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Ukraine: Online Interactive Map Helps Fight HIV

Maryna Reshetnyak — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:39:49 +0000

Ukraine has a high number of HIV infected people. To address this problem private Ukrainian Charity Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS foundation in partnership with the Ukrainian office of Google launched the news social service maps.antiaids.org on December 1, 2011, the World Aids Day. The new service will help Ukrainian Internet users easier and faster to find the sites of HIV testing in their region as well as condom vending machines.

The web-site of ANTIAIDS foundation reported that in the framework of the project for the fist time in Ukraine a database 927 sites of HIV testing was created.

The interactive map shows not only the address of a particular site but also telephone numbers and the information about business hours. It also lists whether the site is unanimous or a person needs to present the ID. The database includes 173 sites of fast testing where a person can get the results in 15-20 minutes.

In addition, the HIV Testing Sites map service contains a FAQ section where a user can find all the information necessary for HIV testing such as how long to wait for a test results, is it possible to receive the results via e-mail or telephone, how much it will cots, what is the procedure of the testing and how to interpret the result, what to do if the results are positive or negative.

All this information is available not only in Internet but also on HIV/AIDS national hotline.

The condoms wending machines map helps people of major Ukrainian cities to find the nearest machine and to receive the instructions on how to use it. The advantages of the machines are speed and simplicity and that people can purchase the condoms anonymously, without attracting attention of other people and without and interaction with shop assistance like in supermarkets or pharmacies, ANTIAIDS web-site reported.

According to Google Ukraine blog the future plan of the project includes implementing improved navigation map and preparation of the mobile version of the service.

Ukraine: Photo Art Helps Fighting AIDS

Maryna Reshetnyak — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:46:56 +0000

On the occasion of the World AIDS Day (November –December, 2011) a photo exhibition of the project “AIDS- Open Faces” took place in ‘Lavra’ gallery in Kiev. The exhibition was devoted to people whose life was affected by HIV/AIDS and it was organized by the private charity Elena Pinchuk AINTIAIDS Foundation. The pictures of HIV positive people and their families presented on the exhibition had been taken by a well-known photographer Brent Stirton from New York agency ‘Getty Images’.

The images shown at the exhibition (available online) are fascinating and many of them are not easy to look at. Brent Stirton together with the activists of the foundation and other partner NGOs traveled all over Ukraine and filmed street children in Odessa, gypsy settlements, families with HIV positive children and HIV positive orphans, injection drug users, prostitutes and imprisoned people, reported the web-site of AITIAIDS Foundation. The project contains pictures of very sick people as well as ‘stories with happy end’ – images of people whose lives were saved with the antiretroviral therapy which is currently available in Ukraine thanks to international support or images of people who stopped using drugs or images of HIV positive orphans who found new families.

It was the second time when Brent Stirton came to Ukraine to film people affected by HIV. The first time was in 2005. In his video appeal Stirton compares the impressions from his first and second photo shootings.

A journalist and a blogger Olga Ivanenko who helped Brent Stirton to organize the filming in Ukraine both in 2005 and 2011 shared her reminiscence of work on the project in her blog. She wrote:

В 2005 году я принимала участие в проекте - помогала иностранному фотографу в его работе над документальным фотопроектом о проблеме ВИЧ/СПИДа в Украине. Несмотря на многочисленные ограничения в использовании снимков, фотографии Брента Стиртона до сих пор “живут” в сети своей жизнью. Они достаточно спорны и провокативны, они - “на грани”, и потому вызывают ожесточенные дискуссии и споры.

В этом году Брент Стиртон приехал в Украину снова и отснял еще одну документальную серию об проблеме ВИЧ/СПИДа в Украине. Мы встретили некоторых “героев” первой серии. Встреча с одними радовала - они смогли начать новую жизнь, нашли поддержку, получают антиретровирусную терапию. Встреча с другими огорчила - они не изменили своих привычек, постарели (хотя это странно звучит, когда говоришь о 25-30 летних). Некоторых уже нет в живых. Как и шесть лет назад, мы также встретили невероятных людей. Когда у них диагностировали ВИЧ, от них отворачивались близкие и друзья, их увольняли с работы, им угрожали… Но они выстояли. Доказали себе и другим, что они сильные, и что жизнь продолжается. Хотя теперь она зависит от строгого графика приема лекарств. А также, к сожалению, от того, провело ли государство очередной тендер по закупке лекарств для АРВ терапии…

In 2005 I took part in a project – I helped one foreign photographer in his work on the documentary photo project on HIV/AIDS issues in Ukraine. Despite many limitations on use of the images, Brent Stirton’s pictures still ‘live their own live’ in the net. They are fairly disputable and provocative, they are on a margin that is why they are argued and discussed so much.

This year Brent Stirton came to Ukraine again and filmed one more documentary series on HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. We met with some of the ‘heros’ of the previous photo shooting. It was a pleasure to meet some of them – they had been able to start a new life, found a support, started receiving antiretroviral treatment. Meetings with the other were upsetting – they had not changed their life habits, they get aged (it sounds strange when you use this word talking about people of 25-30). Some of them have passed away. As six year ago we met fascinating people. When they were diagnosed with HIV they were turned down by their relatives and friends, they were fired from their jobs, threatened… But they had survived. They have proved to themselves and to others that they are strong and life continues. However they life now is depends on strict schedule of taking the drugs. And, unfortunately, on the question whether the government completed a new tender to purchase the antiretroviral medicines.

Olga noted that the participation in the photo project completely changed her stereotypes about HIV positive people. She posted:

Некоторые из героев сюжетов переворачивают представление о тех, кого принято считать “опустившимися”. Как бы низко ни пал человек, многие все же способны сохранить человечность - ухаживать за парализованной матерью, переживать за свою жену и ребенка и делать все, чтобы защищить их после своей смерти…

Some of the heroes of story completely turn over my notion of those who considered being degraded. Does not matter how descended people are, many of them can still stay human – to take care about paralyzed mother or worry about their wives and children and to do everything to protect them after they pass away.

Olga thinks that the main task of the project is to make the society to think about the people affected by HIV/AIDS. She wrote:

Вторая серия - не менее провокационна и спорна. Она тоже вызовет бурю дискуссий о людях, живущих с ВИЧ, и о том, нужно ли это все показывать. Дискуссии - это хорошо. Мы все, причастные к созданию этого документального проекта, считаем, что это часть нашей жизни и об этом нужно говорить. Нельзя просто закрыть глаза и сказать “я этого не вижу, значит этого не существует”. Если это заставит задуматься и что-то изменить в своей жизни хотя бы одного человека, значит время и усилия были потрачены не зря.

