From Myths to Mentors: How mothers2mothers Is Changing the HIV Narrative in Ghana 

By Gita Osei-Bonsu, LGT Impact Fellow at mothers2mothers, Ghana

My first experience at a mothers2mothers (m2m) Ghana campaign event, “Don’t Buy It” – a campaign initiated to help young people understand the truth about sex, pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs  – started at the University of Ghana in a vast lecture theatre. The university organised a “safe sex” seminar with various speakers bringing awareness to HIV and AIDS. The Ghana team joined this event to tell the students – “Don’t Buy It” – when someone tells you myths about HIV and sexual practices.  

It is difficult to grasp the attention of a room full of teenagers, but when mothers2mothers Ghana Country Director, Yvonne Ferguson, took the stage, she had the entire theatre in the palm of her hand. With signature catch phrases and “call and response” interactions, Ferguson – nicknamed “Mama 10”, engaged a tired audience, leading to a round of applause at the end of her 10-point presentation on myths about HIV and AIDs. 

The prevailing myths about HIV and AIDs has led to a serious issue of stigma in Ghana. Misinformation about how the virus is contracted and spread, and the remaining idea that HIV is a death sentence, has led to the ostracism of many from their communities. I first saw the stigma held at my Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) appointment after the attendant recoiled once I had told her that I work with women with HIV. At work, I was also told that women living with HIV often face stigma not only from the medical practitioners meant to care for them but also from public health NGO workers who refuse to sit with them or share a meal. 

Mentor Mothers are challenging this stigma in their position. They stand as role models – evidence of a fulfilling life after diagnosis. mothers2mothers is a proudly African primary health care organisation, that unlocks the power of local women to transform health outcomes in their communities. Our Mentor Mother model recruits women living with HIV who have a negative child and have disclosed to someone they know. This allows them to instil hope in their clients and provide the education necessary for clients to adhere to their medication and prevent mother-to-child-transmission through their shared experience. They provide integrated primary health care services, education and support to other families in their communities at health facilities, door-to-door, and remotely through e-Services.  Through close contact and follow up with clients, the impact on both the client and Mentor Mother is profound. The Mentor Mothers have a lived experience that they use to support the client on their health journey. The client no longer “gives up” and has a new perspective, whilst the Mentor Mother is bolstered by her ability to help due to her status and experience. 

Beyond providing health support and education, Mentor Mothers offer something just as vital – human connection and understanding. Many clients come to them feeling isolated, burdened by shame and fear. In seeing someone who has walked the same path and built a thriving life, clients begin to believe in a different future for themselves. This bond fosters trust, making it easier for clients to open up, ask questions, and commit to their treatment. 

Having worked at mothers2mothers for nine months, I have seen the pride in the work carried out by my team and the Mentor Mothers. Mentor Mothers are not just educators; they are role models; proof that an HIV diagnosis does not define a person’s future. Through their guidance, clients gain hope, access life-saving information, and find the strength to adhere to treatment. This paid position has been able to build better and brighter futures for Mentor Mothers families, seen in the case of Philomena Kwakye’s ability to pay to further her education at the University of Cape Coast and graduate with a degree in procurement and supply chain management.  

mothers2mothers’ work does more than prevent mother-to-child transmission; it fosters resilience, challenges discrimination, and creates a ripple effect of change within communities. By uplifting one another, these women are shaping a future where HIV is met with knowledge, compassion, and dignity rather than fear and exclusion.