AIDS/HIV at 25
It has been 25 years since the discovery of HIV/AIDS and it still remains that the best way to educate and learn from each other is to communicate. The following is piece that I wrote for the Ogilvy Public Relations AIDS @ 25 blog. If you would like to add your own piece or read what other communication professionals think, go to http://aids25.ogilvypr.com
While I worked at OPR last year, I was privileged enough to be able to work on the HIV Vaccine Awareness Campaign. The ability to educate and teach people about the HIV campaign through all different types of media was to me part of my job that enriched my life. Not only was the work fascinating and interesting, it gave me a sense of satisfaction that was addictive. The feeling you get when you help someone. I wanted more of that type of feeling....so what did I do? I joined the Peace Corps.
It is truly unfortunate that many people are beginning to lose their passion toward the urgency of finding a cure for AIDS. The fight has lost its luster. I would like to say that in many places the fight has not even begun. Currently, I am a Peace Corps Volunteer in Turkmenistan. According to my job description I am a Teacher of English as a Foreign (TEFL), but that title does little justice to the diversity of work that I have done here in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan officially recognizes that yes AIDS and HIV exist. They also officially recognize that there has been one death in the past ten years because of the disease.
While the penchant for statistic spinning may be prevalent what I find amazing are the doctors that work in my city that work at the AIDS Center. These doctors go out on weekly training seminars and trips and talk to students, government officials, policeman, and other doctors. They also offer free and anonymous testing for patients that want to come in and be tested. I have been visiting this center once a week for the past six months and I have seen a total of five patients walk in the door. Why you may ask would you acknowledge a disease but not admit there is a problem? I don't have the answers.
What I do have are classes of young men and women where we discuss the dangers of HIV and what they could do to help. In a land where most of the media either comes from Russia or the state owned channels and the internet is sparse mass communicating to people is difficult. So how did these kids get their message out? They hit the pavement, and went to classrooms, orphanages, homeless shelters, they talked to people on the street, went to the bazaars and asked if people knew about AIDS. All told the ended up talking to over 200 people in the span of two days. These 200 people know now more about HIV and why it is important for them to know about how to protect themselves.
It may seem like a struggle that some in the states now take for granted, but if I can change the habits of just one child, young person, or sex worker I will consider all of my work here in Turkmenistan a success.
Whether it happens in my lifetime or in the next, the cure for HIV is absolutely essential, and I am proud to be able to say that I am working toward finding it.
While I worked at OPR last year, I was privileged enough to be able to work on the HIV Vaccine Awareness Campaign. The ability to educate and teach people about the HIV campaign through all different types of media was to me part of my job that enriched my life. Not only was the work fascinating and interesting, it gave me a sense of satisfaction that was addictive. The feeling you get when you help someone. I wanted more of that type of feeling....so what did I do? I joined the Peace Corps.
It is truly unfortunate that many people are beginning to lose their passion toward the urgency of finding a cure for AIDS. The fight has lost its luster. I would like to say that in many places the fight has not even begun. Currently, I am a Peace Corps Volunteer in Turkmenistan. According to my job description I am a Teacher of English as a Foreign (TEFL), but that title does little justice to the diversity of work that I have done here in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan officially recognizes that yes AIDS and HIV exist. They also officially recognize that there has been one death in the past ten years because of the disease.
While the penchant for statistic spinning may be prevalent what I find amazing are the doctors that work in my city that work at the AIDS Center. These doctors go out on weekly training seminars and trips and talk to students, government officials, policeman, and other doctors. They also offer free and anonymous testing for patients that want to come in and be tested. I have been visiting this center once a week for the past six months and I have seen a total of five patients walk in the door. Why you may ask would you acknowledge a disease but not admit there is a problem? I don't have the answers.
What I do have are classes of young men and women where we discuss the dangers of HIV and what they could do to help. In a land where most of the media either comes from Russia or the state owned channels and the internet is sparse mass communicating to people is difficult. So how did these kids get their message out? They hit the pavement, and went to classrooms, orphanages, homeless shelters, they talked to people on the street, went to the bazaars and asked if people knew about AIDS. All told the ended up talking to over 200 people in the span of two days. These 200 people know now more about HIV and why it is important for them to know about how to protect themselves.
It may seem like a struggle that some in the states now take for granted, but if I can change the habits of just one child, young person, or sex worker I will consider all of my work here in Turkmenistan a success.
Whether it happens in my lifetime or in the next, the cure for HIV is absolutely essential, and I am proud to be able to say that I am working toward finding it.
posted by Schirm 2605 | 1:01 PM
