Helena Nangombe: "Contributing to the Robert Carr Fund means making sure we end AIDS by 2030"
Read interview with Helena Nangombe, young leader from Namibia and a member of the Robert Carr Fund International Steering Committee (ISC).
Dear Helena, being an accomplished female leader now, how did you become an activist?
I became an activist back in 2010, however in 2013 I wanted to make real changes contributing to the fight to end stigma and discrimination in my community. I was a teen mom mother living positively with HIV, was really a tough time to many people with HIV. I was in a place where I was hopeless due to stigma, were people were shaming and calling me names. But I wanted to make change in my community in the Northern part of Namibia, because I knew many women and young girls like myself were experiencing this. So I came up with an idea of how to contribute and to have a sense of belonging. So I created the organization called Young Women Empowerment Network that focus on empowering AGYW (Adolescent Girls and Young Women) living with HIV and those at risk.
What did you manage to do with your organization?
Managing a grassroots organization is not easy, but because we are determined to contribute to ending HIV by 2030, we kept reaching out to more girls in rural areas, especially those that are living with HIV, those who are at risk of contracting HIV, and also rape survivors. One of the key focus is empowering women and girls in rural area with correct information about their rights, health and body, so they are able to protect themselves, make informed decisions and get services when they need, referring adolescent girls and young women to clinics and doing HIV counseling.
How did you become part of the wider African women’s movement?
It has not really been an easy thing to have all voices on the table, community voices have been missing in so many spaces and sometimes only brought on board at the very last stage of responding to an issue. I was fortunate to be nominated in 2010 as one of the global Young Women Leaders and provided access to global platforms, as part of the UNAIDS/GCWA, and ATHENA Network Young Women’s Leadership Initiative. Since then, I continued participating at platform making contributions toward ending HIV and gender-based violence. Since the very start I was telling to myself: “Wow, there’s so much I need to do as a woman, there’s so much that I need to do as a person living with HIV.” And there I was … a girl from a village. You’ll laugh if you look at my first concept note that I sent to the Ministry…
…But you did send it.
Yes, I did send it and it got me where I am today.
Do you recall how did you find out about the Robert Carr Fund?
It was 2019 I think. Looking at the application to become ISC member, I was wondering “Should I apply? Should I not?”. I wanted to understand how things have been channeled with in the RCF’s decision-making and management, how consortia of networks have been funded. I wanted to be part of the larger global movement that is making impact for the most vulnerable ISPs around the globe and I wanted to have a voice at the decision making platform that is contributing to ending HIV and inequality. So, I applied for the seat in the RCF International Steering Committee. As a young woman leader, I needed to be sitting at the decision-making tables. And I said: “if I let this pass, how will I sit in the space where decisions are made, if I’m not gonna apply? So I owned the space and just applied.”
You are part of the RCF ISC for more than two years now. What did you get to learn, what were your insights?
I feel very empowered to be part of this wonderful family of the Robert Carr Fund. I am privileged to see how RCF is making a huge impact not only in Africa, but around the globe. When we talk about ending HIV by 2030 – we can only end HIV if we have communities empowered and engaged and ensuring the availability services and of course funding to make a difference. That’s why it is crucial for the donors to see the importance of keeping Robert Carr Fund moving forward. Because of the RCF’s long-term, core and flexible funding, networks are able to respond to issues like Covid-19 pademic, which came and hit so many people who are the most vulnerable. Flexible support allowed organizations to shift funds and address the immediate needs of their communities.
In your opinion, what makes RCF’s participatory funding model so unique?
I think the uniqueness is having not only donors sitting in the ISC, but to have diverse community representatives, people living with HIV, people from the LGBTIQI+. We all sit together and define strategy of the Fund, because people from the communities know best what happens in the community. So it’s like bringing the voice from the ground to the level of where international donors are seated.
How do you see RCF’s role in the future?
I hope RCF will grow and be improved, to be able to reach to more networks and to provide enough funding. Of course, I know that RCF as one organization alone cannot solve all the issues we are faced with now, but the initial idea is that our funders, our donors really see the added value of RCF’s funding approach, see how communities are benefiting for this. Contributing to the Robert Carr Fund means to contribute to making sure we end AIDS by 2030.