got involved in the second marketing push from Embrace last November.
"Aside from running ads in the black and HIV
press, we ran a banner across the top black website advertising the
phoneline. We produced huge banners for the Notting Hill Carnival last
year, and we staged events in shopping centres in areas like Peckham and
Stratford. We even put up posters in churches. We got a lot of attention."
Ade is convinced that their efforts made a real difference in combating
HIV stigma in the African community.
As part of the marketing campaign, Syson Namaganda herself chatted on
Choice FM radio to promote the service, alongside other
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radio adverts.
"The promotion was a roaring success," says Syson. We've had
lots more calls. So much so that the helpline team is now over-stretched.
We will be returning to a fuller service of 40 hours for Monday to Friday,
and include mornings too."
So what about the callers themselves?
"Two-thirds of our enquiries are from African women," comments
Syson. "The top three kinds of questions are about whether to test,
about treatments and how to acquire them, and around difficulties with
immigration. Sixty per cent of the callers are from the London area, with
many also from the North-West.
"We now get 60 calls in the 20 hours - or that's as many as we can
deal with. Because of the sudden increase in calls, there are many messages
left on the ansaphones. There are five of us on the line full-time, with
part-time back-up from another 12 workers. There's always English and
one other language spoken
available - French, Swahili, Shona and Luganda are among those provided.
