HIV/ AIDS... we need to educate!

Today was our very last day teaching our HIV/Aids awareness prevention program. We went to the Ga tribe taught the men and women separately, and then finished our research we had started last week with the women. Teaching both of these groups was very fun. They were all very lively and had a lot of great questions. HIV is a very difficult disease to talk about and is very sensitive subject to many. This is a disease that is 100% preventable so why is it so hard to stop? It is now a full -blown pandemic. In order to fight a disease like this we must come together globally and be willing to fight the disease together.

What are some realistic ways that one person can make a difference?

• Talking to children
• Educate friends and family
• Contribute money to HIV organizations
• Volunteer for a non profit organization

Little things like this make a difference and cause a ripple effect. I have already seen this ripple effect begin to take place here in Ghana with what we have been doing. Let me explain to you a little bit about what we do.We begin with a one on one HIV pre test trying to see if they can answer specific questions about the disease. Following the pre test we educate them and then conclude with a post test which is the exact same test as the pre test. Just by that short hour or so of education these individuals have learned enough to be able to prevent HIV completely. They now have the knowledge and can help put a stop to this disease by spreading the word to others. IT IS ALL ABOUT EDUCATION!

Here are some facts to help show you what a pandemic this disease truly is:

• Everyday 8 seconds a child, man, or women dies
• Everyday 10,000 people die.
• Everyday 1,500 people become infected.
• 95% of people with Aids live in developing countries.
• 99% of Africans don’t have access to treatment.
• Just in the past three years in the Soviet Union Aids has spread 15 fold.
• Aids has a 100% mortality rate. Meaning nobody will survive the disease if they contract it.

I can honestly say that I would never have even thought twice about this disease before dealing with it first handedly here in Africa. It is a problem not only here but everywhere in the world. I am very grateful to have an education and build a sure knowledge of disease like Aids. I hope that all of the individuals we have taught have been impacted and will help begin to help educate others. Remember it is all about the ripple effect…one person does make a difference! I am going to miss teaching everyday, it has taught me so much about myself as well as others.

On a different note we are going dancing tonight with one of our friends Charley who works at the hostel. I am super excited to get my dance moves on tonight, and celebrate all of the hard work we have done as a group! I will let you know tomorrow how it was….

Mom this is for you. This is what I do when I am in the market.... it smells so terrible!

In the Jungle, girls going to fetch water.

Man washing his clothes in the river as we were hiking through the jungle.

Can you find the Albrunie (white person)?

Mabel.... she calls me her sister. Can't you see the resemblance?

Ok I am fascinated with this! Throughout all of the villages there are coffin venders. Can you see the guy sitting there working on the coffins?

These are what the shops look like. The coffins are actually very beautiful here.