Pre-Trip Activities

World AIDS Day of Service

On Saturday December 1^st, the Alt Break South Africa participants and leaders volunteered alongside other AU students for World AIDS Day.

We began the day with an orientation on campus to learn about what we would be doing and more about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, in general. One interesting, and sad topic that was addressed at the orientation was the criminalization of HIV. Basically, people who are HIV positive are often given heavier sentences for crimes and harsher treatments when released from jail or prison solely based on their HIV status. One man in the video we watched, for example, talked about how he is labeled as a sex offender because a person who he had consensual, protected sex with, pressed charges against him for not disclosing his status.

I didn’t realize how big of an issue this was in the U.S. And although I completely understand the need to prevent the spread of the disease, I was troubled by the cyclical problematization of HIV. Reducing stigma will facilitate more people being open to getting tested, talking about HIV and practicing safe sex but when people with HIV are treated as a sub-class, this enhances the stigma and does not contribute to long term solutions of the problem.

Anyway, we volunteered at Damien Ministries which is a non-profit in Northwest, D.C. that focuses on providing social services to people with HIV in the D.C. area. 

When we arrived, Executive Director, Otis Sutson, explained to us how HIV and poverty are closely related. Damien Ministries seeks to address the needs of their clients who are living with HIV. Their goal is to help them live as long as possible by providing essentials including a food bank, faith-based initiatives, help with accessing medication, case management and retreat programs.

Our group was rather large and there were a number of tasks that we worked on while there.

1. Administrative work, preparing letters to be sent to potential donors
2. Organizing the food bank
3. Organizing clothing donations
4. Painting
5. Outdoor beautification (mostly raking leaves)  

Although these tasks seem simple, they were much needed. Otis also explained to us how non-profits struggle financially especially in this economy. Many non-profits are understaffed and the staff members are underpaid, considering the amount of time they put into their work. So keeping that in mind, it’s reassuring to know that with just one day of service, we are having a positive impact regardless how small.

After the service day, more and more questions emerged in my mind about the interconnectedness of HIV and poverty. Stigma plays a large role, in addition to the lack of comprehensive sex and HIV education and the lack of access to healthcare. All these things (and more)  play a part in why long term solutions seem so unattainable at times.  

However, I came away from the service with a sense of hope that Damien Ministries and other organizations are still standing and doing necessary work—work that forces us to think and ask questions about HIV at the individual level and at the structural, societal level as well.

--Rebekah Israel