Ideas freshly caught - cast your net! African networking AGHNiD

Group picture
© Photo Veronica Hotzel

Within the African Health and HIV Network in Germany (AGHNiD), individuals and organizations cooperate to promote health and HIV prevention in African communities in Germany. The idea for the foundation goes back to the DAH project PaKoMi, which showed thatHIV prevention for migrants works if they have the opportunity to help shape and participate.

Once or twice a year, all those involved in the network come together to exchange experiences and ideas on HIV/STI prevention and to develop information materials and other services for African communities together with Deutsche Aidshilfe. The concept meeting was secured by qualified moderation and management, and by DAH funding.

The thematic focus of the AGHNiD concept meeting was on presenting special events and developments from the regions, exchanging experiences and discussing the development of prevention measures in cooperation with DAH.

15 participants from Osnabrück, Dortmund, Hamburg, Berlin, Wuppertal, Essen, Düsseldorf, Lübeck, Dortmund, Saarbrücken, Bremen, Cologne and Potsdam took part in the meeting.

  • Highlights were the discussion about
  • Refugees (third-country nationals) from Ukraine,
  • the presentation of the concept of "awareness against racism",
  • the restructuring of the network and
  • cooperation with the DAH.
Stuhlkreis mit Menschen
© Foto: Veronica Hotzel

The situation of African people without residence status and without insurance was described as particularly precarious and will continue to require special attention in AGHNiD's work in the future.

Ms. Helene Batemona-Abeke, social worker, systemic family helper and awareness speaker, reported in her presentation on the current situation of more than 160 people from Africa in and from Ukraine.

A total of more than 160 African refugees from Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon are currently being looked after by AGHNID members on site, particularly in Cologne, Saarbrücken and Wuppertal.

The third-country nationals from Ukraine are:

  • Mostly students, often about to graduate (medicine, IT, social work)
  • Age from 17-31 years
  • mostly from Nigeria, but also from other African countries
  • lack of original documents -> no access to the social welfare system
  • Some of them are highly traumatized and exhausted
  • They have experienced massive racism and discrimination in Ukraine, Poland and Romania.
  • Some are living with HIV and have neither residence papers nor health insurance.
  • They do not benefit extensively from the German solidarity community for refugees from Ukraine.
  • They experience unequal treatment and racism in official procedures and accommodation.
  • Both women and men have often experienced sexualized violence.
  • They are not recognized as war-related refugees and are constantly under an obligation to provide evidence.
  • They are responsible to their families of origin, who finance their studies abroad, sometimes at great hardship.
  • Some of them are very young and usually traveling alone.
  • They very often experience unequal treatment compared to Ukrainian refugees

The structural disadvantage in the support of third-country nationals was emphasized and discussed in particular by the AGHNID network. Support services are provided by AGHNID members in some federal states with the help of donations. Unfortunately, there is a lack of resources for the medical care of refugees (third-country nationals) without residence papers. This group of war refugees is a forgotten one. There is also a lack of knowledge about the healthcare system in Germany, prevention materials such as condoms, femidoms, training opportunities, recognition of school qualifications from their home country or Ukraine, etc.

Through cooperation with pharmacies, specialist practices, integration course providers, local AIDS service organizations or own initiatives, e.g. in Cologne, Wuppertal and Saarbrücken, a small number of third-country nationals are supported and receive orientation for Germany. In the care of HIV-positive Africans, the dilemma remains of receiving long-term medical help for which there are no care structures.

The AGHNiD network is open to new members. Anyone who wants to join can do so at any time. The network is now ten years old. AGHNiD was recently registered as a registered umbrella organization in Berlin with at least 14 registered associations (member organizations) and other initiatives throughout Germany.

Overall, the AGHNiD network and the umbrella organization had a positive impression of the cooperation with Deutsche Aidshilfe: "It was a great concept meeting. Thanks to the hosts AGHNID Potsdam. Thanks to DAH, the moderation was great, it was a great enrichment to be here, we had constructive and controversial discussions."

In the future, the participants would like to meet and work together as equals in further participatory research projects. The focus is on the joint development of prevention media and the long-term fight against multiple discrimination and racism. Participation in DAH events such as the Positive Encounter 2022 was supported. Active participation was announced with the hope of racism-free spaces and encounters.

Join the idea catching! Come to AGHNID!

Omer Idrissa Ouedraogo, expert consultant for migration

Photos (Veronica Hotzel)