levels of which two will be under cover. The maximum distance from any parking bay to the nearest mall entrance,
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Marshallino Beukes
Safari Investment’s N$400 million Platz am Mer Waterfront Development Project in Swakopmund is once again the centre of attention, after it came to light that the Offices of the Permanent Secretary and the Ombudsman are also keeping a close eye on it.
www.namtimeshivaids.org
e air as someone who is
hold. The Mall will be developed on a site located on the Diaz traffic circle, ensuring prime exposure to traffic coming in from Swakopmund on the B2, as well as motorists entering on C14 from the airport. This makes it almost impossible to access Walvis Bay without passing the
Waterfront controversy continues
A letter from the Permanent Secretary’s office, dated 2 February 2015 to the town’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Eckart Demasius, states that the Namibiaabout Planning AdviTop 10 Myths and Misconceptions sory Board (NAMPAB) has and AIDS (See http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids) an get HIV by being Myth No. 8:the My partner and I are delegated Chief Town and ho are HIV-positive. both HIV positive - there’s no reason for us to practise safer sex. Regional Planner to familiarMyth No. 3: I can get HIV from mosize himself with the current quitoes. Myth No. 6: I’m straight and don’t situation. use IV drugs - I won’t become HIV-positive. Myth No. 9: I could tell if my partner Page 36 was HIV-positive.
also ted pills om
the opening date of the mall is set for May 2017. An exclusive statement released to namib times announces that Dunes Mall is the seventh development project, managed by Safland in Namibia and this is the first development to be undertaken in the newly formed collaboration with retail tycoon, Dr Christo Wiese’s Trade-
When HIV treatments work well, they can re-
Myth No. 10: You can’t get HIV from oral sex.
In the early years of the disease epidemic, the
duce the amount of virus in your blood to a le-
It’s true that oral sex is less risky than some oth-
death rate from AIDS was extremely high. But
vel so low that it doesn’t show up in blood tests.
er types of sex. But you can get HIV by having
today, antiretroviral drugs allow HIV-positive
Research shows, however, that the virus is still
oral sex with either a man or a woman who is
people - and even those with AIDS - to live much
“hiding” in other areas of the body. It is still es-
HIV-positive. Always use a latex barrier during
rugs are improving and
longer, normal, and productive lives.
sential to practice safe sex so you won’t make
oral sex.
of many people who are
Myth No. 5: AIDS is genocide.
someone else become HIV-positive.
This followed after a Swakopmund community group, Paddock Gardens Trust, wrote a letter of complaint to the line ministry. In the letter a meeting between NAMPAB, Swakopmund Municipality, the developer, the owner, Paddock Gardens Trust and other line ministries is requested for 23 February 2015 (letter in na-
mib time’s possession). Last week Friday namib times reported that the mayor of Swakopmund, Mr Juuso Kambueshe, denied that such a meeting took place. Representatives of Paddock Gardens Trust (PGT) this week, however, informed the newspaper that the said meeting indeed took place.
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