The second part of the project is not less provocative or disputable. It also initiates a storm of discussions about people living with HIV and about whether it worth to be shown. Discussion is a good thing. All of us, involved in the project, believe that this is a part of our life and it should be talked about. You cannot just close the eyes and say “I do not see this, so it does not exists”. If this make to think and to change something in his life at list one people, than all the time and efforts were spent not for nothing.

Ukraine: The Role of the ASTAU Information Manager

Maryna Reshetnyak — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:14:46 +0000

Svetlana Sharamok is an information manager for the Association of Substitution Treatment Advocates of Ukraine (ASTAU), of which the Rising Voices grantee project the Drop-In Center is a member. The ASTAU has also been a driving force behind many of the citizen media initiatives that we have been featuring over the past year. Svetlana recently started her position with ASTAU in late 2011. With her background in journalism, she is responsible for updating their website, Facebook account, and for promoting the work of ASTAU among the Ukrainian public. In this email interview with Rising Voices, she talks about herself, her job in the association, and her future plans for using citizen media to raise awareness about her organization and the people they serve.

Svetlana Sharamok, information manager for ASTAU

Rising Voices: Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

Svetlana Sharamok: I am young, beautiful, and happy. And I worked as a journalist before. I like to create and implement various social projects, to do something that makes people to look at the ordinary things from a new perspective, such as garbage or asphalt or to place gloves and hats on the trees to keep them warm in the winter. I also adore traveling.

RV: How did you join the Association and what do you do as the information manager?

SS: Working as a journalist, I never thought that I would join the Association, I did not even know about its existence. When I came to meet with Olga [Olga Beliayeva, the head of the Association] and when I saw my portrait published in the ‘Konoplianaya Pravda’ [newsletter, published by the Association], I realized that perhaps somehow I would work there. But it has happened much faster than I could even imagine. I started to work in the Association just for a few months, but I was able to realize that there is no such word as ‘impossible,’ we can do everything, if we do not know something – we can learn. Perhaps this philosophy is what I like the most in my work.

I must stay in touch with the members of the Association, update the Facebook page of the Association, update the news page on the web-site – these are my main job responsibilities. I have a lot of work to do, but it is diverse and interesting. Now I often go to the substitution therapy sites, meet the doctors, nurses, patients, and I have a feeling that soon I will meet the police as well. Now, before the elections of the Board of the Association, I met with many of the activists and the regional representatives.

RV: Could you please describe your typical working day?

SS: I am an information manager. For example, today on my agenda I must call approximately 80 members of the association meaning that about 50 people will wish something good for me, and I am waiting until all these wishes will come true. Some people will share with me the news that their child went to school, somebody will tell me that they have found a job, some members are preparing to be on the TV talk show about drugs. Often I call a person for the first time, but I have a feeling that I am talking to my old friend.

In the morning, I often visit ORT sites and meet with doctors and the patients. The patients are in a hurry, they need to take the medication and then to run to their jobs. Some people are coming to the sites with their relatives, not because they force them to have the treatment, but just to protect them from the police, but this does not always help.

RV: What are your future plans as an information manager of ASTAU?

SS: I would like to produce a short documentary about people who take part in the substitution therapy. I do not understand why there is so much discussion about the opiate replacement therapy (ORT), I often meet these people and they more look like users of insulin than users of drugs, but of course you can find various personalities… My other plan is to increase the internet activism of the bloggers – ORT patients both on the Facebook and our web-site as I believe that their experience is interesting and useful.

Svetlana Sharamok, information manager for ASTAU

RV: How you would describe the members of the association?

SS: Once I was asked how I would describe a former drug addict. I thought much before answering this question. Really, who are the patients of the substitution therapy? They do not look like a community of bikers, or bicyclists or a community of marijuana lovers. These are people with various life stories and from various professional backgrounds. Igor makes documentaries about the lives of women, the family of Sergey and Lena works at a charity fund and helps other people to reduce the harm from drug usage. Eugene is a pharmacist; Olga is a director of the charity fund. Life is life and it does not give any credit to people who used to take drugs.

RV: What do you think the Association does for its members? How does it helps them?

SS: For some people, the Association is their life. Sometimes you call such people and hear about how they fight for the continuity of treatment [availability of Methadone in other medical establishments], and then in a few days you see the news that in this particular town the first patients received the medicine in the hospital. Some people have joined the Association just to know where to go and who they should address when they need assistance. We are a sort of buffer between medical personnel, health care officials, and people who receive the substitution therapy or just want to start receiving it.

Ukraine: Harm Reduction Activists Report Small Accomplishments

Maryna Reshetnyak — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:24:26 +0000

The work of the activists of the Association of Substitution Therapy Treatment of Ukraine is focused on making the lives of the patients of opiate replacement therapy more comfortable, helping them to better integrate back into society. The major problem the substitution therapy patients face today in Ukraine is the fact that the only place where they can receive a medication are special sites where patients have to come every day personally.

Because of the efforts of the Association and other harm reduction NGOs with the support of international organizations, the situation in this area started changing for better gradually. Blogger Viktoria Lintsova reported positive changes in her city of Kirovograd where patients started receiving Methadone in regular hospital. At the middle of October Viktoria posted that the regional health care authorities adopted a new regulations allowing patients to receive opiate replacement medications in other medical establishments. Victoria was very grateful to the Association for the support it provided in this regards. She wrote:

.. сие событие стало возможным благодаря тому, что в Кировоградский облздрав было подано обращение от Ассоциации в начале июня этого года. Затем был визит технической поддержки нашего специалиста по развитию регионов Алексея Загребельного, во время которого была проведена рабочая встреча с нашим областным наркологом по вопросу беспрерывности и разработки областного приказа.

…this became possible because at the beginning of June the Association submitted a special appeal to the regional health care authorities. Then, the regional development specialist Aleksey Zagrebelnyy visited us and provided technical support, he met with the Oblast chief doctor in narcology and discussed the issues of continuity of treatment and new regulations in this regard.

On 11/11/11/ Viktoria reported that this new regulations now work in reality. The first substitution therapy patients started receiving Methadone while staying in a Tuberculoses clinic. She posted:

Одним из наиболее проблемных моментов было лечение ТБ, особенно в случаях с открытой легочной формой - тогда пацинт вообще попадал в замкнутый круг - при открытой форме ТБ больным не разрещается покидать территорию больницы, поэтому необходимость ежедневного посещения сайта ЗПТ ставила человека под угрозу выписки из-за нарушения больничного режима. Кроме того, все усложнялось тем, что противотуберкулезный стационар находится за городом (около 20 км), добираться долго и сложно, и с учетом того, что туберкулезный больной с открытой легочной формой является источником инфекции для других …

[…]

важность беспрерывности при госпитализации несомненна - …, теперь не надо выбирать между лечением и участием в ЗПТ.

