Oh! The Places You'll GLOW: HIV/AIDS Day

Learners in Namibia are used to getting information about HIV/AIDS. The prevalence rate here is just over 17 percent, and in certain parts of the country (particularly along the Caprivi strip), that number can skyrocket to about 49 percent. HIV/AIDS is a serious problem here, just as it is most of Southern Africa. And while the government has done its part to implement educational programs like Window of Hope from Grade 1, much of the focus is on memorization rather than application. For instance, any primary school learner could tell you the ABCs of safe sex (abstain, be faithful, condomize). But few can actually explain what those concepts really mean. How far does abstinence go? How do you use a condom properly? And who decides whether to use one at all?


Paddy's Male Condom Demonstration.

Despite the efforts made to reduce infection rates, there is still a lot to be done. A lot of misinformation. And a lot of unanswered questions. For that reason, an entire day of Camp GLOW is dedicated to furthering learners understanding and knowledge about HIV/AIDS day. We give them a chance to learn about the disease using games that emphasize application and comprehension rather than memorization. And our gender-specific informational sessions provide a candid, comfortable forum to pose questions they might be too shy to ask teachers at school.


A blindfolded learner makes her body from playdough. This session taught campers about self-imaging and gender identity. It also generated a lot of discussion.

This year we added a power point presentation (advanced, yes?) about the science of HIV/AIDS. Some of us worried the information might be too much for some learners. But the kids were excited to understand the roots of the disease—where it came from and how it spreads. It made making connections while playing games like Sharks and Minnows and Baby Elephant later on, much easier.

But general information just isn’t enough, and this is one of the things that makes HIV/AIDS day at Camp GLOW so unique. In addition to educational sessions and break out games lead by facilitators, a representative from the New Start Center, a free testing clinic with locations across Namibia, confronted the fears of testing in a very real way. She used the Handshake Game to illustrate how quickly HIV/AIDS can spread among the population, and later explained the mechanics of testing. From pre-test counseling to post-test support, she talked openly about what New Start clients can expect when waiting for results. For many of the learners, this is their first exposure to information like this.


Our New Start speakers talks about testing and the importance of knowing your status.


The games and sessions are fun and informative, but it’s Jackie, our HIV positive speaker, that truly humanizes the disease. So many of the GLOW learners (and volunteers, too) know someone who is living with HIV or someone who has died of AIDS, but few have met a person who is as open and honest about the disease as Jackie. One learner from the Caprivi was impressed by her story, but refused to believe Jackie was actually HIV positive. He assumed we’d paid her to come and talk as if she were living with the disease, because in the village where he stays, no one would ever admit to being positive.


Jackie talks to learners about living her life HIV positive

For most learners, this is a first. And it’s empowering to see a woman who is open about her status, and despite being positive, still really living life. They get to ask questions, and for the first time, they get real, honest answers. It’s an eye-opening moment for these kids.