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Documentary charting work of Belfast nun in Aids centre makes awards shortlist

Sr Speight at the Love and Hope Centre in Kenya 
Sr Speight at the Love and Hope Centre in Kenya  Sr Speight at the Love and Hope Centre in Kenya 

A DOCUMENTARY about the work of a Belfast-born nun who set up a life-saving HIV/Aids education centre in Africa has been nominated for an international film and television award.

Sr Patricia Speight, a Franciscan Missionary Sister for Africa, who is originally from Sunningdale Drive in north Belfast, is the co-founder of the Love and Hope centre in Nakuru in Kenya.

The centre, which became a reality thanks to tireless fundraising, helps those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. It also provides home-based care, awareness, education, counselling, and support for orphans and vulnerable children, as well as the casualties of violence in the country.

Recently, Sr Speight’s high profile work prompted Trocaire to ask her and her team to make a documentary about their daily battle to help those living in the shadow of HIV and Aids.

The hard-hitting documentary, which showcases Sr Speight's work and that of her team of volunteers, has now been nominated for a Kalasha International Film and Television Award.

Now Sr Speight has appealed to people in Ireland to get online and vote for the documentary so it wins its category.

"We have been told that this is the best documentary in Kenya and the Kalasha Awards are looked upon as the Oscars in countries outside of Africa," she said.

"Trocaire asked us to do this documentary and supported us financially. We were the partner chosen and asked to do the documentary on success stories and the people we network with".

The Belfast-born nun said the work of the centre was very important, as it reaches out to the very poor and marginalized, and the documentary includes many of its clients' inspirational stories.

"The video shows how HIV+ adults and children are normal people with the same hopes and dreams as anyone else, so hopefully it will help reduce stigma," she added.

Voting in the Kalasha International Film and Television Award is open until October 25. The awards ceremony will take place on October 30 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.