Welcome
NAPWA is the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS. NAPWA is a national organization that co-ordinates the needs and resources of all people living with HIV/AIDS. Its membership is open to people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Napwa’s major purpose is to organize, mobilize and empower people living with HIV/AIDS and to represent their interests by providing care and support
When HIV/AIDS surfaced, the communities started blaming people living with HIV/AIDS as ones responsible for HIV/AIDS let alone spreading the HIV/AIDS. Because of this, there is a lot of discrimination, and stigmatization that is attached put to people living with HIV/AIDS. Many PWA's were and are still being rejected by their families and communities. People have and are still losing their homes, jobs, and friends because of their positive status. All in all people living with HIV/AIDS are treated as outcasts in their own homes and societies. This led to some PWA s dying earlier than expected and unnecessarily. It is under this background that NAPWA was formed.
A group of concerned people living with HIV/AIDS met in 1994 and decided to form NAPWA, which was to fight against discrimination and stigmatization.
NAPWA exists in all South African Provinces with offices in each province. The National office of NAPWA is based in Germiston, Gauteng Province.
A need to consolidate intervention strategies against HIV/AIDS cannot be emphasized enough. According to National Department of Health HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan and UNAIDS, the inclusion of PWA’s in prevention, treatment, care and support strategies is of paramount importance. This is because PWA’s provide the realities of HIV/AIDS as well as human face to the epidemic. The National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA-SA) has continued to mobilize People living with HIV/AIDS for their effective and organized response against the disease. But most significantly, NAPWA as the only PWA movement has coordinated as well as formed support groups to provide care and support throughout South Africa.

The National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA-SA) is a non-governmental, mass based, non-profit organization of people living with HIV/AIDS. NAPWA is a national representative organization co-ordinating the needs, aspirations and resources for people living with HIV/AIDS

NAPWA strive towards its goal through:
  • Speaking in favor of people living with HIV/AIDS
  • Producing and distributing information about HIV/AIDS
  • Educating the general public and people living with HIV/AIDS
  • Acting as a network by referring people to other organizations

    NAPWA doesn’t discriminate and is committed to advancing the interests of all people living with HIV/AIDS. Our unbiased position in the HIV community allows us to work in a positive way with a broad range of groups and individuals. NAPWA embraces different opinions and outlooks and this leads to strength in numbers. The only side we’re on is that of people living with HIV/AIDS. We join forces with other HIV/AIDS organizations and advocacy groups so that our work has a broad impact and so that we increase the possibility for positive change.

    NAPWA was formed under the following principles:

  • People living with HIV/AIDS are human beings with potential
  • People living with HIV/AIDS are not the cause of the problem but part of the solution.
  • People living with HIV/AIDS have rights like any other human beings.
  • People living with HIV/AIDS have and can play a major role in the fight against HIV/AIDS
  • People living with HIV/AIDS have a responsibility to teach our communities about HIV/AIDS while supporting each other.

    We Believe
  • We can care for people already infected with HIV.
  • It is possible to live with HIV.
  • We can end the epidemic.
  • South Africa must recognize HIV as a major health challenge that affects everyone.
  • We must respond appropriately to HIV/AIDS.
  • The presidency of South Africa must lead the nation’s response to the HIV epidemic.


    Aims and Objectives

    There is a need for a national organization to act as an assertive, legitimate and respected voice of all people living with HIV/AIDS. NAPWA works with other organizations:

  • To provide support and guidance for all people living with HIV/AIDS.
  • To represent, co-ordinate and communicate the needs and resources of all people living with HIV/AIDS.

  • To ensure that the human rights of all people living with HIV/AIDS are recognized and protected.
  • To develop and assist support group structures and networks for all people living with HIV/AIDS
  • To promote education that is sensitive and specific to the needs of all people living with HIV/AIDS

    Care and Support

    To offer support and counseling services and to facilitate by means of referral the accessibility of other services desired by its members.

    Mobilizing, Lobbying and Advocacy

    To mobilize all people living with HIV/AIDS in order to build a national mass based PWA movement to lobby and advocate for the care of members

    Information Services

    To establish information services accessible to members, community and other relevant stakeholders.

    Capacity Building, Education & Training

    To develop the capacity of our members and communities to be able to be self-reliant and live lives of dignity.

    Research and Evaluation Services

    To engage in relevant research and evaluation activities in the HIV/AIDS field as required by member’s programmes and by other stakeholders in order to further the aims and objectives of the organization.

