What I Have Been Up to Lately

Training teen health promoters in HIV prevention and attending their replicas in the high schools.

We have 37 teen promoters in 3 communities this year.

Teens are focusing on the ABC method, A being Abstinence, B is Be faithful

... and C is Condoms.

They also learned a little more about the common sexually transmitted infections.

Sessions this year are entirely game- and activity-based. It's all hands-on and participatory. HIV Jeopardy is a favorite among the teens.

Making peanut butter from scratch ... sort of.

I brought peanuts back from the jungle, and we crushed them up with a rock.

My host brother, Samir, had a hard time getting the hang of it. It turned out exactly how you would expect crushed peanuts to turn out, but my host mom didn't want to add oil, so we just sprinkled it on top of jelly and toast.

Pumping up with our aerobics group.

We do a hike every month out into the countryside.

Our group resting in a town about an hour away by foot.

Working with other Global Fund committee members to present about tuberculosis and HIV in communities.

A group of college students came to present a skit about tuberculosis. People loved it.

We handed out 150 invitations and sent announcements over the loud speakers, but only 25 people came. What can you do? We had to tell ourselves that it was 25 more people who knew more about TB and HIV than before!

Educating parents on HIV and STI prevention through Escuelas de Padres.

Both the obstetrizes from the district came to help out with the session and try to appeal to the usually apprehensive male crowd.

The parents were really uncomfortable, but lightened up a little when we start to debunk myths about size of genitalia and its relation to potency, masturbatory tendencies and bestiality.

... and of course when we whipped out the banana.

Celebrating Women's Health Day (28th of May)

The psychologist working at our health post gave a presentation on domestic violence.

More than 50 women came -- double the amount we were expecting. We suspect it had something to do with a promised raffling off of goodies.

Attending the weddings of former teen health promoters.

Actually, just one former teen health promoter. She dropped out senior year to get married, which made me a little sad. But I take solace in the hope that she has, in fact, found her dream man and the life she wants to lead. Even if it's not what I would have chosen.

Sarah was my plus one and some of the other teen promoters were there.

Playing in the dirt.

As part of our latrines project, we're also building some veggie gardens in the community for families with kids (or anyone who has interest).

All the participating families came out to help build the first one and hear a session from the NGO Cáritas' environmental engineer.

Not a bad month.