To be able to inspire and empower people who are either affected by or infected with HIV especially young people, Moses Ayuha shares his own experience after being diagnosed with HIV in 2012 to show that life is worth living for. Born in the Philippines and later migrated to Japan, he was disowned by his family after disclosing his HIV status. It wasn’t easy to start from nothing in his birth country the Philippines, but Positive Action Foundation Philippines, Inc. or PAFPI adopted Moses, trained him to use his experience to fight through the challenges of life paired with HIV and use his voice to raise awareness and educate young people.
On December 5, 2019 he was invited by the Department of Education Makati to give a lecture on HIV and share his experience in front of students taking Alternative Learning System or ALS courses. According to the Republic of the Philippines’ Department of Education:“ALS is a parallel learning system which provides an alternative for those who did not have the chance to attend and finish formal basic education to gain both non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.”
Education in general is both a privilege and a right. It is PAFPI’s duty and pleasure to educate people to protect their health and future especially the younger generation who are currently affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV. HIV prevention starts from having the knowledge if a person is at risk by evaluating his sexual behavior and possible exposure to the virus through sharing of infected needles, blood/blood products and mother-to-child transmission. Education also comes in the form of a story shared by a person who went through a rough process and confronted it with strength and guidance from an empowering support system.
Formerly a recipient of services provided by MAC AIDS Fund through PAFPI’s Glam For Life Project, Moses Ayuha is now a service provider working as a Community Outreach Worker who helped countless lives in their journey to a healthier recovery. When asked by peers what keeps him strong and motivated to help people who are living with HIV, the only answer he’ll provide is how MAC AIDS Fund and PAFPI’s Partnership shaped him to gain the strength needed in a life full of uncertainty.
