Countdown!

Plane tickets are booked, visa is in the mail, and the countdown is on!

It is beginning to dawn on me that I am actually truly going to India...to teach HIV/AIDS education...for 2  whole months!

I remember when I was little I was asked what my favorite country was. As I had a brief obsession with the movie the Little Princess, I quickly replied with "India" only to be teased by my neighbor friend because it was a poor and dirty country. BUT this is precisely why I love it. 

I had options to study abroad in Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and more, but what would be the point? These are well developed countries, with relatively well-to-do people. Not that there aren't problems, just as inequality runs rampant in the US, but I wanted to experience more; I wanted to go where it was "poor" and "dirty," where need is obvious. I wanted this to be as much of a learning experience for me as it will be for the students I will teach.

IAPA summer 2012 volunteers plus our coordinators at the Hope in the Face of AIDS auction

Vanakam!

(welcome in Tamil)

So...I'm going to India!!! 

This summer I have been blessed with an incredible opportunity to teach HIV/AIDS education in Chennai, India. HIV and AIDS is a huge issue in India, as it is all over the world. Stigma and discrimination couple to hinder adequate prevention and treatment to fight this epidemic. Our team of 17 students from ASU and U of A will focus on teaching basic immunology, transmission, and prevention to 9th through 12th graders, university students, and the local communities of Chennai. With education, individuals can learn to protect themselves and can become empowered to also educate others helping to reduce both the stigma and prevalence of HIV.

Depending on the Wifi situation, I will try to keep this blog updated with adventures and photos as much as possible.

I'll be going to Chennai (highlighted in yellow) on the Southeast coast!

The organization I am volunteering with is IAPA (the International Alliance for the Prevention of AIDS). They are a student run non-profit organization that work to provide updated, fact-based HIV/AIDS information to schools, community groups, and other venues all over Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
To find out more please visit: http://www.iapaindia.org/