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WE ARE POSITIVE is an ongoing campaign with a focus on community activism and art, launched on 18th May 2024. It was devised and beeing run by artist Emma Grima who approached Checkpoint Malta in 2023 to seek collaboration working on the themes of sexual health and rights. Since then Emma has been working with the NGO in order to fulfil this project and further her and Checkpoint Malta’s aims and objectives for greater awareness and acceptance relating to HIV.
 
WE ARE POSITIVE asks everyone to ‘walk in the shoes’ of people living with HIV (PLHIV). We aim to put the HUMAN at the forefront of discussions about HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). A virus which can affect any one of us.
There is a great institutional and cultural stigma, resulting in the lack of effective policy and understanding, which has affected all things sexual on the Maltese Islands. One of the most unacceptable effects of this is the high levels of HIV within our society. By humanising and bringing the topic of HIV out into the open we aim to encourage, challenge, discuss, and promote change. These discussions can lead to change but need to happen at all levels.

We aim to encourage empowerment; share positive life stories, and build a stronger PLHIV community in Malta.

As part of the project, we organise meet-ups and encourage peer support so PLHIV can find their voice. Please get in touch in confidence if you would like to join us, your anonymity will be respected: community@checkpoint.m
Interdisiplinary, 2024 - On going 

Campaign Website & press articles

We are positive webpage
Times of Malta
Malta Today






Our first action was an artistic intervention at The LOVE Monument in St Julian’s. We covered the monument with 620 HIV self-testing kit boxes coinciding with the start of European Testing Week to increase access to information about why everyone should know their HIV status; and how and where to get tested which was a huge success, having a very high public interaction rate. 620 test boxes taken in under 24 hrs and 400 website views reached informing about HIV and where how and why one should get tested in one week.











Our next major action to keep pushing our aims is a rally on “World AIDS Day” - Sunday 1 December 2024 in Vallett. More to follow soon.