Another Successful Week

Our village counterparts are now departing, climbing onto over packed busses and clinging to the back of open pick ups. They are returning home from a weeklong training covering everything from HIV and AIDS, beekeeping, permaculture, motivating communities, to grant writing, basic business skills, and working with other NGOs and government officials. Overall the week was a success. All involved ended with positive remarks and the request for similar workshops next year with only the demand for sitting allowances negatively flowing through the air. The last day of VCT, in my opinion, made the week worth while. To see 11 of our counterparts and 4 of us PCVs confront the fears and anticipation of being tested for HIV… to sit with the bamaayos as we awaited the results and to congratulate them on their ability to now return to their village knowing their status, was an amazing and somewhat nerve racking experience. I am proud of them all and only hope that they will now work to influence their friends, neighbors, and relatives to do the same.