World AIDS Day

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December 15, 2012 by Brittany

I’m late in writing this post.  Life happened.  Anyways.  The first of December was World AIDS Day and Peace Corps Volunteers have a long standing tradition of celebrating it in their host communities.  To celebrate the day in our region, Matt and I organized a health fair in the plaza in a larger town near both of our sites.  I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been that nervous about something in Peace Corps.  The night before I could barely sleep, and the morning of my stomach was in knots.  There was a lot of running around, and stress pulling it all off, but overall I think it went pretty well.  We had a couple organizations set up tables and they had activities, condoms, and rapid tests for HIV.  A cajon group of kids led by another volunteer in the region came to play, and another from the town participated as well.  There was a clown, a guitarist, a break dancing group, and we presented the artwork the kids created.  We also had a group of Peru 19 volunteers that came and did little skits and help out as part of their EIST (Early In Service Training).  Talk about role reversal.  Last year, we were the ones watching a volunteer run around with his head cut off at a health fair he organized in his site.  This time we were the ones ordering people around and freaking out.  It seems service has finally come full circle so to speak.  The 19ers did great and they were a huge help!

That’s been my biggest update for the past couple of weeks, although this past weekend we did have a regional meeting.  A little something I realized this weekend:  I miss other volunteers.  Not sure when it happened, but I never see other volunteers really unless it’s for a regional meeting.  Which means I see people other than Matt once a month.  Once a month!  Sadness.  But!  With the summer coming (yep winter in the states is summer here) I will definitely have much more free time to bond with LICAH volunteers.  So Excited!

Oh also, 9 more days till Ecuador!!!