Here is a story written by RAMAMBATIANA Nasolo Henintsoa. He is a friend from the Lutheran Youth Organization in Madagascar and is a first year student of medicine:
“I would like to share especially my experience at the prison of Madagascar about HIV/AIDS. Indeed my mother works for a project at 11 prisons in Madagascar. The main goalis to prevent AIDS and STD spreading at prison.For that, some prisoners are trained to be peer educators so in their turn; they will pass on what they have learned to others. They will also work as counsellor during the screening test and lead all activities at prison (composing song, theatre, poems and so on about AIDS)
So during the last holiday, in January, I had helped my mother teaching HIV/AIDS to prisoners in Toliary and training them to be peer educators.
Toliary is a province in the south of Madagascar with a very hot weather.
Notice that prisoners live in very bad condition. Many of their behaviour and practices make them very vulnerable to AIDS.
They use the same unsterilized razor blades, needles and knives for cutting, piercing or tattooing their body. Some of them have homosexual intercourse at prison.
Yet, most of the prisoners are illiterate and never heard about AIDS and its risk of transmission. And some of them have wrong knowledge about this disease. They considered AIDS as a disease especially for foreigners and prostitutes. Other thought according to their belief that it is a kind of God’s punishment.
Therefore, they lived in the danger for being contaminated because of their ignorance.
But the risks of HIV/AIDS spreading greatly decrease because they are now informed about this disease and provided with correct information. They are also motivated to fight against it.
Prisoners are amazingly kind and considerate. According to my experience, it is extremely important to help them to take charge of their health and be conscious of the danger of their behaviour. The social reintegration is also crucial to help them to be a new person.
In fact, they are wholly satisfied about the teaching
Everybody including prisoners is at risk for HIV/AIDS.
As I see it, the real problem is the ignorance so the education and information about this disease is indispensable to reduce the risk of its spreading.
I would like to share especially my experience at the prison of Madagascar about HIV/AIDS.
Indeed my mother works for a project at 11 prisons in Madagascar. The main goal is to prevent AIDS and STD spreading at prison.
For that, some prisoners are trained to be peer educators so in their turn; they will pass on what they have learned to others. They will also work as counsellor during the screening test and lead all activities at prison (composing song, theatre, poems and so on about AIDS)
So during the last holiday, in January, I had helped my mother teaching HIV/AIDS to prisoners in Toliary and training them to be peer educators.
Toliary is a province in the south of Madagascar with a very hot weather.
Notice that prisoners live in very bad condition. Many of their behaviour and practices make them very vulnerable to AIDS.
They use the same unsterilized razor blades, needles and knives for cutting, piercing or tattooing their body. Some of them have homosexual intercourse at prison.
Yet, most of the prisoners are illiterate and never heard about AIDS and its risk of transmission. And some of them have wrong knowledge about this disease. They considered AIDS as a disease especially for foreigners and prostitutes. Other thought according to their belief that it is a kind of God’s punishment.
Therefore, they lived in the danger for being contaminated because of their ignorance.
But the risks of HIV/AIDS spreading greatly decrease because they are now informed about this disease and provided with correct information. They are also motivated to fight against it.
Prisoners are amazingly kind and considerate. According to my experience, it is extremely important to help them to take charge of their health and be conscious of the danger of their behaviour. The social reintegration is also crucial to help them to be a new person.
In fact, they are wholly satisfied about the teaching. Everybody including prisoners is at risk for HIV/AIDS.
As I see it, the real problem is the ignorance so the education and information about this disease is indispensable to reduce the risk of its spreading.
It was great to read your article. You show tremendous acceptance of responsibility at your age. Go well and again, it was nice to read your article.