Our Mission Diary
July 13, 2006
Today, Betty and Shamin visited the University of Cape Town, South Africa’s oldest university. They met with the SRC, the university’s student council, to discuss a South African-Canadian partnership to host workshops and events. Our pair spent the day learning the SRC’s promotion strategies and learning about the university’s environment and history. They were told that the university began as an all-boys school, which then became a “white” university. Right now, however, the university is open to everyone. Things have greatly changed. There are so few males attending the school now that they say males at the university are becoming an endangered species.
Speaking of which, statistics show that mainly females are infected with HIV/AIDS. However, studies done by the student government of the University of Cape Town show that these statistics may be inaccurate since they are collected at health clinics which are mainly attended by women. Men in many areas must become more educated in matters such as HIV/AIDS. Many still believe dangerous myths about the disease. These myths about how to get rid of or prevent HIV/AIDS may cause the spread of the disease in some cases.
But back to the day’s events… Shamin and Betty also visited the university’s HIV/AIDS unit, called “Haicu”. (For more information about Haicu, please visit http://www.hivaids.uct.ac.za.) Haicu is dedicated to launching new and innovative campaigns about HIV/AIDS because they realize that the topic is very repetitive in the everyday lives of South Africans. Their goal is to keep the public alert, aware and interested in the current crisis. One of their campaigns relates to their name. They launched a campaign where students submitted Haiku poetry that reflected the theme of HIV/AIDS-related stigma. The poems were then attached to doves.
Haicu makes sure that HIV/AIDS testing is free for all UTC students. However, many students are embarrassed or scared to know the results of these tests and therefore do not get tested at all.
Shamin and Betty met with some very prominent people in the Haicu department. Ms. Puleng Phooko, the projects and office manager for the HIV/AIDS Unit and Mr. Sean Brown, the education and communications (IEC) officer for the HIV/AIDS Unit were among the people who met with Betty and Shamin to discuss promotion and efficient ways to get a message across to the public. Shamin and Betty learned that the best strategy to get people interested in your message is to be creative.
Children’s AIDS Health Program hopes to work with the University of Cape Town and the HIV/AIDS Unit in the future.
Tomorrow, our travelers will be visiting health care centres in order to conduct some research. One of Children’s AIDS Health Program’s goals is to build our own health care centre someday. This is a great opportunity to learn what work is involved and what must be done.