One of the biggest problems in TB treatment, especially in its open form, is that the patient appears in a circle. With the open TB form the patients are not allowed to leave the territory of the hospital and the necessity to go every day to the replacement therapy site put them at risk to be kicked out of the hospital for not following the hospital’s regime. Moreover, the TB clinic is located outside of the town (20 kilometers) so it was really hard and time consuming to get there and you need to take into account that a patient with the open form of lungs’ TB is a source of infection for others …

[…]

the importance of continuity of the therapy in the hospital is obvious - …now you do not need to make a choice between a treatment or replacement therapy.

Blogger buprik from Dnipropetrovsk, who is a patient of Buprenorphine substitution therapy, reported that regional health care authorities allowed him and his wife to receive the medications via prescription. Blogger buprik and his wife had more than 20 years of drug addiction experience and a few imprisonments and became the patients of the replacement therapy in 2008. At first they were very happy about the program but later on they were disappointed with certain aspects of it. The way the substitution therapy was provided did not allow them to live a full life, to find a job or to travel. Necessary to go to the therapy site every day for many years had become a real burden for them.

In 2009 the regional health care authorities started a pilot project of provision of Buprenorphine though the prescriptions. At first, only four people were qualified to take part in this experiment but the situation has been gradually changing for better and now 30 our of 50 Buprenorphine patients receive their medications via prescription and the blogger buprik and his wife are among them.

Buprik posted:

Что для нас рецептурная форма выдачи??? ВСЕ!!! Это как глоток свободы за столько лет!!!

Могла ли мечтать моя жена … что пройдет такое время??? Пройдут годы горя и страданий, годы заключения, годы жизни в подполье и постоянном страхе, появяться болезни и вот уже ей не молодой ГОСУДАРСТВО ВЫДАСТ НА РУКИ ТО РАДИ ЧЕГО ОНА СТРАДАЛА И ТЕРПЕЛА ВСЮ ЖИЗНЬ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! И теперь она хотя бы под конец жизни сможет просто поболеть дома-лежа в постели,съездить туда там где никогда не была, работать там где ей нравиться, и в конце концов стать полноценным человеком общества со свободным перемещением!!! При этом у нее в кармане будет ЖЕЛЕЗНЫЙ ДОКУМЕНТ подтверждающий хранение жизненноважного лекарства с хорошо видной печатью(для слепых мусоров)-РЕЦЕПТ!!! И походка на этот раз у нее будет уверенная …Хотя бы маленькая группа многострадального общества наркопотребителей теперь стала В ЗАКОНЕ!!!

What is it for us the provision of medication through a prescription? Everything!!! This is a first gulp of freedom for so many years!!!

Could my wife even dream …that there will be such time??? That after many years of sorrow and suffering, many years of imprisonment, many years of leaving in fear the government will give her, not young and healthy lady the thing for which she has been suffering her entire life!!!!! And now at the end of her life she could just spend a few days home in a bad when she is sick and visit places she had never been before, to work where she likes and became a full member of the society with freedom of movement!!! While she has a DOCOMENT in her pocket proving the presence of the necessary medication with big visible stamp (for blind cops)- A PRESCRIPTION!!! And now even her walk will be confident…At least a small group of long-suffering community of drug users has become LEGAL!!!!

Ukraine: Blogging Personal Stories of Real People

Maryna Reshetnyak — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:34:31 +0000

The focus of the bloggers from the Association of the Substitution Treatment Advocates of Ukraine [ukr] is to discuss the issues that affect their lives the most. The continuity of substitution treatment is one of these issues. The central level health care authorities had issued directives in these regards in recent times. However, in most regions of Ukraine, still the only place where substitution therapy patients can receive the medications they depend on are special Methadone distribution sites and no other medical establishments can provide it. But what happens if a patient is sick and is not able to personally come to the distribution site to receive the medication, or even when his medical conditions require staying at a hospital?

Activist Victoria Litsova during the training

Activists of the Association believe that documenting the stories of real people, who are suffering from the bureaucratic red tapes and negligence of medical personnel, and making these stories public would help change the situation. Blogger Victoria Lintsova from Kirovograd posted a story describing how she attempted to help one of her fellow patients when she needed urgent hospitalization. She posted:

Надеюсь, что этому человеку помогут в больнице. Очень верю ( и сделаю все, что от меня зависит, чтобы и в нашем городе соблюдались пациентские права учасников ЗПТ). […]

…мне позвонил один из участников программы ЗПТ Кировоградского сайта и сообщил, что наш пациент, принимающий метадон находится дома в очень тяжелом состоянии и третий день не может самостоятельно добраться на сайт. […]. В первую очередь я позвонила нашему лечащему врачу программы ЗПТ, объяснила ситуацию… Врач ответил мне, что, учитывая весьма тяжелое состояние пациента, для того, чтобы продолжать ему лечение, необходимо собрать медицинскую комиссию, а это сложно, и вообще – доктор убежден, что пациенту уже « все равно», абстиненции он не испытывает, потому как он при смерти…

I hope that this guy would be helped at the hospital. I do believe (and will do everything I can) so that the rights of substitution therapy patients would be observed in our city. […].

…I got a phone call from one of the participants of the substitution therapy program in Kirovograd and learned that our fellow Methadone patient had had very severe medical conditions for three days and had not be able to go to the site personally. […] First of all I called our doctor from the substitution therapy program and explained the situation… the doctor responded that, taking into consideration the sever conditions of the patient, to continue the treatment he needs to get together a special medical commission and this is a very complicated procedure, and, generally speaking he doctor was sure that it does not really matter for the patient, he does not suffer from the abstinent syndrome any more as he is actually dying …

Victoria was very scared by the answer as she imagined that if something like this happened to her she also would not receive the medication she depended on.

Thanks to the efforts of the activists, the same day the patient was placed in the intensive care where doctors promised to terminate the abstinent syndrome with morphine and tranquilizers.

After publishing the story Victoria decided to investigate the real situation with continuity of the replacement therapy in her city. She talked to the doctors and found out that the main reason why the hospitals do not want to provide Methadone to the patients is the time consuming paperwork associated with dealing with drugs. First, the Methadone site doctor should attend the hospital and provide the training to local medical personnel in how to deal with the medication, than there should be a special contract signed between two medical establishments on provision of the medication. So, most of the doctors do not want to deal with this.

