NYAGATARE-Residents of Nyagatare District have been warned against stigmatising people living with HIV/ Aids.

The Executive Secretary of Karama Sector, Alex Katabogama Karengera, made the call during an evaluation exercise of cooperatives that bring together people living with HIV in Karama, Kiyombe and Tabagwe sectors.

There are 42 such cooperatives in Nyagatare facilitated by the Global Fund’s HIV and Aids chapter.

 "Apart from transmission through blood, other things like sharing food, clothes and many others do not transmit HIV. You should not segregate them in any form…they lead normal lifestyles like you do,” he advised.

Alphonsine Rwagatwa, the head of HIV positive individuals in Nyagatare District, said the district, in collaboration with the Global Fund’s HIV/Aids department, facilitates them in creating income generating activities.

"We are very sure that the evaluation carried out demonstrates that we have moved a step further in setting up income generating activities and dealing with poverty alleviation,” she said.

 Rwagatwa explained that cooperative members allocate funds to various activities depending on their priorities.

"There are some who committed funds to grow maize and beans, while others invest in poultry farming or bee keeping,” she revealed.

Immaculate Mukandoli, a cooperative member from Kiyombe Sector, told The New Times that they decided to embark on goat rearing to obtain manure to shore up horticultural farming.

"Goat rearing provides manure that we also use to grow vegetables to fight malnutrition,” she said.

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