Day with the HIV team

One of Mercy Ships off ship programmes is the HIV team. Their main way of working is through workshops for local pastors/churches, with an emphasis on the managebility and prevention of HIV. Pastors are invited to bring together 4 or 5 of their congregation to the 6 day workshop, following which they will have been taught and empowered to teach those in their church and their families, then going into local communites. There is a huge focus on how to integrate, accept and encourage people with HIV to be open and honest. I went along to the second day of the latest workshop. 22 people attended, and it was an absolutely fantastic day!
The day began with a traditional African worship time, which I love so much! The team had then asked a local counsellor who works at a catholic clinic, where HIV testing, treatment and counselling is available to come and talk to the people. It was an amazing 3 hour session. Johnny talked about a huge array of things; the discovery of HIV in the 80's, how it is transmitted, how treatment programmes run, how to encourage people to get tested. Currently in Liberia the known rate of HIV is 8-10% but because of the war and the situation of the country there is very little data available.
It was absolutely awesome to watch the interaction of the pastors as Johnny challenged them about the stigma attached to HIV. All of the people were open about their own experiences of HIV and how they would prevent their children from playing with those they knew to be positive, they would not share food etc. It was amazing to see what false beliefs about the disease that they had. What was amazing was their obvious hunger to know more. They all spoke out and asked question after question. No stone was left unturned! I was so moved by their desire to know and have the knowledge that they needed. Johnny, also a Christian was amazing at integrating Biblical principles and really challenged them to think about the way they treated people from a Christian perspective also.
We had a break for lunch (which began my renaming session...see previous post!) in which we sat outside the simple school building beneath a tree in a wonderful breeze despite the scorching heat! It was wonderful. The building was tucked amidst a small quiet village surrounded by trees and small tin roof houses all focused on a central point, a real community. We tucked into our hot and spicy African meal (hot in both senses!!) and enjoyed just listening to the continued chatter and discussion.
Each night, those attending are asked to do some homework. A group of them had been asked to perform a short play. I have never seen anything like it. 10 grown men and women (mainly pastors), with tabbards with labels like 'fever' 'white blood cell' 'cough' played the part of bugs invading teh body of a 'healthy person' (also a 'character'). They then demonstrated how the presence of HIV in an otherwise healthy body, made it more susseptible to other problems. The white blood cell character literally acted out 'beating up' the fever, pain, cough characters. They absolutely threw themselves into it. I was in awe! I'd like to see my pastors and people at my church strutting their stuff with so much vigor! The best bit though, was that when they talked about it afterward they had learnt so much it was untrue.
Following the sketch, Anoukke and Claire who are the HIV team members did some consolidatory teaching and then they began to talk to them about how they can teach themselves. They encouraged the group to think of ways they could reproduce the flip chart drawings and information. The group were so resourceful, picking out people in the church who had artistic skills. They were then asked to go and spend an hour or so with poeple from different churches (a cunning way of networking) practicing with some of the teaching aids they were given, teaching eachother.
I sat in with one group, and they were each so gifted in certain areas. One young mother was clearly concerned for the topic of mother to child transmission and spoke from the heart about the best way to protect mother and child in and after pregnancy. Another pastor had a great way of bringing everyday Liberian cultural themes into their teaching. I was astounded for this a first try. Tucked away in a dark, unlit, cool classroom, their time and efforts took on new meaning. This group will impact so many people around them, they will share with their family members, and they will bring the hope of Christ with them as they do it.
At the end of the workshops, the group is encouraged to go together to be tested so that they know their status, and as a way of starting to break down the stigma by helping with counselling of fellow group memebers if necessary.
I was privaleged and amazed at the enthusiasm and concern each person had. They all spurred one another on as they began to teach, they all shared openly and honestly about the things that had come across. This is an awesome programme!