Newsletter 3 | December 2016

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3| Watipa in 2016: From acorns to future oak trees.

Watipa has been operational for just 6 months, since our official registration on 11 June 2016. As we are reminded in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “the creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”

Today is World AIDS Day. A day to commemorate heroic progress in:

  • science, with discoveries in terms of diagnosis, effective treatment and insights taking us ever closer towards a vaccine and a cure;
  • education, and teaching and learning in a way that transforms sexual health, recognises pleasure, accepts diverse partnerships and relationships, and promotes shared responsibility to prevent disease transmission;
  • community mobilisation, in forcing accountability and galvanising solidarity to ensure human rights for all and access to much needed testing, treatment, care and support;
  • healthcare, and reaching communities in innovative ways to enable access to life-saving services;
  • political commitment, and leaders speaking out publicly to promote HIV testing and access to treatment, and enabling funds to support life-saving care;
  • funding, and the creation of accountable, transparent and community guided mechanisms to support national HIV responses and health systems in countries with high need; and
  • personal beliefs, and challenging our own attitudes in confronting stigma, stopping discrimination, and advocating for equal rights for all.

We have further to go – HIV still exists and thrives amid inequality – and still too many lives are lost too soon. But, the world has witnessed impressive progress over the last three decades since the virus was first discovered. This progress is due to the commitment and dedication of many individuals coming together in solidarity and combining their divergent expertise to address a common concern.

Here at Watipa, we have achieved a lot since our establishment in June 2016. We too have further to go, and can only imagine what might be possible over the next 30 years… and more…. 

In 2016 we raised more than £15,500 for the inaugural Watipa scholarships. THANK YOU. The first scholarships will be announced next week, on International Human Rights Day (10th December), and we will be profiling some of the recipients and their achievements throughout next year.

Keep up-to-date with our thinking, work and new ideas through our latest blogs:

Wishing you and your loved ones a festive and jolly end to 2016, and all the very best for the New Year.