Kids Making a Difference: Damienne
Damienne is a 17-year-old high school student living in Tsevie, Togo. She has been a peer educator for five years, teaching her classmates about HIV prevention. Her goal is to get to people to speak out. Only one in ten youths has a thorough understanding of HIV and AIDS and the ways of transmission. Damienne is taking part in a national youth campaign against HIV/AIDS in Togo supported by UNICEF, the Togolese Government and UNAIDS. Damienne met with a group of high school students and had an open discussion about HIV/AIDS. The students asked Damienne questions and had a debate with her about the three recommended ways of preventing HIV: abstinence, fidelity and the use of condoms. Damienne was able to answer and explain the questions that the students had asked. In Togo, there is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation regarding HIV/AIDS but Damienne, a peer educator has been working hard to replace the myths about HIV/AIDS with facts. The results of her discussion with the group were immediate, one student said "I've learned about HIV/AIDS and one thing is for sure: I won't let it infect me."
Damienne is making a difference because she is spreading the word about AIDS. To me she is very memorable; the fact that she is using education and bringing awareness about a disease in countries that are most affected by it. In order to change a society or a community as such, the person to do it has to be someone from within the society or the community as they know the customs and expectations of the society/community and Damienne is doing just that. Damienne was also someone I could identify with by age because I am also 17 and it makes me wonder what I would do in her position. Would I do what she is doing by spreading the word about AIDS and how to prevent from getting it? Or would I be someone who was in and amongst the crowd receiving the myths about HIV and AIDS? I think she is very brave. She is trying to get people to speak up and break taboos. It is really hard to change a culture and perspective of a country. Taking the first step is the hardest because this is exactly when the country's citizens will react the most violently and aggressively against you. However, with taking the first step, the next steps become easier and easier as people begin to get used to the fact that change is about to happen or is happening. By spreading the word and making sure that people receive the correct information, she is really a role model. She is also really inspirational in the way that she started with younger people. She did not try to bring the correct information to adults. With her age, she is able to identify with adolescents and using this, she is able to talk with them more comfortably. Moreover, she uses this to her advantage. By changing the views of the children, she is changing the views of the future generations because the children grow up with a new perspective on life or on a certain aspect of life, and with this new perspective, they pass it onto their kids and them onto their kids.
Damienne has inspired me to think about what I can do with my life to make a difference. To start questioning the world around me, whether there are perspectives that need changing. She also brought back a topic I covered in my exhibition about the role of a doctor in the digital age. During my exhibition, I talked about the importance of education, bringing awareness and changing perspectives. To me Damienne is living proof that you don't need to be a doctor to make such a difference.
I have always believed in the amount of difference an individual can make. No matter whether they are a famous celebrity or just the ordinary man, whether they do something as little as helping out another everyday, whether they sacrifice themselves for others, whether they are able to bring justice back into a corrupted system. When you take away this individual, as if they had never been born, the effects of their actions are clear at once (It's a Wonderful Life reference...It was inevitable!). I have always believed in this notion of making a difference however, I have never really applied it to my life. Writing this blog entry and thinking about Damienne and my favourite fictional movie heroes George Bailey and Senator Jefferson Smith, I feel it's time for me to try and make a difference in the world. Whether I can achieve something as phenomenal as bringing the world's awareness about an issue I am unsure, but I will begin with the little things in life! I believe I can make a difference! I end with a quote from It's a Wonderful Life, "Strange, isn't it? Each man's lives touches so many other lives. When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"
Find out more about Unite for Children Unite Against AIDS and read about Damienne's story:
http://www.uniteforchildren.org/
http://www.uniteforchildren.org/press/press_44124.htm
Labels: humanities
Peace
What is peace to me?
Peace to me is an ideal.
The world in a state of harmony and an end of all wars, all hate and all conflicts. Peace is the world, free of violence, much like Gandhi's approach when he freed India. However, differing just ever-so-slightly with no protests or rebellions to respond to. Peace is the world, free of anger. Anger towards another person, anger towards another country, anger towards who has the most weapons. Peace is the world, free of the thirst for power, free of the fight for power. Through armament, through wars, through money. Peace is the world, free of weapons. Weapons that are able to hurt, harm and destroy. Peace is the people, the people of the world. And the love and trust they have for each other.
Labels: humanities