What amused Victoria the most was an opinion expressed by one of the doctors that the patients in general have no objections to visiting the Methadone sites personally. This statement contradicted much with the reality Victoria observed. She wrote:

Я видела неоднократно, как они «с удовольствием» добираются на сайт, и поднимаются на 4 этаж с трубками в животе …, с язвами на ногах …, на костылях, через несколько часов после родов, с высокой температурой и т.п. Я ведь сама пневмонию решила лечить на дому, отказавшись от госпитализации из-за того, что из дома поехать на сайт легче и ближе, чем из стационара больницы…

[…]

Возвращаясь к судьбе человека, с которого я начала повествование – хочу отметить, что у него ВИЧ-позитивный статус и туберкулезный плеврит. При последней госпитализации, как и многие наши, самостоятельно добирался на сайт, пока мог.

I saw many times how patients ‘were happy’ coming to the methadone site having tubes sticking out from their stomachs, with sores on their legs, with crutches, having a high temperature, etc… I personally, when I had pneumonia, refused to stay in the hospital and preferred to stay at home as my home located closer to the site than the hospital…

[…]

Talking about the patients I wrote above I would like to highlight that he was HIV positive and had tuberculosis pleurisy. When he had been taken to the hospital before, he, like many other patients, also went to the site until he could not walk any more.

In a week Victoria wrote a comment to her post saying that this patient has died.

Victoria finished her post with reporting the steps she made to change the situation. After receiving technical and legal advice form the association Victoria sent a few appeals to the health care authorities drawing their attention to the problem. She believes that if everybody would also appeal than with a time the situation would change for better.

A blogger Pavel, commenting to Victoria’s post, expressed doubts that just appealing to the health care authorities is enough. He believes that to change the situation for better the patients have to go to a court. He posted:

… Когда среди нас найдется хорроший адвокат, готовый подать иск в суд и как 2х2 доказать, кто виноват и из-за чего, тогда, поверь, зашевеляться все. ….Сочувствую. У нас на сайте подобных примеров уже более 2 десятков. Статистика ужасна, но мы (на сайте) сами её ведём, складываясь на похороны…

When we find a good lawyer who would be ready to file a court appeal and to prove the guilt of particular people, everybody would move faster. .. Please accept my sympathy. On our site we have more than 20 stories like this. The statistics is terrible and all of us can see it while attending another funeral.

Ukraine: Finding Comfort and Advice in a Forum

Maryna Reshetnyak — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:06:59 +0000

Upon first glance, the discussion board of the web-site Motilek.com.ua run by Ukrainian non-profit organization and Rising Voices grantee the Drop-in Center looks exactly like any other discussion boards: a typical interface with a list of topics to discuss. The main purpose of the board is that it unites people living with drug addiction, which makes it another alternative for citizens to have conversations about the topic.

Drop-in Center Activists

Forum members of the on-line community discuss the sometimes controversial issues affecting their lives, such as how to quit drugs without starting to use them again, and why it is so hard to accomplish that, which rehabilitation program to choose, health and employment problems typical for people living with drug addiction. Forum member Omela-X asked for advice in how to find a job for her husband who is a Methadone substitution therapy patient with HIV, Hepatitis C, and three imprisonment records.

Forum member Mazay believed that the best area of employment for such person is to work in a non-profit organization to help people in similar situations. Mazay wrote:

Однозначно - только в общественной организации. Для начала надо найти силы и какое-то время зарекомендовать свою “нужность” - быть волонтёром. Только так начинается трудовой путь у большинства наркозависимых, кого жизнь потрепала не балуй как…

Я (к слову, имея почти весь набор перечисленных вами “регалий”=)))) , в 44 года пошел “стажером аутрич работника по обмену шприцев”. Через 2 месяца мне стали доверять самостояльно работать - менять шприцы на маршруте. 2 час дорога на работу и обратно, 2 часа работы и 2 часа на “собрания” - 16 грн./день . Этого хватало на проезд, хлеб, сигареты и банку килек. И я был счастлив. Потому что всегда есть,с чем сравнивать….

[…]

Банальщина, но свидетельствую - отдавая другим, ты обретаешь вдвойне…
Прости долги, верни долги и начинай с читого листа.

For sure he should go to a non-profit organization. At the beginning, he will need to make an effort and prove his usefulness – to become a volunteer. This is a typical beginning of a new career for the majority of drug addicts who have seen much troubles in their previous lives. ..

I, myself (by the way, I also have almost the entire set of ‘regalia’ you mentioned) at 44 started as an outreach intern in needle exchange. In two month, I was trusted to be responsible for exchanging needles on a certain route. I spent 2 hours to get to the place and 2 hours to get back, 2 hours of work and 2 hours for ‘packing’ – 16 hryvnias for everything [$2]. It was enough to pay for the bus, for bread, cigarettes and a can of fish…But I was happy, because I had something to compare with….

[…]

It might sound banal but I can swear – when you give something to others, you gain twice as much. So forgive your debts, pay your credit, and start from scratch…

In the harm reduction section, the forum members discuss issues from how to live after completing rehabilitation to how to reduce harm to health if a person continues injecting drugs.

Here on the discussion board, friends and relatives of drug addicts can obtain firsthand consultations on how they can help their loved ones to get out of the addiction. Forum member Nasty posted a story that a few months ago her boyfriend became addicted to opium. Although the boyfriend claims that he quit drugs, Nasty has some concerns in this regards; she is afraid of HIV and her boyfriend recently became very rude, but she believes that if she leaves him, he will for sure return to the drugs. She asked the on-line community for an advice and here is what the community suggested.

Forum member SD posted:

Привет, соскочить реально, но в последующем удержаться сложно..((
Отчаиваться не стоит, если остались отношения, борись.. “нет” - меняй пока не поздно свою жизнь..
У самого были такие качели, во время самой спрыжки и движения, отношения идут на второй план..((
Помни, самопожертвование должно быть оправдано..

Hello, it is realistic to quit, but it is very hard not to start again. Do not be desperate, if you still have relationships, than fight, if not – then change your life until is not too late…

I also went through such swings, when you are on drugs or trying to quit, relationships are not a first priority…

Remember, self-sacrifice should be justified.

