World AIDS Day

So… you may be wondering how our work is coming along. Well, the cultural posts are far more interesting than our work so far, I'm afraid. Our main jobs at the Learning Resource Center (Kristin) and Aishalton District Hospital (Chris) are coming along just fine. In addition, all Peace Corps volunteers in Guyana work in the HIV and AIDS field. Guyana has the second highest infection rate in the Caribbean qualifies for President Bush’s PEPFAR funding (President’s Emergency Planning and Funding for AIDS Relief). The HIV and AIDS epidemic is concentrated mainly on the coast where most of the population lives. Here in the interior, HIV and AIDS epidemic is not yet spreading (that we know of), but we work hard to keep it that way.

Chris and I have decided that in order to address HIV and AIDS in Aishalton, we would plan a health fair for December 1^st, World AIDS Day. The theme for this year is “Universal Access and Human Rights”, a fitting theme for introducing it to Aishalton. We are very excited; we have written our first grant proposal and have received some funding through Peace Corps and the Red Cross.

Our plan for the health fair is to have people moving around and interacting with different games and activities concerning HIV and AIDS. We are trying to utilize as many community members as possible – the hospital staff, the Aishalton Youth Corps, church groups, and leaders. Some people with be doing skits to interact with others, others will be playing “Myths and Truths” or “Risk Factors”, and another group will be putting on a puppet show about “Anna Assertive”, a very assertive girl who knows how to say ‘no’ to peer pressure. We will also have HIV testing which is not regularly offered in Aishalton. Chris will be taking photos of the Amerindians dressed in traditional wear with bows and arrows. The pictures will be used to design posters with the theme “Be a warrior. Fight HIV” and used in the Amerindian villages throughout Guyana.

We’re really hoping for more support, or particularly, more active support, over the next few weeks as we prepare. We want to see more people volunteering, more people coming to our planning meetings. Please pray for our project, I truly believe we have the power to change behavior and save lives with this health fair. Pray for support, pray for a good turnout and most of all, pray that people learn something and apply it to their lives.

We are going in to Lethem to pick up our funding, spend it on supplies, and bring it back out. Safe journeys all around. Hope all’s well in your neck of the woods.

Chris and Kristin