    Gender Programmes

    To initiate and offer programmes and projects relevant for members gender issues in the HIV/AIDS issues

    Partnership Development

    To establish links with and develop strategic partnership with key local and international organizations, institutions and governmental departments for mutual benefit

    STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

    NAPWA endeavors to be a custodian of the interests and aspirations of PWA's and affected people. Generally we exist to protect PWA's from victimization, stigmatization, dehumanization and discrimination. The HIV/AIDS charter, health charter as well as our fundamental human rights as enshrined in the South African constitution and basic democratic values are our guiding documents as NAPWA.

    We are also guided by the following principles:

    No To Discrimination

    NAPWA is for all those people who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS regardless of their race, creed, religious stand, class, political affiliation, sexual orientation and disability.

    Confidentiality And Privacy

    NAPWA upholds basic human rights of privacy and confidentiality. No one should be compelled to disclose her or his status regarding HIV/AIDS. Testing and disclosure should be a voluntary act.

    An End To Discrimination And Prejudice On Grounds Of HIV Status

    NAPWA is also guided by the principle of non-discrimination. We are opposed to any form of discrimination based on race, sexual orientation and HIV status.
    Our role is to defend PWA's from undue discrimination, prejudice and harassment.

    An End To Exploitation Of PWA’s

    NAPWA endeavors to be a watchdog against all forms of exploitation of PWA s, whether they are conducted by persons, organizations or other. We strive for a PWA exploitation free society

    Partnership

    NAPWA is committed to work in partnership with all organizations, persons, national and international bodies that share the same goals of fighting the spread and impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic including the discrimination of PWA's. We support partnerships that shall benefit PWA's rather than exploiting PWA's / PWA's being used.

    No To Discrimination In The Workplace

    We condemn all forms of discrimination in the workplace. There should be no direct or indirect pre-employment test for HIV, and there should be no compulsory workplace testing for HIV. HIV status should not be a determinant in job status, promotion or transfer. We stand against all dismissals or retrenchments of persons on the basis of their HIV positive status.

    Self Reliance And Self Confidence Of PWA’s

    NAPWA endeavours to instill a culture of self-reliance and self-confidence of PWA's in the struggle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. NAPWA believes that PWA'S are human beings with full potential and that they have to be confident of themselves.

    Empowerment And Capacity Building Of PWA’s

    NAPWA seeks to empower PWA's through capacity building, training, etc for them to fully participate in programmes that seek to address their situation.

    Treatment

    We stand for an accessible and affordable treatment for PWA's that is coupled with information and the greater social situation around it.

    Care And Support

    We stand for the provision of care and support to PWA's and affected people, which include continuous counseling for individuals and families in need.

    Dignity

    NAPWA seeks to protect and uphold the dignity of PWA's as human beings.

    Counseling

    NAPWA stands for a holistic and continuous situational based counseling for PWA's and affected people. We believe in counseling that seeks to uplift person s spirit, morale and that encourages positive thinking and living.

    Provision Of Information And Education

    We will strive to provide relevant and updated information regarding HIV/AIDS to our members. We believe that where people need to make decisions they must be well informed.

    Solidarity

    We stand for solidarity of PWA's and affected people. We seek to instill unity of PWA's with the purpose of sharing ideas, skills and information.

    Mass Based And Mass Driven Organisation

    Strategies, tactics and programmes adopted by the organization should be simple and understandable to all members of the organization from the grass root level. Its members should own NAPWA, with leadership acting as a signpost.

    Democratic Centralism

    Every member must participate in the debate and decision-making processes, using correct and acceptable channels with respect to each other s view. This instills a culture of debating ideas and arriving at informed solutions. When a fair debate has unfolded and a decision has been democratically arrived at, it shall bind all members.

    PWA’s Shall Be Torch Bearers Of The Organisation

    This means that PWA's should play a central role in the planning and implementation of programmes, projects and activities within NAPWA. PWA’s should fully participate in the running of their mass based movement.

    Mission Statement

    NAPWA's mission statement is to provide legitimate representative and an assertive platform in consultative partnership with relevant stakeholders, whereby basic human rights, dignity and support of PWA's can be voiced, upheld and protected within a safe and secured environment.

    Vision

    We endeavour to achieve our mission statement by catering for individual and provincial needs as well as the diverse population of people living with HIV/AIDS.