Forum member Gipertonik has another opinion. He wrote:

Если он говорит правду про срок употребления, то ещё не всё потеряно!!! Есть масса примеров кто проторчав меньше года, бросают это навсегда!!! А если он стремиться покончить с наркотиками, ты ему обязательно помогай и ни в чём не упрекай, а то что он срываеться на тебя это нормально, после этой дряни психика подорвана ( это со временем пройдёт) ИМХО если увидишь в далнейшем рецидив, бросай!!!

If he tells the truth about the addition then everything is still possible!!! There are many cases when those with a drug experience of less than a year quit drugs forever!!! And if he really is serious about giving up the drugs, than you need to support him and not to blame him, the fact that he is rude is also normal, this trash ruins the psyche (it will disappear with time) IMHO, if he will return to drugs in future – just leave him!!!

The discussion board also contains a memory book where the community’s members post stories in memory of their friends who have passed away because of drugs. Often the memory records mention young people who had just recently posted something on the discussion board. This is how the community reacted on death of the member Fibi. After Fibi’s mother, who was also a member of the discussion board, posted that the daughter had passed away forum member Sweet Dream wrote:

Очень жалко фиби, она была первой с кем я здесь начал общаться, всё хотела к нам с Игорьком приехать да не судьба

I feel really sorry for Fibi, she was the first one who I met here, she always wanted to visit me and Igor, but, perhaps, it was not in her fate

Forum member Zhdanov posted:

ЭТО ВСЕМ НАМ ТОРМОЗ .ВКЛЮЧАЕМ А ТО СКОРО УВИДИМ ФИБИ .ЗЕМЛЯ ЕЙ ПУХОМ

This is a sign to all of us to step on the brakes; otherwise we will meet Fibi very soon. Let the earth be gentle to her

Ukraine: A Healthy Debate in the Comments Section

Maryna Reshetnyak — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:00:41 +0000

Recently, a popular Ukrainian internet website Ukrayinska Pravda [ru] published a lengthy article criticising opioid replacement therapy (ORT) programs. The article led to a huge discussion among readers on whether or not Ukraine needs harm reduction programs.

The author of the article, journalist Yuriy Potashniy argued that the promotion of the opiate replacement therapy is actually an attempt by pharmaceutical corporations to take up the drug market. He considered substitution therapy to be a form of drug legalization, when criminal drugs are replaced with medical ones. Another issue that the journalist raised was the funding problem. As for now, harm reduction programs are implemented with the financial support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, but in the future they would become a burden for the Ukrainian state budget. According to Mr. Potashniy, in most of the countries the Methadone programs have been cut back because Methadone has been proven to be even more harmful and caused more deaths than heroin.

Photo by Deepfruit and used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.

Among the 146 comments posted by the readers, there were voices who shared the opinion of the author, as well as those who strongly disagreed with him.

The reader “duty” pointed out that despite of some negative consequences, substitution therapy programs have many positive features which were totally ignored in the article. The reader wrote:

Я повністю підтримую ЗПТ, й якраз з позиції зменшення шкоди… для здорової частини суспільства:
1. ЗПТ дозволяє (певною) декриміналізувати наркоманію, надавши легальне джерело безкоштовного наркотику; таким чином виводячи наркозалежного з кримінальної сфери;
2. ЗПТ дозволяє не роботи ін”єкцій, отже зменшується ризик поширення специфічних інфекцій зараженим наркозалежним або його інфікування;
3. ЗПТ дозволяє певною мірою контролювати та обмежувати повсякденну поведінку наркозалежного (це називається ре-соціалізація).
[…]

…(ЗПТ) не призначають здоровим людям. Пацієнти ЗПТ ВЖЕ приймають наркотики

I fully support the ORT programs, as they allow for reducing harm …for the healthy part of the society:

ORT helps to decriminalize drug addiction by providing the opportunity to legally receive drugs free-of-charge, thus, taking a drug user away from a criminal sphere;
ORT allows (to some extent) to stop the injection of drugs, thus, reducing the risk of spreading out of infections which are typical for drug users;
ORT allows (to some extent) to control and to limit the behavior of a drug user (it is called re-socialization)

[…]

…ORT is not – prescribed to healthy people. ORT patients are ALREADY drug users…

The reader “viliam3″ supported the position of the author of the article. The reader's idea was that because it was a personal choice of people to start using drugs, then they have to bare full responsibility for the consequences. He posted:

Товарищи наркоманы, бывшие, настоящие, “лечащиеся” на ЗПТ! Вы когда начинали нюхать-колоться и далее воровать, вести асоциальный образ жизни - так Вы ни минуты не думали, что это может привести Вашу жизнь в пропасть?!? Тогда Вам было нормально, все шло путем, а сейчас с пеной у рта доказывают какие они болящие, им бедолагам нужен метадончик, не закрывайте наши ЗПТ…тьфу! ВЫ САМИ СЕБЕ СОЗДАЛИ ТАКУЮ ЖИЗНЬ!

My dear friends, drug users, former, present, and those who are ORT patients. When you have started to ‘sniff’ or ‘inject’ and then to steal, and to have an anti-social lifestyle – why did not you think back that this might ruin your life? Everything was good for you back then, but now you are screaming that you are sick, you poor little things need Methadone, do not close our ORT…pah!. YOU CREATED THIS LIFE YOURSELF!

In contrast, a reader “Victoria21″, opposes substitution therapy programs for their lack of a humanistic approach. She is concerned that Methadone treatment does not lead to full rehabilitation from drug addiction. She wrote:

И самое опасное во всем этом , что больному человеку не оставляется шанса на выздоровление, так как срок лечения метадоном – пожизненно, при этом длительность жизни резко укорачивается.

[…]
P.S Дорогие врачи! Помните что вы давали клятву помогать людям, а не губить их, раздавая наркотики под видом лекарства!

The most dangerous part is that the sick person does not have any chance for recovery, as the treatment by Methadone lasts for one's entire life, meanwhile the life of the patient is reducing significantly.

[…]

P.S. Dear doctors! Remember that you took the Hippocratic Oath to help people, but not to harm them by giving out the drugs in the guise of treatment.

