Haitianite.com wishes to congratulate Esther Boucicault, one of four $10,000.00 recipients of the Fourth-Annual Keith D. Cylar AIDS Activist Awards winners, and wishes to equally congratulate Housing Works for awarding Ms. Boucicault.  With the help of Anne-Kenya Dubuisson, a Case Manager at Housing Works, Haitianite.com conducted an in-depth interview with Senior Vice President of Prevention and Services, Linney Smith, about Esther Boucicault and her work in Saint-Marc.  Below is an excerpt of our interview with Ms. Smith.

Edrys: Good afternoon Ms. Smith and thank you for speaking with us.  As Haiti is currently a country with a broken healthcare system and HIV/AIDS patients in Haiti have to walk distance for access to clinics or hospitals, in your opinion, how much Ms. Boucicault has contributed and continues to contribute towards the fight against this irrepressible pandemic in Haiti? 

Linney: Esther's biggest contribution has been to come out publicly as an HIV-positive woman in St Marc, Haiti and she has continued her efforts to eliminate the stigmas still surrounding people living HIV in Haiti. She has also created a not for profit organization providing health care, education, counseling and meals to people living with HIVAIDS in St Marc.

Edrys: Giving out these awards are positive steps in spreading HIV/AIDS awareness, and though $10,000.00 seems to be a reasonable sum, how much help or relieve can it really bring to the patients and these organizations, facing the cost and challenges of healthcare?

Linney: We acknowledge that the $10,000 gift that comes with her award is not a lot of money; however, it is a good contribution towards providing needed service in a poor nation as Haiti.   Previous recipients have been able to use their monetary awards to improve services in their country and state.  As we have also done with previous awardees, we plan to continue our support of Esther’s organization by supporting a work/study program she plans to implement in Haiti.

Edrys: Ms. Boucicault is admired and loved for her courage and devotion in helping others, what does it take to have more activists of her genre?

Linney: It takes the courage Esther demonstrates as well as the determination and the will to make a difference.   One must also be selfless.

Edrys: If there is one thing that you would like to see happening in the fight against HIV/AIDS, what would it be?

Linney: I would love to see a cure in the near future and until then, our society learn to love and accept those who are infected, giving them the ability to tell others about their experiences without fear of reprisal.

Edrys: I want to thank you for taking the time to speak to us about such an important issue; do you have any advice or words of caution for the youths to avoid this virus?

Linney: If you are not sexually active, good, sex can wait and if you believe you can’t wait to have sex, use a condom.  Get tested and know your status.

Edrys: Again congratulations for standing up for others in dire needs.

Event pictures Click Here

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