In our newly formed group there are a few people from across Canada. One from Vancouver, 3 from Montreal, and 1 from Nova Scotia, 6 of us are from Toronto. Great group of people so far....Today, we had some team building and....my favourite thing....ice breakers. The group dynamics is really interesting, we have people of all styles and experiences....so far, so good!
After our session Rachelle (volunteer from YCI--Youth Challenge International) invited the entire group to her house for dinner and a movie. We watch "Yesterday", which was about a South African women who dealt with the pain of AIDS . It was really emotionally because there is a lot of misunderstanding with the villagers about what HIV/AIDS is and how fatal it really can be....a-must-see film. We finished the evening travelling back to our hostel to wind down and to reflect on our day. I just want to be in Ghana already! Just 4 more days!
posted by Gillian Lumsden
Friday, April 27, 2007
Predeparture Training- Day 1(Saturday April 21st)
Finally! We all flew in today (Saturday the 21st of April) and met each other; and how more fitting than at a Ghanaian restaurant. The group couldn't have turned out to be more diverse: with ages from 19 to 31, occupations from students to teachers, and people from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. We all enjoyed our first Ghanaian meal (all ten courses of it!) and headed back to the hostel where we got ready for the training to come in the next week. Great start!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Project Description
This collaborative pilot brings together three Canadian volunteer-sending organisations, Club 2/3, Youth Challenge International and the YMCA, to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The goal of the program is to decrease the incidence and spread of HIV/AIDS and to increase the skills and capacities of Canadian and African youth aged 18 to 30 to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic while improving their ability to secure meaningful work.
From April 27 to June 27 eleven young Canadians from across Canada will be working alongside 50 local youth in Ghana on HIV/AIDS education and awareness. Based in the community of Konongo in the Ashanti Region and the community of Denu in the Volta Region, the 60 youth volunteers will be trained as sexual health peer educators. Through the peer education training the volunteers will have an increased knowledge of HIV/AIDS and other STIs, gender issues, interpersonal communications and participative workshop facilitation skills. The peer educators will then go on to conduct education and outreach activities in the host communities to sensitise local youth regarding HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.
From April 27 to June 27 eleven young Canadians from across Canada will be working alongside 50 local youth in Ghana on HIV/AIDS education and awareness. Based in the community of Konongo in the Ashanti Region and the community of Denu in the Volta Region, the 60 youth volunteers will be trained as sexual health peer educators. Through the peer education training the volunteers will have an increased knowledge of HIV/AIDS and other STIs, gender issues, interpersonal communications and participative workshop facilitation skills. The peer educators will then go on to conduct education and outreach activities in the host communities to sensitise local youth regarding HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.
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