ChicaRocky23
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This entry is a part of our World AIDS Day Blogathon. During this week we share our experiences, stories, and ideas about how HIV affects young people around the world. Join the blogathon .
So World AIDS Day and AIDS Awareness Week has come and gone. On my campus, and in my community, a group of us a young people accomplished a whole lot, but for some reason, it's only the negatives that replay in my mind. It's like, we do so much as advocates and workers, but there's always so much to do... So, my blog, i think, is probably just me talking the incidents that made me realise how much more we have to do..
Incident #1 occurred the day before World Aids Day; the day the AIDS Awareness Club at my college did a decorating project, decorating the school and gates with red and red bows. During this exercise, 90% of all who saw us asked us why we're decorating the place, and why red ribbons. Quite a few even asked if we were trying to "chase duppy"... Which speaks to how uninformed many people still are, and how oblivious they are to something that has been going on for years on end. What does that mean for us? does it mean that we have to start preaching "World AIDS Day" all through the year? Does it mean that we have to start using mediums like general assemble and hall meetings to address HIV/AIDS Awareness? What now?
Incident #2 happened while on the road during a march. During that march, a condom demonstration was performed, and what shocked me was that someone who knows how to put on a condom, made a mistake and put it on wrong. I just say that as an example of what happens to us as humans at times. We make mistakes, but what mistakes are we making as advocates? What small details are we forgetting? What happens to us when we are put on the spot... in the limelight? Can we truly represent? Are we ready? Have we efficiently prepared ourselves to handle all that may come our way?
Incident #3 was really a status posted on facebook. A friend's query was
and i mean that was a genuine question... his response when i told him about WAD was "thanks for the info". Which brings me to my other question. Are we effectively using all the media we have to transmit the message of HIV/AIDS and World Aids Day.. as a matter of fact, are were using it to transmit the right messages? positive messages? Facebook has just reached over 350 million users. How have we been utilizing that link to so many people? What more can we do here?everybody i see wearin red whats up with that? anybody
WAD 2009 has come and gone, and we've done a lot, seen a lot, heard a lot, but "there's always so much more to do".... so, where do we go from here?
information abounds, some cant access it, others just dont care, while some honestly dont kno.
but the important thing is to get the basics right... as u said the advocates need to get their stuff straight and every available media needs to be used
Good work though, hats off to you and your team
keep it up