So a little bit after the fact, but I wanted to write a blog about HIV/AIDS in light of World Aids Day on December 1st. Saraya had quite the day, full of trivia, rap contests, theater and a dance contest. There are four dance teams, three rap groups and at least two theater troupes (only one made it after some drama hehehe). And of course there were t-shirts and prizes for the winners. Sometimes, these events get a little off focus with hundreds of children trying to win candy and cookies while the DJ is trying to do HIV/AIDS trivia, but overall the day showed that the youth in Saraya is educated on HIV/AIDS and is motivated to stop it. Oh yes, and my brother obviously won the rap contest with his rap, SIDA Man Nin, AIDS is bad.
A lot of my work here has focused on HIV prevention. The overall rate in Saraya is lower than some cities in the U.S., below 1%, but because of the location of the area by the border of Mali which has a higher rate, and because there is a ton of people here to search for gold, and gold and sex just go hand in hand, so there is an elevated rate here, hence my focus on HIV prevention.
Working on HIV here is a lot different than my experiences in South Africa or perhaps other countries with higher rates. Because the rates are so low, and because this country is more religiously conservative, the stigma is much higher and it is more difficult for people living with HIV to be open about it and find other people living with HIV with whom to share their experiences. There are a few programs that works on support groups and small income generating activities like gardening in the region.
The main project that I work on is a community condom distribution network, which I work on with the district social worker, Mon. Sy. Almost every village in the district has an assigned condom distributer, often a community health worker or well respected young person to distribute condoms, teach people about HIV and STI prevention and be trustworthy not to gossip around the village about who is getting laid and protecting themselves while doing it. The condoms are all free (from USAID, thank you for your tax dollars!), and as I enter all of the data, I will see not only how many condoms are being distributed but I will be able to see it by month and by age. My less than high maturity level makes me excited to see what time of year everyone is using the most condoms in Saraya…
Additionally, there are other organizations that focus on preventing HIV in the area, including Family Health International, SWAA Senegal, and the mining companies themselves. I help out with mass testing days, which I have described in this blog before. Some are more successful than others, the other day only 15 people came and the next day over 60 came in the village next door. Once tested positive, individuals can receive free medications and treatment has be decentralized, which means the nurses at the health post level have been trained to care for people living with HIV. Overall, the health district of Saraya is progressive and on top of the fight against HIV/AIDS and I am proud to be a part of it.
