A Clown Show with a Serious Message

Community Health Promotors Doing Their Part

A 40 year old man:
¨Vamo Amigo, ¿solo uno? Necesito otro¨
Translation = ¨Come on friend, only one? I need another¨

A 10 year old boy:
¨Por favor, quiero traer una a mi madre¨
Translation = ¨Please, I want to bring one to my mother¨

What it means...

Reproductive and sexual education is having an affect on people when the issues are brought to them and resources are provided.

I had the priviliege today of watching the younger generations of Nicaraguans attempt to change the future of their country by reaching out to teach their community. After a 20 minute program, adolescents came to get the free phamplets and condoms. Middle aged men followed asking for extras, and lastly the women approached slowly and quietly asking for some as well. By the end, over 200 condoms had gone out, 150 Awareness phamplets, and 100 larger cartoon style booklets.

As we walked through the streets people stared at the brighly colored faces of 10 teenaged nicaraguans. The stares continued as we entered the dimly lit market that welcomes you to the bus terminals. Along with the market comes the smoke and smell of fried food and the street children from 8 to 11 selling oranges or asking for a cordoba (1/18th of a dollar). I turned to see the line of intrigued people of all ages follow our crew of clowns. We settled in the middle of it all and the show began.

Sí!!! or No!!!! That is what was yelled in unison after short skits about how HIV is transmitted. Props like plates and cups showed that HIV is not transmitted through sharing forks, cups, or through saliva. Sneezing, handshakes, and using a public restroom were among the skits that followed. The Sí concentrated on sharing needles (see side bar slideshow) and the use of condoms to pratice safe sex. I was pleasantly surprised at the response after the show ended. In the face of poverty free things are either eagerly grabbed for or hesitantly accepted or denied. However, having a 40 yr old man ask me for a second condom, a bus driver asking if he could have 25 phamplets for this passengers, an elderly woman ask me for two condoms for her daughters, and then two teenage males asking me how they can join the clowns, it left a mark that shows how even the most serious of conversations and causes can be done in a creative and imaginative way.

First Impression is Impressive

Lots of Progress in 16 Months

I entered the office I sat in 16 months ago. The feel was the same, the atmosphere was the same, but it was evident that things have changed. For starters, in the past it was myself, Martha, and Ingrid talking and working on two out dated computers that were not connected to the Internet. Now the same room was filled with 7 people and 4 work stations; 3 of which boast computers connected to the Internet. The next thing was the people. They have added paid staff and their numbers of volunteers has increased, both in terms of locals and forgieners. 7 people in room that used to be 3 - 2 from Germany, 1 from Spain, 3 from Nicaragua, and 1 from the USA. All speaking spanish and planning different programs, flyers, and activities to promote health in León and in the rural communities.

Tomorrow I will go along with community health promotors who will be handing out condoms, awareness phamphlets, and putting on a clown show about the methods of transmission. A common misconception among some Nicaraguans is the transmission of HIV through public restrooms, which is an area I have been told is incorporated rather comically in the skit. When I last departed this group of promotors and ´clowns´were beginning their training, so it will be extra special to see how they have come full circle.

The progress at CISAS has also had its effect on the HIV Self Help Group. Today I had the chance to talk to one of the ladies I had originally met at the start up of the HIV Self Help group. The shy woman I had met in the past was gone. She had been transformed into a leader, a spokeswoman, and she spoke about the changes that have come over the last year with pride. Although they have lost some members due to the virus and some even because of arguments, the group has grown significantly and even has a second group in the city of Chinandega. Chinandega is a more rural city that is notorious for its poverty and garbage dumps. On Dec 6th the self help group will be opening their new office, which is a room upstairs and connected to CISAS. She was very excited about the new room and the phone line being put in to establish a HIV hotline for people to call with all kinds of questions or concerns. Something as simple as a phone number to dial can make a world of difference, especially in a place where the fear of discrimination and isolation runs so high.

