Meet the Red Ribbon Lady

By Mathew Romogau Werigi The red ribbon has become an internationally recognized symbol for HIV/AIDS awareness. It is worn by people from all walks of life throughout the year in support of people living with HIV/AIDS. It is also worn to remember those loved ones who had died from the epidemic worldwide. On every calendar year, December 1 has been marked as the day of remembrance where people around the world pin their red ribbons as they commemorate World AIDS Day. Anyone can wear a red ribbon. You don't have to be HIV positive or living with the virus to demonstrate that you have an understanding of the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. Wearing a red ribbon is the first step in the fight against HIV and AIDS. It can be worn on any day of the year, but especially on World AIDS Day. Here we find someone who has been doing red ribbons for a living or basically to venture into Small to Medium Enterprises (SME). She is a 37 year old Rose Mathew from a mixed parentage of West Sepik and East New Britain. It’s been over five years now, Ms Mathew grasped the opportunity and has been making and selling the World AIDS Day Red Ribbons. When asked why she ventured into hand weaving and ribbon making, she said; “I witnessed and saw many people dying from HIV/AIDS so I decided to make ribbons and supply them to business houses and certain government departments to buy for their staff to wear during World AIDS day every year. This is part of my contribution to the HIV/AIDS awareness in Papua New Guinea.” She has been supplying the ribbons to most business houses in Port Moresby only through 2050 Solutions, a SME establishment in promoting education, health and healthy living. “I actually started when my husband’s former employer was looking around to purchase ribbons for their staff so I started with the first 100,” Ms Mathew said. Every year she is busy making the ribbons, all hand woven and ready to deliver before 1st of December to her corporate clients. In 2013 2050 Solutions was registered with IPA. Since then she has never turned back. The business provides and distributes the following services: media awareness on health and education, climate change, distribution of mosquito nets, water purifiers/cartridges and others to name a few. The main objective is to work closely and network through public private partnership and to promote health and education awareness through the media to support the Government’s Vision 2050 seven major pillars. They include: • Human Capital Development, Gender, Youth and People Empowerment; • Wealth Creation; • Institutional Development and Service Delivery; • Security and International Relations; • Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change; • Spiritual, Cultural and Community Development; and • Strategic Planning, Integration and Control. “This year I have engaged some women and a young man to make more ribbons, our aim is to distribute freely to all primary, vocational and secondary schools in the National Capital District and Hohola area as a pilot project if donor agencies or corporate organisations can fund our project,” concluded Ms Mathew. The team is aiming to produce and deliver 10,000 red ribbons to the schools and also the nearby settlements and main Hohola market before and on December 1st 2018. She will be sending out proposals soon to donor agencies, corporate entities and other stake holders to seek funds to assist achieve her objective. “If funding is approved for this proposal 10 more women in the settlement where I live will be taught how to weave the strings. The aim is to educate young kids on the importance of wearing red ribbons and to educate them of the dangers of HIV/AIDS in a bid to minimise the statics or eradicate HIV/AIDS in the future,” Ms Mathew said. She said if all goes well, she is also looking into having a women’s group formed to help other women get out of societal hardships and create changes in settlements, rural and urban centres in Port Moresby. To place orders for the 2018 World AIDS Day Red Ribbons and for more information, email 2050solutionspng@gmail.com, surumba@gmail.com or call 732 15220 and 757 86831.