The reader Yevgeniy Selin was among ORT supporters. He questioned Mr. Potashniy's statement concerning the reduction of the substitution therapy programs in the world and commented on the financial implications of harm reduction programs. He wrote:

Люди противники ЗПТ , как вы не можите понять то ,что программы Заместительной терапии входят в принятые по всему миру программы Снижение вреда от наркотиков рекомендованные Всемирной организацией здравоохранения и ООН работают они почти по всему миру включая такие страны где до недавнего времени были наказания за употребление в виде тюрьмы но эти страны как Иран и Китай поняли что так бороться с наркотиками нельзя, … наркозависимый обходится всего в 7 $ в месяц государству при программах ЗТ , а если человек употребляет наркотики то вреда от него в десятки раз больше : их нужно содержать в тюрьмах, лечить от кучи болезней которые они переносят еще и обычным гражданам (туберкулез, ВИЧ , гепатиты ), содержать целую армию милиции которой нужно платить зарплату …

To those people who argue against ORT, why can't you understand that substitution therapy programs are accepted all over the world as a part of harm reduction programs recommended by the World Health Organization and UN and they work well all over the world, including countries where until recently, drug addiction was punished with imprisonment. Even countries like China and Iran realized that you cannot fight drugs in this manner …. Under the ORT program, a drug addict's cost to the government is only $7 a month, but if people take street drugs the cost of harm is ten times higher - you need to keep them in the prisons, provide treatment from various diseases which can be transferred to ordinary citizens as well (TB, HIV, Hepatitis), you need to keep an huge number of police and pay them a salary..

The leader of the Rising Voices grantee project the Drop-in-Center, Pavel Kutsev commented on this article in his blog [ru]. He noted that the huge online discussion in the comments section of the article is a good indicator of a positive impact of ORT, since now people living with drug addiction are involved in civil society and advocating for their rights. He wrote:

Я бы ограничился отметкой факта повышения, очевидного повышения интерактивности защитников ЗПТ, как правило, состоящих из прогрессивных специалистов и людей, живущих с наркозависимостью, что само по себе является наилучшей иллюстрацией несомненной пользы заметстительной терапии - именно благодаря ЗПТ .. в стране наблюдается … активизация представителей гражданских сообществ (ещё недавно маргинальных)…

I just want to highlight how active the ORT supporters are, and most of them, in fact, are progressive people and people living with a drug addiction, this is a best illustration of the obvious usefulness of the substitution therapy. Thanks to ORT we can observe a rise of activity in civil communities (which were marginalized before)…

Ukraine: Learning How to Advocate for a Cause

Maryna Reshetnyak — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:24:21 +0000

To help further their mission, harm reduction activists in Ukraine understand that they need to deal with government agencies as part of their advocacy work. One of the biggest challenges has been advocating for the ability for patients to receive the medication at pharmacies with a prescription from a doctor, instead of having to personally come to the Methadone sites every day to receive the medication.

The Director of the local NGO “Happy Future for You” in the city of Chernivtsi, Yulia Palagnyuk recently posted a blog post [ru] about their advocacy work. The post was published on the blog of the Association of Substitution Treatment Advocates of Ukraine (ASTAU). The organization's project focuses on teaching tactics how to interact with health care agencies as a way for advocating for their cause. Yulia, who is also a substitution therapy patient, wrote what achieving their goal would mean:

Как я уже выразилась, рецепты - это предвкушение свободы, свободы передвижения, свободы выбора, свободы, свободы и еще раз свободы!!!!!

As I already mentioned, a prescription is a taste of freedom, freedom of movement, freedom of choice, and simply freedom, freedom, freedom!!!

Opinion poll among patients, picture taken from the ASTAU blog

As a first step of the project, Yulia conducted a survey among the other patients to monitor the situation and recruited a group of activists for additional work. The next step involved conducting a training event for the activists. Yulia wrote [ru]:

Нас было человек 15, плюс, переодически присутствовал наш врач-нарколог, который сам почерпнул информацию, интересующую его по теме зак. базы. Кроме преследуемой активации, информированности, сообщений о работе и планах проекта при поддержке МФ «Возрождение», все участники тренинга написали заявления на имя Директора Черновицкой РГО «Светлое будущее для тебя» с просьбой лоббировать их интересы в адвокации внедрения рецептурной формы. Да, еще, мы уделили внимание статистике и во многих других моментах, но и сделали акцент на процент утечки препаратов! Спасибо Павлу Скале, он предоставил мне материал, в презентации вы увидите утрированные акценты и мизерные фактические количества!

There were 15 of us, in addition to our narcologist doctor, who was also present at some sessions. He also learned new things especially in the field of legislation. Besides teaching advocacy, raising awareness, and learning about the future project plans, all participants provided written statements asking the Director of the Chernivtsi NGO “Happy Future for Everybody” to lobby on their behalf for the provision of medication through prescription. We also discussed statistics concerning the issue, and we were especially focused on the problem of the diversion of the medication [to the black market]. I am grateful to Pavel Skala for the material, which shows that the percentage of drug diversion is exaggerated, you can find this in my presentation.

Training event, photo taken from the ASTAU web-site

The next step of the project was the drafting of appeal letters to the health care authorities. Yulia is convinced that the support from the ASTAU [ru], especially in the legal area, cannot be overestimated. The activists had access to resources, such as existing legislation that is available on the ASTAU website. A packet of documents with various orders, laws, directives was attached to the appeal letter despite it being fairly routine. However, she wrote “the small things matter!” and they also signed up for a meeting with the department head.

Planning of future steps, photo taken from the ASTAU web-site

Yulia also described other steps her organization is undertaking in promoting the idea of provision of substitution therapy medications through prescriptions. She posted [ru]:

В поисках понятливых представителей СМИ, подготовили материал о своей организации, о проекте при поддержке МФ «Возрождение», нашли достойного журналиста. Нынче работает над изданием статьи, над имиджем организации и над доступностью изложения сути проекта о рецептах для больных, нуждающихся в них людях. Провели рабочие встречи с неправительственными организациями – союзниками и попросили поддержать нашу инициативу письмами. В процессе. В конце месяца планируем провести тренинг с медперсоналом, …. Хотим сделать телемост с замечательным польским врачом Эдгаром, который еще много лет назад рассказывал о необходимости программ ЗПТ. Когда к нему приезжали наши представители, он с возмущением мог рассказать одну из своих обыденных ситуаций, приводивших наших в недоумение. Например, когда к нему вламывается взмокший полицай и говорит : «Вот, я только что на улице забрал у наркомана банку с метадолом, на те вот, держите!» На что пан Эдгар Божек отвечал: «Нет, ну нормально? Я даю, он - забирает! Ты иди, вон, забири у человека без ноги костыли! Нет? И это тоже больные люди, поймите уже наконец!». Вот такой вот доктор! И мы хотим или записать его на тренин , чтобы прослушать его разговор об актуальных вопросах или же через скайп, вообще, сделать живое общение, вопрос-ответ.

