Stacey Wilson

Life has been a big challenge to me, as my mother died when I was just fifteen. Her death forced me to take on adult responsibilities early. At age fifteen I knew exactly what I wanted out of life and I began working towards the achievement of my goals.

Although, I gained support from other members of the family who, in my mind, tried their best, financial constraints resulted in me not being able to attain the academic heights I wanted to achieve. However, circumstances provided me the opportunity to gain recognition as one being able to rise above the many challenges that life can offer.

My working experiences began when I was seventeen. At age twenty-four my greatest challenge surfaced when I became a National United Nations Volunteer (NUNV). This assignment requires much field work, holding sessions with HIV infected persons and their families , and forming support groups with them. These groups help these persons to deal with depression, guilt, loneliness and rejection , so that their lives can once more be meaningful.

Since my NUNV assignment, I have been placed at the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA). GRPA is an organization with a mission to promote Sexual Reproductive Health through education, information, collaboration and service. 

This special project, "Greater Involvement of People with HIV\AIDS (GIPA)", aims to establish a sustainable network of seropositives, by reaching persons in each region, helping them to overcome isolation, inspire them, give them hope and dignity. It also facilitates a collective voice and vision to promote empowerment through training, information sharing and promoting responsible sexual behaviour and family life; support activities through the placement of NUNV`s to create and strengthen grass-root groups of Peolpe Living With Aids (PLWA`s), who in turn would support themselves and further partcipate in larger groups and national organizations.

Sharing of my own experiences has resulted in a great deal of emotional development for myself and others. It has given to others a sense of re-evaluation of their own lives and will utilize every opportunity to create changes in their lives and so enhance their sexual and reproductive health.

My hope and aspiration, for all who read this profile, is that their lives will be touched, and that those who may be affected and their families will rise above this situation. 

• Tilak Perera
• Carol Hawthorne

Tilak Perera of Sri Lanka and Carol Hawthorne of the UK, one a statistician and another an Information Technology Specialist, are working on a project called Strenghtening Capacity in the Compilation of Statistics and Indicators for Conference Follow Up in the CARICOM region. 

The project is organized under two main components:
1. Development of Statistical Capacity in social/gender statistics and environment statistics in the region
2. The use of Information Technology

Carol Hawthorne, the specialist in Information Technology is working on the following:

• Providing and strenghtening internet connectivity of national statistics offices in the region
• Providing training on computer software to national statistics offices
• Assisting in creating statistical data bases

• Identifying compiling and disseminating of social/gender and environmental issues and statistics in the region
• Implementing training programmes for workshops/seminars in environment and social/gender statistics
• Providing technical cooperation activities and advisory services to needy member countries for development of basic statistical capacity in social and environmental areas.
• Preparing regional plans for statistical development
• Publishing two regional statistical reports on social and environmental status

Tilak Perera in Belizian workshop (third from left in front row)