Learning about HIV AIDS

PEPFAR

We are in day two at a little little town called Gussie about a 1/3 of the way up from Tamale toward Bolga. We came up on Tuesday to help a volunteer from here do an HIV/AIDS education fair in her village, there are 9 trainees in my group here. This village is smaller than the one I went to site in. No elec in the whole town. No COLD pure water sachets so we are back to warm water. The guest house we are staying in is owned by the company that does many things in this area including organic Mangos. There is no electricity but they have a generator that we can’t use. So it bucket baths and head lamps at night. The pump is not working so we are getting water and putting it in a barrel for us to do laundry and bath with. This is Ghana is standard for here. WE were excited when we first walked into the compound – two bathrooms, one even with a tub and 3 bedrooms living room and kitchen. The kitchen sink is working so we are using it for hands and filing up a bucket or two.

Yesterday we went to the school which is k-6 to teach some HIV/AIDS things. I worked with the K group and there were about 80 kids so we divided them into two sessions. They did not understand English so we did a few skits to show them not to use razors or syringes but one time and did a song that we taught them but all they did was repeat exactly what we said without understanding. We passed out papers they were to put an X on anything they were not suppose to touch. Many just looked at the paper until we showed them an example on the board and they did that exactly and nothing else. A great learning experience for trainees that we are going to have to be even more simple than we were. The older kids were basically the same except they knew the what HIV/Aids was so we tried to show them they should still be friends with their friends that are sick and that they could not get it from hugging, or eating from the same bowl (have I told you everyone eats with their hands from bowls? I can’t do it but some of the trainees do it.), or helping them with chores. That is a major problem the people are casts outs when it is found out they have HIV. The older kids did posters or cards to give to sick people to make them happy. Don’t think they understood to much but repetitions is what we will do for the next two years. Small villages have a very low rate of HIV/AIDS but the people that go to Accra and Kumasi looking for work end up getting paid for sex and then have to come back to village when they are infected.

Today Wednesday Nov. 10, we are going to the village to do a fair – they have music, we are going to do games, the kids will do skits tonight and then there is to be dancing. We have our jobs lined up and we are back at the compound resting because it is going to be hot and long. We have been warned that since we are giving out candy, posters and condoms that we are to watch the stuff because when it is free they over run you trying to get at it. Ha!! Guess who did not volunteer to watch the goodies?

Since we have been here the PCV has been feeding us – not American not Ghanaian just her closest version of American, even shared her Velveeta in her potato soup last night. After dinner some of us came back to get a bath and lay in bed waiting for a breeze – but is does get cooler here at night so by morning we actual have our two yards (yes two yards of cloth) for covers. I am still lucky having been given a shawl that I use as a two yard for wrapping up as a towel, robe, etc.

My camera still does not work but friend have taken some pics for me and I have used some of their pics to show you what is going on.

Last evening before dark we walked the village even met a few of the elders and had our pic taken with them. Then we were going to a baby naming ceremony but for whatever reason we missed it. But everyone was at the compound so after introduction and being given a bench to sit on we waited until invited to see the week old little girl. I went in and she was on her side in her Mother’s arms being splashed with water and loving it. Then she was put on her back and two arms were put over her and pulled then crossed the other way and pulled to make her strong. Then she flipped her over and washed her back. Afterward she was brought out and we all got to hold her. She already had her ears pierced. Not sure if she will have the cuts put on her face which is tradition but she did not have them yesterday. The twins were 2 and looked like maybe 9 or 10 months old. The little boy was walking and curious about us but the little girl is sick and she does not walk – both nursing at the same time while we were there.

We leave for Techiman tomorrow for our NRM training to start and I understand that we are staying in a cool Monastery. Another adventure to report on.