World AIDs Days

Entry via Letter

As November wound to a close, I found myself looking forward to the world AIDS Day celebration in Newala, which took place the Saturday before the actual day. We had decided to take our Peer educators up to Newala for the event, to see what type of event we could hold for AIDs awareness here. Six of us traveled up the Newala mountain with teacher Amos in tow at 5:30 am Saturday morning. We arrived hot and covered in sweat, but excited at the prospect of seeing the day’s events. At the AIDs - day celebration, - Newalympics – there were many games for children to play, including basketball, soccer, track (which we were in charge of) netball, volleyball and finally, dodge ball. We started the day (before continuing on to track) by playing basketball with fellow PC volunteer Atif. After a game that was filled with double dribbles and cheap foul shots we left to continue on with track – though all day I had to listen to my Students ask me were “Jordan” (Atif being an African American Volunteer whose basketball ability they found identical to Michael Jordon’s) learned to play basketball like that, and when he was going to come teach them to play. We ran the children races around the track, and had more than 40 kids come to compete, and at the end of the day we had 2 MVPs to present gifts to at the ending ceremony – a huge event that attracted many children.

Overall, the even resulted in a little over 140 being tested for HIV AIDs, a very sucessful number for the event, and over the 120 estimated turn out! The drama and songs throughout the day were done before a huge audience, and many people enjoyed the variety of entertainment.After the event, all of the kids and I went to find food and then to find Jerusha’s house, where she allowed us to spend the night. The day was long and they all soon crashed into the beds, cushions, and whatever they could find in her home to sleep on – Jerusha, who was exhausted from the planning of the huge event, was so great to all of the kids despite being tired, and as we left two of them whispered to me that they wanted to come again!

The way home from the event may have been the most rewarding. All of the kids, including shy Jennifer, began plotting ideas for what they could do for World AIDs Day next year in our village, asking me how many volunteers could come help, if Michael Jordon (aka Atif) could come teach basketball, how many people we could test for AIDs, and all of the drama, singing we could do to spread the word about AIDs. The excitement they had to get started was enough to inspire me on the walk back down the hill, excited to get started and accomplish great things in Makong’onda. I have a slight feeling of pride in the fact that I helped, inspire these students to get started!