We also wanted to promote our organization through the media, so we prepared some material about this project funded by the Renaissance Foundation, and found a decent journalist. Currently he is working on an article which would promote our organization and would clearly present the project's idea aimed at helping sick people receive the medication through prescription. We also organized a meeting with other non-governmental organizations - our partners - and asked them to support our appeal initiative. It is currently in the process. At the end of the month, we are going to conduct a training event for medical personnel, and we would like to organize a teleconference with a fantastic Polish doctor named Edgar, who has been promoting substitution therapy for many year. When our representatives visited he told them stories about his practice. For example, a police officer came to his place and said “I have just taken away a package of Methadone from a drug addict, here it is, take it!” And Dr. Edgar responded, “Why did you do this? Why have you taken away something that I had just given him? So would you take away crutches from a person without a leg? Please understand that these people are also sick!” This is a real doctor. We would like to film his talk to be able to show at training sessions or to have a live chat with him through Skype.

Yulia believes that the main goal of the project is to change Ukrainian public perception of replacement therapy. She is going to develop a special presentation on this topic. She wrote [ru]:

Смысл основной – это чуть поменять отношение и к программе, и к нам, и к рецептам! Затронуть тему выноса, вернее, утечки. В общем, проблему наркомании, как начало истории. …… Что алкоголь, приносящей намного больше вреда большему проценту населения, продолжает красиво рекламироваться и продаваться, что наркомания-это не дурная привычка, дурная привычка - это ковыряться в носу, раскидывать носки и грызть ногти, а это тяжелое заболевание, и если б знали, как его лечить, давно бы помазали лоб зеленкой и «до свидания»! Много всего интересного, просто и ясно! Я обязательно поделюсь после презентации!

The main goal is the change attitudes toward the program, toward us, and toward prescription. And to discuss the issue of diversion. To discuss the issue of drug addiction starting from the very beginning… To discuss that alcohol harms a much higher percentage of the population and continues to be advertised and sold, but that the drug addiction is not simply just a bad habit. Bad habits are picking your nose, throwing your socks around the house or biting one's nails, but drug addition is a serious disease, and if there was a cure then everybody would already be happy. There are so many interesting and clear facts! I will share them with you when my presentation is ready!

Ukraine: Bloggers React to the Detention of Activist

Maryna Reshetnyak — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:31:21 +0000

It the middle of August, the Ukrainian harm reduction community was very disturbed with the detention of Russian activist Irina Teplinskaya. Russian web-media reported [ru] that Irina was detained by police at the airport of her home city of Kaliningrad accused of drug smuggling. Law enforcement claimed that one pill of Methadone was found in her luggage. Irina stated that these drugs were planted on her. Irina was flying from Kiev, Ukraine where she went through a course of rehabilitation.

Irina Teplinskaya, photo is taken from Andrey Rylkov Foundation web-site and used under Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Irina is a well-known human rights leader who fights for rights of Russian people living with drug addiction to have access to Methadone substitution therapy. Irina is one of the leaders of the Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network.

Irina openly admits that she has been living with drug addiction for more than 30 years. Her life story was shared in her speech , which can be found on the Rylkov Foundation blog, during the International Harm Reduction Conference in Beirut in April 2011. Growing up in a well-off Soviet family, Irina started using drugs when she was 14. Many times she tried to quit but without much success. For drug-related crimes, she spent approximately 16 years in prison. Though the use of unsterile syringes, she became infected with HIV, TB and Hepatitis C. After receiving treatment in a TB hospital, she started aid work helping other TB and HIV infected people living with a drug addiction.

Irina sees her main goal in forcing Russian government to permit the opiate replacement therapy which is recommended by UN and which is effectively used in all developed countries all over the world. Advocating introduction of substitution therapy in Russian, Irina repeatedly appealed to various courts of Russian Federation as well as the European Court for Human Rights. In 2010, Irina submitted a claim to the UN Special Rapporteur for the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Irina was among those NGO leaders who met with the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay during her visit to Russia in February 2011.

Irina with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, photo from Andrey Rylkov Foundation web-site and used under Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Ukrainian blogger from the Rising Voices grantee project the Drop-In Center Pavel Kutsev commented on Irina’s detention and analyzed what implications it might have on the substitution therapy programs in Ukraine. Pavel was particularly concerned that the detection of an entire pill of Methadone might make medical personnel return to the practice of grinding the pills into a powered before giving to the patients. This practice was abandoned a couple years ago after protests of harm reduction activists. Pavel wrote:

Очень трудно быть объективным, когда происходит нечто международно-скандальное, изначально мутное… Известную активистку Иру Теплинскую, которая ещё недавно проходила в Киеве курс лечения задержали на томожне с РФ прямо в Калининградском а/п и теперь выдвигают обвинение… в контрабанде наркотиков.

Внимательно отслеживая все обсуждения этого инцендента, пока могу поделиться только одним неутешительным выводом … для оппонентов ЗПТ появлись достаточно весомый аргумент.
Если из Украины можно вывезти наркотический препарат применяемый исключительно в программах заместительной терапии …, то его происхождение можно (и, увы, не без оснований) истолковать только одним - утечка в нелегальный оборот наркотиков используемых в исключительно медицинских программах ЗПТ - не такой уж и “единичный случай”…
[…]
Остается надеяться, чтобы не началось закручивание гаек со стороны МВД в самой Украине. Дескать, вообще уже охренели - сайты дырявые, а этот грёбанный метадон даже закордон “гуляет”. И примут “меры”.
И мы помним эти меры - дробление в порошок, кипяточек… Неужели то, чего мы с таким трудом добивались - своё право на получение препарата без нарушения его целостности, теперь может снова кем-то оччень умным поставиться “под сомнение”… Тревожно, однако.

It is hard to be objective when you face something so international, so scandalous, and obviously not transparent…Well-known activist Irina Teplinskay which just went through treatment in Kiev was detained at one of the Customs Control of the Russian Federation at Kaliningrad airport and accused of … drug smuggling.

Carefully following all developments of the incident I can come only to one conclusion – opponents of substitution therapy have now got quite a strong argument.

If you can take medication out of Ukraine … which is used in the replacement therapy only, than it is obvious where it comes from (and this unfortunately makes sense) – so leaking the drugs used in medical substitution therapy into a black market is a fairly common thing.

[…]

We just need to hope that after this the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine will not start cracking down on us. They might say that you guys went nuts, that the sites definitely have ‘holes’ … Methadone is detained even abroad. And then they might start ‘to take measures’.

And all of us remember these ‘measures’ – grinding the pills into power and mixing with a hot water. Is that what we worked so hard to achieve? Our right to receive the pills as an entire pill, can now be questioned again? I really worry about this….

