A young woman dying of AIDS lay in the bed before me. Staring at her frail, disease-stricken body, the words of a family friend echoed in my head, "Why is Kellie going to Africa? Does she really think that one person can make a difference?"
Living in rural Tanzania as a HIV/AIDS educator confirmed to me that the answer is yes. I saw the positive change made in the lives of this woman and her children by providing them with basic necessities such as access to healthcare, emotional support and information on living with HIV/AIDS. It also left me with the undeniable relationship between poverty and disease. I found it unfair that I could walk away, while this woman and those in my village could become further cruel statistics in the growing AIDS pandemic. I realized that I wanted to play an active part in the fight to stop those numbers from increasing by focusing on health promotion in disadvantaged populations throughout the world.
After returning from Tanzania, I became engaged in several organizations, hoping to become involved in “changing the world,” “social change,” and “progress.” I learned that these terms can relate to countless international and domestic challenges - global warming, discrimination, child mortality, war, violence and most pertinent to my own personal and career goals, issues surrounding health and disease. While these each of these issues may have distinct origins and needs, the individuals working to change these issues have fundamentally similar motivations and desires. I believe that this hope to promote change comes from understanding that the roots of many of these problems stem from inequalities and violations of basic human rights.
For example, I believe that good health should not be solely a privilege of the rich and to those in developed countries, but a basic human right. The term “health” is in itself complex and involves the interplay of a multitude of vital factors such as sanitation, access to clean water and adequate nutrition, and education. Therefore, exploring and altering each of these factors is essential in combating the health issues of a nation. Therefore, through teaching HIV/AIDS education in elementary schools, not only did we have the opportunity curtail the progress of HIV, but also to use education as a tool for empowerment. Overall, living and teaching in Tanzania was an incredibly challenging yet rewarding experience, and showed me the importance of playing a part in social change.
At times, the question of whether or not one person can make a difference resurfaces in my mind. Yet, I believe that when combined with real action, idealism is fundamental for progress. I hope that with a strong education and a desire to promote change, I can play a part in raising the standard of health in underserved areas of the world. I believe that combating AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases demands a global and collaborative effort and I am determined to join in that progressive battle. I want to continue to spread the central message we tried to communicate as HIV educators in Tanzania, coming from the Swahili phrase, “Tuko pamoja kuushinda ukimwi,” meaning, “We are together to fight AIDS.”
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