HIV/AIDS Awareness Week

It has been an interesting week. I hit my all time low recently. Things weren't going well and I was just not in a good place. Things have taken a turn though, culminating in today's celebrations of National HIV/AIDS Awareness Week. Very rewarding participating in something like this. I was unaware that the awareness week was this week until last Sunday, so I didn't have really much time to put something together. The week before I had been working to revive the HIV/AIDS club here at school. It turned out to be perfect timing. We ended up have our first meeting yesterday after school. It was like pulling teeth but once they got going it was great. About 15 learners were at the meeting and they decided on numerous ideas for what we could do to celebrate the week. We made posters and practices a 'drama' (role play). I have noticed the dramas are definitely something they really enjoy and get into. They put a funny drama on where one learner chose to hang out at the bar while the other chose to do homework and stay home, quite an applicable subject seeing as I see many of my learners at the local bar in town on a Friday night. Both the learners end up getting sugar daddies and finally getting HIV and falling pregnant, as they say here. It was scary how well the two small boys could play a good sugar daddy. The drama was complete with a condom demonstration, though rushed and not totally accurate, it got the point across. It is funny to listen to both the learners and teachers snicker at the wooden penis. A learner wrote a poem from the viewpoint of being HIV. Overall it was great. The learners really enjoyed doing it too. I have had many requests to join the club so I think I have finally found something I can devote some time to. After feeling pretty good about myself, I went over to the local primary school. Well, I didn't feel so good about myself then. The learners had a half day and they were all nicely seated and listening to songs, poetry readings, and watching performances. It was great. After the assembly was done, they then took the posters they had made and paraded around the town. They stopped in the centre of the town to do more singing and dancing. It was an awesome day to say the least.

I am also getting involved in another project. At the ultimate low of the week, Tuesday night, I was headed out for my first run (training for a marathon in October, at least that is the plan) to let off some steam and think a bit. Well, this person showed up like an angel. She said that she was a volunteer that has been living in the town since September and has really been looking to get involved. She came to me with a plan, kinda, and some decent motivation. I have met with her every night so far, and are planning the first meeting of Youth 2 Youth tomorrow morning. She has brought in a colleague from Rundu, in a far away land, and we are both pretty anxious for it to get going. If it sounds like I am being a bit vague, its because I don't really know what exactly is going on. I am assured that I will understand a bit more about what the club is supposed to do after tomorrows meeting.

I am moving into another house. I am pretty excited about this. My living situation hasn't been horrible, it just hasn't been the best. I am living with two female learners, both of which I teach. This wouldn't be a huge problem except that the tate, which is my roomate, is never really there, hence I am viewed more of a father figure than he is. I figured I would give it a go, but it just wasn't working out. I am hoping to move into a new place as of next week sometime. I think this different living situation will really help elevate some of the problems I have been dealing with lately.

Other than that I am good, I am planning on the next month or so to fly by. Two weekends from now Peace Corps Namibia is welcoming a new director. I don't know much about her, but I am excited to get some new blood, I think it will benefit us as a whole. Then the following weekend is the Northern Girls Conference, then, two weeks from that I am in Windhoek for my MID-Service med check up! Crazy. It is a bit early but wild to be writing already about it. Then two weeks of the term and the second term is over....wild!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying a balmy east coast summer. The days are already starting to warm up here. One year ago yesterday, I was hiking through the mountains on hike naked day with some guy in a bandanna, ha.

Keith