World AIDS Day

Foreshadowing, I hate you.

It was the eve of World AIDS Day, November 30th, 2012.  My youth club was over at my house, going through the prizes we had gotten, trying on their ‘Zero Stigma, Zero Transmission, Zero Deaths’ t-shirts, gawking over a box of 5000 condoms, and reviewing each of their education sessions.  Julius, our Logistics Coordinator, had a schedule and checklist in his hand in which he looked over each detail of the next day.  Mussa, Peer Education Coordinator, was practicing his condom demonstration in front of the other members.  Happy (picture below), our lone and strong female, was working on posters and diagrams of information.

Yes, it was all coming together, FINALLY, and tomorrow our group would head to Hombolo University to play in a 4-team basketball tournament intertwined with peer-led health education sessions.  My house was covered in last minute notes, PC khangas and 18 twenty-somethings.

Then I asked a question.  A question I honestly had not thought about until that moment.  Why would I?  We lived in the desert.  The rainy season officially began tomorrow, but we hadn’t seen a drop since last March.  Why would such a thing as inclement weather cross our minds for an outdoor event?

‘So….uh, guys….and gal…..what happens if it rains tomorrow?’ I asked.

The room erupted with laughter.  ‘Oh Asha,’ they reassured me, ‘it’s not going to rain!’

Foreshadowing, I hate you.

Everyone left my house by 9:30 and I headed to bed getting minimal sleep out of pure excitement for the next day.  The next morning I got up at 6 am to walk into town and pick up more t-shirts for the tourney teams.  At town centre a few dark clouds hung in a far distance and another volunteer said ‘looks like rain.’  NOT FUNNY.  ‘Naw, I’m just teasing you, it’s probably nothing, and besides, the tourney is an hour drive away.’

Foreshadowing, I hate you.

After a 3-hour late start, (which I had actually worked into the schedule figuring our months of planning would still be tainted by a Tanzanian timetable), an hour long rented daladala ride with the goofy club members, and a kick start speech and welcome by Julius (picture right) and I, the tourney started!

Keeping score I stood on the sideline, facing the small mountains in the distance.  ‘Those looks like rain clouds to me,’ I said.  ‘Don’t worry, they are moving to the right, not towards us,’ Julius replied.

(ABOVE: Participants watching.  The shirts read, 'Tanzania inawezakana bila maabukizi mapaya, unyanyapaa, na vifo vitokanavyo na ukimwi.'  Directly translated, 'Tanzania can be without new infections, stigma and deaths from AIDS.' ...loosely translated to the worldwide theme of: Zero Stigma, Zero Infection, Zero Deaths)

Change of wind, I hate you.

One game down and halfway through a condom session….RAIN.  Thankfully, these participants and peer educators were incredibly dedicated.  Rain, no problem, Mussa kept on teaching.  And with a style and humor that kept everyone engaged and comfortable to ask questions.  The participants simply wiped off the precipitation on their faces as they discussed condom myths and facts.

Mussa doing a condom demonstration.  The first of many....

Start of game two and it now sprinkled the whole way through.  Looks as like the fans aren’t going to come watch, but at least we have about 60 people to target with our education sessions.

Game three and that cloud, that cloud that was mere seconds ago spitting, started POURING!

‘EVERYONE TO THE DALA!’  Thirty smelly athletes in a small van while another thirty huddled under a tree so sparse it provided no cover.  So what did Julius, Happy and Mussa do?  They kept on teaching, in the soaking, unforgiving rain..

‘I thought you said it wouldn’t rain,’ I sarcastically said to the crew.  ‘It will stop soon and all will be fine,’ they all replied.  Twenty minutes later, it was still raining.

Weather God’s with your odd sense of humor, I hate you.

By two, the teams suggested we take a 45-minute break to grab food while it continued to rain.  Great idea, I thought.

For those 45 minutes it was perfectly sunny and warm.

Irony, I hate you.

When we got back to the court and swept the water off, excited by the promising sun, more rain came out of nowhere.  It was sunny and raining….seriously?!

The day continued to be a mix of half games before everyone took cover.  Our organized sessions continued as participants strained to hear through the large drops hitting the now puddles on the court.

Overall, not what we anticipated.  Our goal target of 100 people was not made.  And we were unable to have our Get Tested Knock-Out Tourney.

But I can’t be disappointed.  The event happened.  The teams showed up.  Games were played.  Prizes were still handed out.  Everyone got his or her WAD t-shirts.  And, most important, some serious discussions about HIV/AIDS happened amongst a group that is rarely targeted in health education development.  This was a successful event, and my youth club proved they can be counted on and are dedicated to teaching their peers about HIV/AIDS.  More tournaments in the future are a must.

My English may be simplifying in my time here, but I will always remember my literary devices and substitute their unkind nature with a twist to only see success.

*Side note, other than December 1^st and Christmas day, Dodoma got NO rain for the entire month.  Some rainy season.