www.GDCU.org - Bridges to the World - The Summer 2005 Tour - AIDS Awareness Fair asks students to be a Hero

Bridges to the World

2005 Summer Tour
AIDS Awareness Fair
asks students to
"Be A Hero"

Betsy Elfers did an incredible job of organizing an AIDS Awareness Fair sponsored by the GDCU. We were honored that her efforts on the fair, as well as her work in the Loskop area in general, have elicited such respect that even the Chief of the Zulu Tribe attended the event.

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Betsy Elfers, GDCU Staff Member in Loskop, South Africa

This fair, organized by Microfinance for Youth staff and volunteers, was to educate and build awareness about AIDS.

Speakers talked openly (a rarity in rural South Africa) about how to get AIDS, how to prevent getting AIDS, and how and why to get tested and know you status.

This fair hosted a Zulu dancing competition, including offering a prize sheep, to draw community participation.

Local dignitaries spoke, and our MFY teacher, General Nzuza took the AIDs test publicly to demonstrate how this process was done and to de-stigmatize this process. Local MFY youth sold snacks to those in the stands.

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The entrance to Sizathina High School where the fair is to be held.

This is the grand stand for the fair.

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Zulu dance competitors await their chance to win the contest and the sheep.

We were very surpised! When the idea of a Zulu dance competition was brought up, we thought a cash prize would be the best. But, the students in the dance groups assured us that a sheep would be of much greater value.

A local farmer was very gracious to donate the sheep.

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A view from Sizathina High School

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