WorldView Magazine - Fall 2009 - (Page 26)

Health ONE, TWO, THREE A pivotal time in Botswana’s AIDS crisis sets Kathy Hageman in search of answers by Kathy Hageman “T eacher, no examples about HIV, and one has died lecturing them to resist yet….” peer pressure to have Those words greeted me sex—and, for those who when I returned to my Peace were, to use condoms. I Corps village of Seronga, did not know if what I Botswana, on the banks was doing was helpful but of the Okavango Delta. with limited materials and While teaching there in the resources at the national 1990’s, approximately 33% level and virtually nothing of sexually active adults in the village, I figured any were living with the HIV approach was better than virus, as were over 50% of no approach. Meanwhile, women who had two or the idea of behavior change more children. By 2002, and what it takes to create four years after completing it intrigued and inspired my service, Botswana me. What would help The author, Kathy Hageman, listens to focus group discussion in lusaka, had attained the highest keep my students HIV Zambia. prevalence of HIV in the negative when knowledge world. and awareness levels were Amid the countless, endless nights awareness of the country’s HIV already high? of grading papers in the stifling prevalence to the promotion of the The first trip back to your site is heat, legs sticking to the plasticABCs (Abstinence, Be monogamous, the hardest. Will you be remembered? fiber government-issue furniture, Condom use). Newspapers announced Does anyone care that you have I remember the moment when my the prevalence of HIV infections returned? Did you leave a mark? mind and heart fully wrapped around among civil and government workers, Whether real or not, you feel tested the statistic that one in three of my young adults, pregnant women, by your own history. It was a great students would die from HIV. The commercial sex workers, truck drivers, relief to hear the screams of my former same students who struggled with and most any other group that students, now adults with their own adjectives and adverbs, spelling and was able to be defined as a specific children, as they passed the news comma use; the same students who population. Radio shows talked of from one area of the village to another frequently counted off “one, two, HIV. Street drama groups in matching announcing that their teacher had three, one, two, three…” to form work shirts danced and acted to inform returned. It was a great relief to hear groups: one in three would die. about HIV. Students learned how that no one had died yet. Maybe that Hearing my student update me on to draw t-cells attacking an immune was my mark, some sense of awareness the mortality status of his classmates, system. What I didn’t see among all that translated into needing to tell brought me full circle to that heat these aggressive, multi-level efforts the teacher the good news when she drenched night. I felt shattered as he to raise awareness and knowledge of returned years later. Perhaps it was spoke with such pride of the (good) HIV was behavioral change at the the heat of those days or the fear that health of his classmates. What was it individual level. Multiple sex partners, I felt for the lives of my students, but like to live in an environment where unprotected sex and cross-generational somehow the interest and/or need to life expectancy came with the caveat relationships continued among prevent people from contracting HIV that “nothing has happened yet?” students, fellow teachers and friends. became a part of me and I realized that During my years of service in As a teacher, my efforts to raise my own history was not yet complete. Botswana I witnessed an explosion HIV awareness were largely focused I do not remember how I was of HIV knowledge and promotions. on having students write stories introduced to public health or the Billboards ranged from raising about HIV, teaching grammar using concentration of behavioral science 2 Fall 2009 Kathy Hageman

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of WorldView Magazine - Fall 2009

WorldView Magazine - Fall 2009
Contents
President's Letter
Your Turn
Are You Connected Yet? Join Africa Rural Connect
Group News Highlights
Why Investment in Health Is Critical Now
New Hope and Lessons from Rwanda
Turning a Blind Eye
A Question of Capacity
CN U HLP ME? I HAVE A ??
When Water and Sanitation Are a Priority
Could “Peace Care” Lessen the Global Burden of Disease?
One, Two, Three
Translating International Health to Health Care at Home
Turning Tragedy to Opportunity
Costa Rica: Finding My Religion
St. Lucia: Learning about Hunger
Seven Dusty Notebooks
Peace Corps Service 2.0
The Peace Corps Community Making a Difference
Community News
Advertiser Index

WorldView Magazine - Fall 2009

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