Tran Thuy Linh*'s father died of AIDS in 2005 when she was 12 years old. Fortunately Linh, her mother and her younger brother were spared from infection but they suffered along with their father. Many people in the community became aloof and treated them with disrespect, kept their distance and ignored them as if the whole family were contagious and could transmit the deadly HIV virus.  

"Whenever I went out, my family became a hot topic for local voyeurs. They all said HIV had killed my drug-addicted dad so other members in my family could be infected with HIV. They were reluctant to talk with us and never wanted to visit our house although we were tested negative to HIV," recalls 15-year-old Linh, who lives in the coastal district of Do Son, Hai Phong.

Since the first case of HIV was found in Do Son more than ten years ago, local people were very scared of HIV and AIDS. They knew AIDS was an incurable disease but they thought they might easily get the disease if they had contacts with either HIV patients or their families.

As a result, it is common to see stigma attached not only to the person infected but the family too, and discrimination against the family of the infected is almost a disease in itself.

"My neighbour, who was an authority in the district, asked his children to stand far from me and didn't let them play with me when he knew my father was positive to HIV," Linh says while her eyes turn red and well with tears. "My father's family warned us that we might bring the virus back to their hometown when we visited them. My aunt, meanwhile, suspected my mother and I would have the disease whenever we were sick."

When Linh started attending a lower secondary school some of her classmates still called her the daughter of an HIV man. "They looked down on me when they knew my situation," she continues. "I felt so ashamed."

Time to change

The unhappy memories may always be with Linh, but it is certain that the girl will never suffer from such pain again. Today, she is enjoying a beautiful time with her friends at school.   

"All my classmates support me very much while my schoolmates are no longer cold towards me," continues the girl, who is the monitor at her class and the leader of her school's Young Pioneer team. "They have changed their mind about the disease since a number of awareness raising activities on HIV and AIDS took place in my school last year. My school has broadcasted a weekly radio program about the topic while students have been excited with music shows, plays and quiz shows on HIV and AIDS."

Such activities are efforts of World Vision's Time to Change Project in cooperation with schools in Do Son. Implemented in 2003, the project aims to help people understand HIV and AIDS and to teach them not to discriminate against those infected or affected by the disease within their communities.

Apart from working with seafarers, factory workers, commercial sex workers and tourists in two districts in Hai Phong including Do Son, the project has focused its activities at local schools. The project has so far supported the schools to organize competitions, educational games and puzzles on HIV and AIDS for students since 2007.

With World Vision's assistance, Linh's secondary school has an information booth with posters, leaflet and photos about HIV and AIDS, while it holds many activities to improve student's knowledge of the disease, especially on the event of World AIDS Day. Meanwhile, students have also learnt about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, sex abuse and early sex education.  

"We believe that children will not discriminate against those who are infected or affected by HIV and AIDS once they completely understand about the disease," asserts Hoang Thi Thuan, the principal of Linh's secondary school. "There are a total 670 students in my school and 10 of them are children infected/affected by HIV and AIDS including Linh. None of the children have been isolated."

Linh's family has struggled with poverty since her father's death. Her mother sells fish to make enough money to pay for food and shelter and education. But the girl says she is luckier than many others who find themselves in a similar position.

"I saw more miserable lives at the National Children Forum on care, support and treatment for children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS that I joined in January 2008," she reveals. "Some smaller children are infected with AIDS while many others still suffer from stigma after their parent died of the disease."

"I wish a comfortable life for my family when I grow up. My mother won't need to work hard while my brother will have nice clothes and enough learning aids at school," the girl concludes, "I dream of working for a news agency or a television station. I would love an active job like that."

* Name was changed to protect the character' identities.