Honolulu AIDS Walk

April 17th is the 20th annual Honolulu AIDS Walk!

This event benefitsThe Life Foundation is a local organization that does amazing things. They're the state's oldest and largest AIDS-related organization and, as such, serve over 75% of the state's people, providing rapid HIV testing, education and prevention programs, and support services for patients of HIV/AIDS. This doesn't just include counseling and medical care, but home care, groceries, and a wide variety of other essential services. They currently serve over 60% of all HIV/AIDS patients in the state including men, women, and children from every income level and ethnic group. They operate an extensive peer-to-peer prevention effort that targets people at the most risk for contracting HIV, offering support and education. They go out of their way to reach people in the community; if you need an HIV test but can't or don't want to go to their office, they will send an inconspicuous employee to meet you anywhere on island for your cheek swab.

I've volunteered for them in the past, and this is really amazing considering that they operate out of one tiny office the size of a small apartment in Honolulu. Now I'm the captain of team Psychic Unity of Anthropology. We're the UH anthropology department's team and, the event being so far in advance, we are woefully short on people and donations.

You can help by spreading the word about the event or donating directly to our team page. I don't receive any compensation for bringing in donations, this money goes directly to Life Foundation programs.

Thank you very much for anything you can give and any efforts to help us reach more people. You are helping us create a safer, healthier Hawaii and for that you have our great appreciation.

Fashion victim

Reason #3 why I would love to get to intern with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project in Jamkhed, India, is that they recommend women to have local garments made for them in town. That means I will actually be encouraged to wear salwar kameez which is something I have always wanted to do. When I was little I remember often seeing women at the grocery store wearing them in rich colors with embroidery and I always thought they looked so cool! I can't really get away with wearing that anywhere else, though, because 1) I will stand out like a sore thumb and 2) other white people will tell me I'm racist because I am appropriating a culture that is not mine for its aesthetic value. So yeah. But see, if I actually go to India, it would be totally fine! Sweeet.

So, reasons why I want to intern with CHRP:
1) Do hands-on work making a very real, tangible difference on the population I would be working in.
2) Learn about public health from creators of a program that have effectively eliminated malnutrition and other common but preventable causes of death and illness from its area.
3) Get to wear awesome clothes that were actually tailored for me.

Okay now to be fair, I didn't know about the clothing thing until well after I'd decided I wanted to try to work with CHRP. But imagine the pleasant surprise! I'm just looking at their site, doo dee hoo, let's see what kinds of things they advise about this sweet internship. What's that? We can/should have awesome clothes made for us? Oh hells yes. I don't even care that it's in the interest of modesty, that's how much I like this idea. So not only could I potentially get to work with and learn from an immensely successful public health program in rural India, I could wear sweet digs while I do it. What a score.