On September 5^th the web- site of the Andrey Rylkov Foundation published good news that Irina was released from the prison and her criminal case was closed. This became possible not only because of the good work of her lawyers, but also because of widespread public support.

Photo taken from Andrey Rylkov Foundation web-site and used under Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Blogger Slava from the Association of the Substitution Treatment Advocates of Ukraine (ASTAU)commented on this:

Рад за Ирину Теплинскую

Мня сегодня очень обрадовала ссылка,что дело в отношении Ирины прекращено.И по этому поводу решил черкануть в блоге.Так на душе приятно что полицаи Калининградские сломали свои зубы-клычища которыми хотели укусить Ирку.

Ведь понятно что кто-кто а Ира человек который всегда на чеку,и с такой ерундой не в жизнь бы не решилась пересекать границу.Слава Богу что все обошлось!!!

I am very happy for Irina Teplinskaya. I was very glad when I have read the news that the criminal case against Irina has been closed. So I decided to write about this on my blog. My heart feels warm when I realize that Kaliningrad police ‘cracked their teeth’ on Irina’s case.

It was obvious that such an experienced and careful person such as Irina would never decide to cross the border with the pill. Thank God that everything is fine now.

Ségou Villages: Praying for Rain

Thalia Rahme — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:33:21 +0000

Ségou villages have been happy celebrating the end of the month of Ramadan. It has also been a double celebration, since finally after a long month of praying and waiting, it rained in this region of Mali. Even though it was long past due, the rains were a welcome sight to see. The rainy season, wintering, or “hivernage,” as it is known in French, refers to this period of time where farmers sow their seeds before cultivating. Unless there is a sufficient amount of water, usually through rains, then there is a risk that the crops would be damaged. It was a topic covered by the new bloggers from the Rising Voices grantee project Ségou Villages Connection.

Oumar Dembéle (@D1Oumar) from Cinzana Gare, who was featured in one of the featured bloggers interviews, tweets [fr]:

L'hivernage commence bien actuellement au Mali. Il pleut chaque jour.

The rainy season has now started in Mali. It rains every day.

He also expressed his fears about this season in this tweet [fr]:

On dit que l'abondance des lianes en début d'hivernage n'est pas un bon signe.Elle peut provoquer selon la tradition la rareté de la pluie.

They say that the abundance of lianas at the start of wintering is not a good sign. According to tradition, it could cause a scarcity of rain.

A field in Ségou Region. Image from Ségou Info French Blog

What seemed to be a superstition came true, and Oumar fears were confirmed. Indeed, the project coordinator, Boukary Konaté, (@fasokan) also posted a series of tweets on this problem [fr]:

Les populations de certaines communes de Ségou veulent de la pluie maintenant. #villageinfos

The populations of some Ségou villages want rain, right now

Boukary adds that farmers have not been able to sow their fields [fr] because of the scarcity of rains making the soil especially dry [fr]. He explains the situation in a blog post on Segou Infos [fr]:

L’hivernage a commencé. La semence n’est pas finie et il ne pleut pas beaucoup encore. Voici deux semaines qu’il ne pleut pas dans certains villages de Ségou et cela inquiète beaucoup les populations. « Oui, le service de la météo nous dit de ne pas nous inquiéter, qu’il va pleuvoir jusqu’en novembre, d’accord, mais est-ce que c’est en novembre qu’on va semer. », disent certains paysans. Ils ajoutent que le sarclage peut peut-être attendre, mais la période des semences passe.Le sol est partout sec et pour cela, certains paysans restent à la maison à l’attente de la pluie, mais d’autres partent travailler le sol sec. C’est ce manque de pluie qui est à la UNE au village et chacun prie pour qu’il pleuve

Wintering has started. Sowing has not finished and it is not raining much yet. It has not rained in two weeks in some Ségou villages and this is worrying the populations. ”Yes, the weather forecast service is telling us not to worry, and that it will rain in November. It's ok, but will we wait till November to sow?” ask some peasants. They add that weeding might wait, but sowing period would be overdue. The soil is dry everywhere and that's why some farmers are staying at home waiting for rain, but others go to work even under drought. It is the scarcity of rain that is making the headlines in the villages and everybody is praying it rains.

Throughout the first part of August, it still had not rained, but finally on August 19th the crisis appeared to be over. Boukary tweeted [fr]:

Il a plu dans la Région de Ségou aujourd'hui: 16 mm à Bamaoussobougou/Cinzana-Gare

It rained in Ségou today: 16 mm in Bamaoussobougou/Cinzana-Gare

And days later it started to rain regularly [fr]. Yaya Coulibaly (@ycoulibaly) who also featured in one of Rising Voices featured blogger interviews was overjoyed as he states on August 29th:

après une semaine sans pluie les habitants de cinzana -Gare commence a sourire ce matin après 21mm de pluie<

After one week without rain, Cinzana-Gare residents are beginning to smile this morning following 21mm of rain.

Rain Gauge in Bamoussobougou. Image from Ségou Infos blog

To conclude, Modobo Traoré, a farmer in Bamoussobougou in Cinzana-Gare, sends a list of rainfalls for the month of August, which was posted on the Ségou Infos blog [fr]:

Lundi 25/07/2011 = 6 mm
- Mardi 26/07/2011 = 23 mm
- Samedi 30/07/2011 = 35 mm
- Jeudi 04/08/2011 = 5 mm
- Lundi 08/08/2011 = 3,5 mm
- Vendredi 12§08/2011 = 6,5 mm
- Dimache 14/08/2011 = 49 mm
- Mardi 16/08/2011 = 12 mm
- Vendredi 19/08/2011 = 16 mm
- Samedi 20/08/2011 = 10 mm
- Jeudi 226/08/2011 = 4,5 mm
- Lundi 29/08/2011 = 25 mm

Monday 25/07/2011 = 6 mm
- Tuesday 26/07/2011 = 23 mm
- Saturday 30/07/2011 = 35 mm
- Thursday 04/08/2011 = 5 mm
- Monday 08/08/2011 = 3,5 mm
- Friday 12§08/2011 = 6,5 mm
- Sunday 14/08/2011 = 49 mm
- Tuesday 16/08/2011 = 12 mm
- Friday 19/08/2011 = 16 mm
- Saturday 20/08/2011 = 10 mm
- Thursday 226/08/2011 = 4,5 mm
- Monday 29/08/2011 = 25 mm

With this peace of mind, residents of the Ségou villages were able to celebrate Eid in a happy and festive mood.