The Mai Aisha Sisters and Youth AIDS Programme (MASYAP) was founded in 2008 by the Mai Aisha Trust to educate Muslim women and young people about preventing HIV/AIDS and to care for those living with the virus. It has since become one of the most prominent Muslim-led organisations in Malawi working on HIV/AIDS.
Why we exist
Muslim women and young people living with HIV have been pushed to the margins, socially and economically, by the stigma of the disease and its effects. MASYAP responds to their health, social and economic needs through:
- HIV testing and counselling
- home-based care
- nutrition support
- economic empowerment through microfinance
Our approach
We aim to slow the spread of HIV by improving knowledge, attitudes and practices around sexual behaviour, and to help people understand how to look after themselves if they are diagnosed.
We work at very low cost, benefiting from professional advice given free of charge, and we deliver our programmes in the heart of the community, which keeps transport and venue costs to a minimum.