Project

Here in Yogya I'm working with AIESEC, an international student run organization.  Yogyakarta is known as a university city, full of many students from Indonesia's many islands.  The project that students are working on here is HIV/AIDS education/awareness.  I'm specifically working with two universities, UGM and UPN, as well as several NGOs that work at targeting at risk populations for HIV/AIDS.  So far our project has been centered around preparing for a high school road show to present information on sexual health.  The idea is to have a peer-led project.  High schoolers will present the information to their fellow students with the help of local NGOs.  I will be working with these student leaders to help them prepare their presentations and encourage them in their leadership role.  My role will be to provide information on HIV/AIDS in the U.S., to show how different countries approach disease transmission.  There will be several difficult aspects of this project.  So far I've been trying to understand my own thinking on HIV/AIDS, my own prejudices and judgements.  I think it is important to understand one's own thinking before diving into educating others.  The AIESECers here have been good at providing me information on cultural notions of sex, drugs, and disease, all of which are important to HIV/AIDS education.  The last thing I want to do is make people uncomfortable while trying to provide awareness on STDs.  One thing I'm impressed with is the motivation most youth have, it is humbling to see how active people are, whether it is HIV/AIDS or conservation of tigers in Sumatra or Oragutans in Kalimantan (Borneo).  I know that people here will push my thinking, something that I will take back with me to the U.S.