I had the opportunity to represent World Renew at a boat race that is part of the HIV/AIDS prevention project that KMDP is working on in Kaberamaido. This is the project that is using the Stepping Stones curriculum. They are focusing on working with fishermen, so one of the activities they had for getting the community involved and informed was a boat race on Lake Kyoga.
It was quite the event! There were songs performed and dramas put on by participants in the community groups, who shared, in an entertaining way, on such topics as: the ways that people can become infected with HIV, the importance of getting tested and knowing your status, and ways to resist people pressuring you to have sex.
There were also speeches by people who work in the area in hospitals and health centers. (Oh, and since I was the World Renew person who was present, I also shared a few words!) And at the end of all the festivities, people had the opportunity to get tested for HIV if they wanted.
I had a few little followers during the event:
There were actually two boat races - one for women and one for men. Each village involved in the Stepping Stones program chose someone to race for them. Lots of people turned out to cheer for their team member. They had to row out to the boat you can see in the distance in the picture below, go around it, then come back.
Whenever someone made it to the finish line, they were joyfully splashed with water, so they ended up completely soaked!
It was a really fun event. I enjoyed seeing the ways that the community has taken hold of this project and how they are promoting to one another good health and the importance of faithful marriages.
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