Tomorrow: Promoting HIV Awareness in the Streets of León

2nd Stop - Nicaragua

An Experience, A Catalyst, A Return

The international leg of the project will begin with Nicaragua. I will be volunteering at an non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Leon called CISAS (Centro de Informacion y Servicio de Asesoria en Salud). 

This is the organization in which I interned two summers ago for a month working in two different projects. The first was drug prevention through sports for street teens. The second was aiding a newly formed HIV self help group. It is also where the bulk of my idea for this book arose. I was conducting a service learning project that would allow me to understand how NGOs are run, funded, and some of the services they provide. The stories I heard in my daily conversations with one of the projects stayed with me upon my return. These stories were very different and yet similar to the ones I heard in Connecticut or Newark while volunteering at soup kitchens or doing HIV awareness campaigns. One day in my car after a long discussion with Fr. Ric Rsycavage SJ, a lightbulb went off and the project was born.

When I set up this project I looked forward to coming back to CISAS and capturing the spirit of the people and the story of their lives. It is with much anticipation that I return. 

Tomorrow's Blog:  Returning to CISAS 

Giving Thanks and the "Power of a Pet"

Before anyone can begin to eat a morsel of thanksgiving dinner, my family goes around the table to say what they are thankful during the year. My family members give thanks for the support of each other and a clean bill of health over the last year. Family and health - two vital components that everyone would be thankful for. As the plates were getting smaller and smaller, the talk at the table changed to my time spent in San Francisco. I had already shown photos of Open Hand and explained what I was doing but in light of Thanksgiving my mind floated to what the people I met would be thankful for. 

The more I thought about it, I began to think of the interviews and conversations I had throughout my time at Open Hand. There seemed to be a reoccurring theme that flowed through much of those discussions. Volunteers, staff, and clients alike were all thankful for Open Hand and the reasons varied. Volunteers were thankful to an organization that made them feel as though they are making a difference. It is not difficult to understand, every facet that volunteers take part in is tangible - you are cutting mushrooms for a sauce that will feed people, you are peeling cabbage that will be placed in the free grocery store, or you are assembling hot meals that will be delivered to the front door of someone who needs it. 

The staff repeatedly mentioned how this is the best job they have had because they believe in the mission and the objectives. From the clients services to the kitchen staff or janitors, I either ate lunch and picked their brain or worked along side them and did the same. They understand the need and the services provided. One person pointed to the noted difference she sees in the clients that inspires her every day. It is easy to see that these people are thankful for finding a place that they believe in and doing a job that gives back to the community in visible ways.

The clients carry perhaps the most unique and varied perspective. The simplest of answers illustrates the profound effects that come with receiving a hot meal, quality food, or being treated with dignity and respect. Some responses that resonate now in my head highlight the conversation and handshake that takes place at the grocery store counter. "How are you doing today?", "How was your weekend?", "Are you sure you don't want eggs?!" it all fits under the notion of solidarity. Everyone walks together, no one is ever alone. Another area of thanks was the high quality and level of treatment that occurs in the Bay Area. People mentioned how they would be terrified to go visit or live in Texas or Oklahoma because they've heard about the levels of stigma that hinder a person's life experience. One called San Francisco the Globe's Mecca of HIV care and for this reason they will never leave the city. 

"Power of a Pet"

The last topic of thanks I put aside in it's own paragraph because it struck me by surprise and afterwards made a great deal of sense. In a conversation that occurred while bagging frozen chicken legs, I learned about the power of a pet. It was something that came up in a couple of later discussions and each time the transformation was the same. The constant is a person who is in the depths of a dark depression contemplating existence and not feeling motivated to maintain the healthy lifestyle or keep up with the daily regiments that can save and prolong their life. The variable is a kitten, a dog, or an animal that bonds to the person. The results are a transformed person who is highly motivated to stay healthy in order to care for the animal. The reciprocal value is the love and affection the animal shows no matter how tired, upset, or depressed the person is.  I call this the power of the pet because the lasting impression the animal has on the person is nothing short of amazing.