Prince Harry is to continue to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. On the 6th of July, the Duke of Sussex made a virtual appearance on the horizon of the year 2020 conference on AIDS on behalf of his Sentebale charity. Harry began his speech by stressing the importance of resilience within the community with HIV/AIDS.
“The theme this year is resilience, something that everyone in the entire world have understood, specifically in the last few months,” he began. “And, for many, to dig deep to find the resilience has been a challenging experience. For those affected by HIV and AIDS, the examples of resilience within oneself and within the community has been felt and fostered for decades. In Sentebale, we see that the resilience of young people every day.”
“When faced with setbacks, that not only push back, bounce. Are resilience personified.”
Harry then introduced Sentebale young defenders of the Sekgabo Seselamaruno and Rethabile Sereba to share their stories on overcoming the social stigmas of HIV/AIDS and explain what resilience means to them. “These young people are willing to talk about their injustice, be role models for their colleagues, support the prevention of HIV, and the challenge of the limitation of the systems in the hope of a more inclusive and accepting environment for all,” Harry continued. “When faced with setbacks, that not only push back, bounce. Are resilience personified. We all have success when they have the power.”
The prince set up Sentebale (meaning “forget me not” in the language of Sesotho) in 2006 with his friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. The charity aims to help young people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. See Harry inspiring speech above.
