Inspired Individuals

Rev Ephraim Disi is a former Bishop of the Brethren In Christ Church in Malawi. He is living with HIV and is the founder of ANERELA+, which involved in diverse HIV projects in Malawi and across Africa.

In Malawi, Rev Ephraim works alongside various faith groups who lead projects with orphans and vulnerable children as well as projects to nourish the elderly. Rev Disi has also been involved in supporting other projects, such as winter-cropping and planting vegetable patches in the rural parts of the South of the country.

To start ANERELA+, Rev Disi worked hand in hand with key figures, such as Canon Gideon Byamugisha, the first Anglican priest in Uganda to public announce he was HIV positive, and others advocates who uphold the dignity and human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

As a result of this he has become a Pastor of Pastors who are living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi. Most of these Pastors he is Pastoring in Malawi are also in their early stages of HIV status disclosure.

In the world there more than 40 million people currently living with HIV/AIDS. In Malawi life expectancy is down to 38 and 15% of its population are HIV positive. There are 1 million orphans in the country, many last their parents because of the virus.

Rev Disi is one of the founding members of ANERELA+ (the African Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS ).

ANERELA+ has a network of 40 ministers and it is an inter faith support group that seeks to uphold the dignity and human rights of people living with HIV. Through ANERELA+ and other projects, Rev Disi is active and involved in multiple HIV projects in Malawi and across the rest of Africa.

Besides its participation on ANERELA+ and other projects, Rev Disi also gives educational lectures on the need to combat the six challenges: stigma, silence, denial, discrimination, action, and wrong action.