Everyone Has AIDS

(Written today Oct. 7, 2008)

I just returned from helping at an AIDS-awareness bike race in the eastern city of Tamatave. We spent a few days going around the area talking about AIDS (known here by its French acronym, SIDA) and talking about safe sex and treatmens and such. Basically I was able to see and try the work that health volunteers do here in Madagascar. The AIDS infection rate here in Madagascar is very low for Africa, mostly due to such education drives. The actual race featured bikes, a running race, and a pousse-pousse race (those carts that are pulled by people, kind of like a chariot). Also there was a concert, with the performers singing such classics as “SIDA, SIDA,” “Stop SIDA,” and of course plain old “SIDA.” At least the lyrics were pretty easy to understand. The whole event was interesting, plus I got to see the beach (it is excruciatingly hot there, and not even summer yet), and I purchased a hammock. All around a great trip.
I also recently spent time visiting other volunteers’ sites, all of which are very different, and accompanying Peace Corps staff on their site development work (in which they plan out sites for future volunteers). This was especially interesting because we would go off into the rainforest into these isolated communities and just talk to the local people to get a feel for the place. Hopefully volunteers will be placed in some of these places and I can go back and see how they turn out!
I feel like there are lots of random little things going on, but for now I am just happy to get some information up on here. Also, if anyone has an extra Santa hat (or perhaps white hair dye?) lying around, and want to send it my way, I will put it to good use. Though I am pretty sure I can find both in country… they will of course be put to good use for New Cranksgiving, our 3 holiday combination event in December. Thanks for all the love, and hope all is well in your neck of the woods!