HIV/AIDS Training

Monday morning, I went with Vikram and Champ to an HIV/AIDS training for teachers and staff at a local primary school. On the ride there, Vikram explained to me that the training would consist of about an hour of lecture on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world and in Thailand as well as general facts about the virus and modes of transmission. After the presentation, there would be discussion and participatory games. One of the games entailed having the participants rank people of varying occupations by perceived risk for HIV/AIDS (a teacher, a nurse, a sex worker, monk, etc..). Presumably, they would put the sex work and the nurse as high risk and the monk as the lowest risk. During the discussion of the game, Vikram would explain that it wasn't simply your occupation that put you at more or less risk, but more your behavior and your knowledge.

The presentation reminded me very much of those I'd given for Habitat, with a laptop and a projector (although not in Thai and not relating to HIV/AIDS...). After the presentation, they went into the discussion questions and the games. Although I didn't understand much of what was said, I followed along with Vikram description and enjoyed watching how they reacted to him (Vikram is a very likeable guy and that comes across very well in his public speaking). After the games and discussion, Vikram passed around syringes, condoms and a dental dam. It was amusing to watch as some women gingerly picked up the dental dam by the corner and leaned away as they passed it to their neighbor, while others stretched it and examined it with great interest.

At the end of the morning, Vikram talked to me further about the situation with regards to open discussion about HIV/AIDS in Thailand. He said that most Thai's are simply just concerned with providing for their families and don't give much thought to the subject unless someone in their family is affected. He said that this also leads to many situations where kids are not given the information they need to protect themselves from their parents and can lead to high risk behavior unless they get the information elsewhere. He said that (we) "are trying to get them to think differently."

After working for so many weeks in the office and reading about all the work that they do, it was great to see them in action, although, I always wish that I understood Thai so much more at these times because I know that there is so much more to every situation than what I can glean from my very surface understanding.