Indonesian HIV workers visit Australia

Yanti Susanti, ALAF delegate, speaking

at the ALAF Program launch at AFAO

On 18 September, a delegation of 11 Indonesian HIV sector workers arrived in Australia to participate in an education program about Australia's HIV response.

The delegates are being hosted by AFAO with funding support through the AusAID Australian Leadership Awards Fellowships (ALAF) program.

ALAF delegates are drawn from the National AIDS Commission (NAC), district and provincial AIDS Commissions, the Ministry of Health and two leading non-government organisations: GWL-INA - Indonesia's national network of gay men, waria (transgender people) and men who have sex with men (MSM), and the Gessang Foundation.

The AFAO/ALAF program aims to strengthen Indonesia’s national capacity to develop, manage and support HIV prevention, care, support and treatment programs for MSM and waria communities. 

 During their five-week stay in Australia,  program participants will take part in facilitated discussions and presentations, visit key HIV organisations in Sydney and Melbourne and undertake community-based work placements.

L-R: Pipiet Laksmono, ALAF delegate  
  and Dr Limin Mao, National
 Centre in HIV Social Research

During the first week of the program, participants have already spent time hearing from organisations including: AFAO, The Kirby Institute, NAPWA, ASHM, Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Positive Life NSW, ACON, the National Centre in HIV Social Research, and NSW Health. 

Some of the program participants, including Pipiet Laksmono (pictured right), are blogging about their experiences on the GWL-INA website. The website is in Bahasa Indonesian; you can access a reasonable English translation of the site via google translate here.