MAKOTI EDWIN

Hello!

WORK, TRAVELLING, CONFERENCES, AND DREAMS: I have been able to achieve some of my ambition and dreams. Just recently, I attended an International technical consultation on positive prevention in Hammamet, Tunisia from April 27-28, 2009, which was organised by GNP+ and UNAIDS. One of the dreams realized when I got to participate in the XVI International AIDS conference in Toronto, Canada in August 2006 (www.aids2006.org). Actually, that was the first time I had traveled outside of Tanzania. I could say that I going to Canada to participate and facilitate in that particular conference, where more than 50, 0000 people, mostly youth from all over the world, gathered, and that was the best way to start realizing other dreams. I felt so proud of myself for being able to stand and raise up my voice as a youth, and to show that I was now strong, confident and capable enough to participate and facilitate sessions in such a huge conference and make a big impact on other people's lives.

I then progressed to realizing my interests and dreams by being selected by WHO and UNICEF to participate in the global consultation meeting on care, support, treatment and prevention for YPLWHIV from around the global in Blantyre, Malawi in November 2006. Participants came from countries such as UK, Romania, Zimbabwe, China, Malawi, Mexico, Canada, USA, Ethiopia, Russia, South Africa, Bolivia, Brazil, Zambia, etc. During the meeting, I met a lady from South Africa with whom we shared stories. It was then that her organization, Open Society Initiative for Southern African countries (www.osisa.org) invited me to take part in the digital story telling workshop that was to happen later on the following year. I attended a week long workshop in February 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa. There were 15 participants from various Southern African countries. You can check out the website and watch the other stories at: http://storiesforchange.net/tags/hiv. For me going to South Africa was definitely a dream coming true as I had dreamed of this since I was a little kid. I, again, felt very proud of myself for being able to stay strong, impactful and admirable and that I have been achieving my ambitions and dreams and pursuing my interests.

Makho (left) with fellow YCI-T workers at World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007.

Before going to South Africa, I participated at the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya where about 80,000 people from around the world gathered earlier in 2007. I could say I was not only happy that I achieved all that, but I was also getting lots of exposure and meeting people and getting to know and hear about various issues, especially HIV/AIDS and related issues, happening in the world.


Makho performing at World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007.

In 2005, I was awarded by the Staying Alive Foundation http://www.staying-alive.org/ for my work on the field of HIV/AIDS in my community. The award came with a $1000 US dollars grant to support the work I have been doing. I got recognized by SAF through the UNAIDS country office in Dar es Salaam after they asked me to do an interview and then decided to nominate me for the SAF award. I applied for more funds from SAF in 2006 and I was awarded $5000 US dollars which I used to run a number of HIV/AIDS education and awareness campaigns in primary and secondary schools in Dar es Salaam, as well as in media.



Makho in one of his live community presentations in Morogoro.

WORK: I still work with Youth Challenge International-Tanzania. One of the good news for the year 2009, is that I became the new YCI-T Program Officer before actually becoming its Program Manager in 2010! I started this new position in March 2009 and 2010 respectively. I honestly feel so proud of myself for being able to be a great, trustworthy, confident outstanding young leader that led YCI put me in this new higher positions. We have been doing various community programming activities in Morogoro in partnership with a local non-governmental Organisation known as Faraja Trust Fund (www.farajatrust.org) since 2005. You can check all of our projects in Tanzania at: www.yci-tanzania.org. In 2007, I quitted from being a chairperson of the Network of YPLHIV in Dar es Salaam for various reasons, including being able to put more time and effort into our projects in Morogoro and music career. But now, with this new position, I was thinking about concentrating and put more time and efforts with that and slow down a bit about music career. 

MUSIC: My friend, Calvin aka Dr Kay, 26, and I have formed our own music group known as "Real Sojaz". He is from Morogoro (about 194 km west of Dar es Salaam). We do Bongo fleva ( local modern hip-hop like music) with the aim of raising awareness, reduce self and social stigma, and advocate for the rights of PLHIV. We have recorded one track titled "Mbona Shwari"- which means ‘it's alright'. The song is asking and encouraging the community to get teste for HIV as well as combating stigma and discrimination. In the song, we featured a local popular musician named Dully Sykes to sing the chorus in the song. Back in 2006, I recorded my first song while in Toronto called ‘kumekucha', which means ‘the raising'.


SCHOOL: I finished my secondary (high school) education in October 2007. Thanks to the former Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Peter Piot, for sponsoring me with high school studies. Since then, have been just been working and still figuring out what exactly is next in terms of studies. I am interested in either studying international development in Canada, political science, economics or perhaps social work studies inside or outside of Tanzania. I have not made any decisions yet on this but I'm a little bit worried that I will be missing my family if I go overseas for 3-4 years for studies.

CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB!
Well, some of you are aware of that I'm the number one Chelsea (The Blues) fan in the world....Right?? Man, I love this London-based football club so much and I would say it keeps me alive! I have been loving it since I was about ten and I really love watching them playing and winning, especially, against their biggest rivals Manchester United and Arsenal and other European teams in the Champions League!! I know they sometimes lose, but just for sometimes...right? So it is not a problem because they cannot always win regardless on how great they are:-) Peter Czech, Deco, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Joe Cole, Obi Mikel, John Terry, the coach and the rest of the team members, keep up the great work! Check out their website for more info at http://www.chelseafc.com/

That's all for now and stay tuned...Cheers!

Makoti