Dr. Robert Carr, Contributor
CARR
THE SAYING goes, 'no man is an island, no man stands alone'. The same can be said when it comes to the approaches to fighting HIV/AIDS. No one country, individual or group can do it. It takes a combined effort, which includes not only holding hands and supporting one another 'a yaad' but also holding hands across the international borders to help other countries.
It is against that background that some governments have taken the decision to deploy resources to help stem the spread of HIV abroad. The United States government, through the Peace Corps, has contributed to the war on AIDS by assigning a number of the volunteers who arrive in Jamaica to work in the HIV/AIDS sector. That is always good news for organisations such as Jamaica AIDS Support (JAS), which has benefited from the work of more than 20 Peace Corps volunteers in all its chapters over the last few years. Volunteers have worked with JAS in areas ranging from counselling and dietetics to coordination of income-generating projects for persons living with HIV and AIDS and strategic planning.
GOOD VOLUNTEERS
Overall, JAS has had some good volunteers who have worked hard alongside the staff to keep the organisation going. One of them was Melissa Goodnight, the stalwart volunteer who wore so many different hats in and for the organisation. In fact, she wrote for this very column and worked hard to fight stigma against marginalised groups. One of Melissa's most remarkable acts was the establishment of a process for documenting JAS' best practices. She also designed the intake form for human rights abuses and was trained in and delivered voluntary counselling to persons doing HIV tests.
IMPORTANT ISSUE
In addition to the American programme, there is the effort of the Japanese government through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). For the Japanese, HIV/AIDS is an important issue and so they have 'put their money where their mouth is' by helping to enhance the human and other resources of AIDS agencies. JAS is particularly pleased about its relationship with the Japanese since it now has the services of an knowledgeable Japanese volunteer working in information technology. Wow! What a relief!
Aki Takanawa has braved language and cultural differences and has managed to get JAS' half-dead machinery up and working. She is able to network our computers to be able to maximise resources and make us more technology savvy.
Now, this article would not be complete if we didn't also point to the contributions made by local volunteers. This is, of course, where I get into trouble because it is so very hard to single out any one over the others. Suffice it to say that without all our volunteers, JAS would never be able to survive and do the work that it does.
TRIBUTE
Tribute must be paid to Auvil Orr, a volunteer who has been with the organisation from the first day it started in 1991. Over the years, Auvil has driven, collected vox pops and done voice-overs for our radio programmes, managed the front desk, gone on workshops, health fairs, etc. Earlier this year, he participated in the data collection exercise at one of Jamaica's major hospitals. He is a trained peer educator and a member of the Speaker's Bureau. 'Ever-ready' is how he has been described. Nurse Wellington of the Kingston chapter of JAS recalls the time when at three in the morning, she had to call Auvil from his bed to drive to the country to pick up a client who had been abused by neighbours. He willingly did so.
Please do not miss the important point being made in this article. Alone, JAS would be dead. Alone, we would not have been able to achieve a fraction of what we have done. Moreover, it must be underscored that these contributions excite because they represent a human resource that the organisation would not ordinarily be able to afford. Incorporating the volunteers into the mainstream operation of the organisation has been a major part of our recipe for success. So, a 'big up' to all our volunteers.
Love, respect and thanks to you all and a happy and prosperous new year.
Dr. Robert Carr is executive director of Jamaica AIDS Support.
