Fancy your word power? Why not create a haiku about HIV and AIDS stigma and win a video iPod?

A haiku is a short Japanese poem of lines with, respectively, seven and five syllables.

Here are two examples:

If I need a kiss
But I thought you were ailing
Would I always reel?
By F Marks

What is this illness?
Silently dying alone
Death without a name
Anon

The competition is part of the HIV/AIDS Co-ordination Unit's (HAICU) anti-stigma initiative on campus. HAICU is based in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor.

HAICU is hosting a live event on the Jamie Plaza on Thursday, May 18, as part of the UCT Candlelight Memorial Day to honour those lost to the disease and to renew commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS.

Construction artist and recipient of the 2006 Designer of the Year Award, Heath Nash, will build an installation with the theme Birds in Flight, combined with several haiku around HIV stigma.

All UCT students and staff are welcome to enter. Submit as many entries (in English) as you can to sbrown@protem.uct.ac.za by May 15. The prize for the best entry is a video iPod. The best haiku will be chosen by the English literature department and announced next month. Winning entries will be used for campus-wide campaign material.

The campaign will try to get everyone thinking about stigma and how this results in the isolation and discrimination of people living with HIV.