Miss Labasa Divisional Hospital, Zeenia Mohammed is using the Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North as a platform to advocate for stronger HIV awareness and the need to build resilient communities in the Northern Division.
While speaking to fijivillage News, the 22-year-old intern nurse says she is using the festival platform to raise awareness about HIV, describing it as a growing health crisis that is impacting lives.
Originally from Lekutu in Bua with maternal links to Namara, Labasa, Mohammed says she was inspired from a young age to be part of the festival, having grown up watching contestants on stage each year, amplifying their voices and showcasing their glamour.
She says she feels blessed to represent the nursing division this year.
Miss Labasa Divisional Hospital says she began advocating for HIV awareness well before the official launch of the festival, taking the message into rural areas and communities.
She says they have visited eleven schools and three churches so far to raise awareness, and if she wins the prestigious title, she will continue advocating to build HIV-resilient communities in the North and ensure more people understand the realities of the disease.
She stressed that people need to understand HIV is here, it is deadly, and it is not sparing individuals of any age group.
