Peace Corps volunteers, child of HIV positive mom to grace Aklan's World AIDS Day celebration



For the first time too, Carillo said 13 Peace Corps Volunteers now deployed in various parts of the country will come together to Aklan on December 7 to speak to students here on the danger of HIV-AIDS. These PCVs, according to Carillo, will be spending their own transportation money in coming to Aklan.

Peace Corps volunteers, child of HIV positive mom to grace Aklan's World AIDS Day celebration

Peace Corps volunteers, child of HIV positive mom to grace Aklan's World AIDS Day celebration

by Venus G. Villanueva

Kalibo, Aklan (26 November) -- An eleven year-old boy, child of an HIV-positive mother and a father ho is already dead is this year's invited spokesperson for Aklan's World AIDS Day celebration here, highlight of which will be held December 7 at the Governor Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center.

Caca Carillo, United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) Coordinator for Aklan said the boy was invited to speak before members of the Provincial AIDS Council, Aklan's provincial and municipal officials and stakeholders so they will better understand the impact and effect of HIV-AIDS in the family, in the community, and in the persons immediately involved.

Carillo said the boy is not an Aklanon, but it has been the tradition of the Provincial AIDS Council to invite spokespersons every World AIDS Day celebration here who are Persons Living With HIV-AIDS (PLWHAs) to give their testimonies or stories - how they got infected; how they accepted their situation and what they are doing so others will not experience or suffer what they have suffered.

For the first time too, Carillo said 13 Peace Corps Volunteers now deployed in various parts of the country will come together to Aklan on December 7 to speak to students here on the danger of HIV-AIDS. These PCVs, according to Carillo, will be spending their own transportation money in coming to Aklan.

This year, some Aklan municipalities will have their own celebration of World AIDS Day, according to Carillo, the reason why the province's observation will be week-long, "so the Provincial AIDS Council could also join the municipalities in their activities and lend them support".

According to Carillo, some municipalities which will have celebrations are Batan, Tangalan, Nabas and Altavas, while a partner organization, the Men Opposed to Violence Against Women and Children Everywhere (MOVE) will also hold activities in support of the observance.

Some major activities of the province in celebration of World AIDS Day besides the school lectures of the PCVs include a press conference, a World AIDS Day (WAD) Sadsad, candle lighting ceremony at the Pastrana Park and distribution of red ribbons.

Aklan's joining of the yearly Global Celebration of World AIDS Day is one of its pioneering program contribution to meeting the Millenium Development Goals #6, HIV and AIDS. Theme of this year's celebration is "Keep the Promise: Leadership". (PIA) [top]

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: November, 2007; Peace Corps Philippines; Directory of Philippines RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Philippines RPCVs; AIDS; AIDS Education

When this story was posted in November 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

---

Dodd vows to filibuster Surveillance Act Senator Chris Dodd vowed to filibuster the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped this administration violate the civil liberties of Americans. "It is time to say: No more. No more trampling on our Constitution. No more excusing those who violate the rule of law. These are fundamental, basic, eternal principles. They have been around, some of them, for as long as the Magna Carta. They are enduring. What they are not is temporary. And what we do not do in a time where our country is at risk is abandon them."

---

---

November 12, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Chris Dodd's service began with Peace Corps 9 Nov Matthew McCue called back to Iraq from Peace Corps 9 Nov Tschetter Visits Turkmenistan 9 Nov Lara Weber writes: Oprah Winfrey's stumble 9 Nov Heather Thompson works with P Diddy 7 Nov Karen Hughes' public diplomacy came to nothing 4 Nov James Rupert writes: Musharraf seizes power 3 Nov Martin Puryear is Man of Mysteries 2 Nov Sarah Chayes says Taliban score major victory 1 Nov John Sullivan runs Sudan Divestment Task Force. 30 Oct Tom Bissell writes: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro 28 Oct Chris Shays to seek 12th term 25 Oct Helen Dudley can't stop giving 25 Oct Joseph Acaba named to STS-119 Shuttle Crew 22 Oct Vince Floriani in USA Today's All-USA Teacher Team 22 Oct Kelly J. Morris writes "The Bight of Benin" 20 Oct Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 19 Oct Peace Corps returning to Liberia 18 Oct David Peckham started Village Bicycle Project 16 Oct Alberto Ibarguen announces grant for "Project Impunity" 15 Oct Campbell Memorial Park boosts ecotourism 15 Oct Bowers Family keep daughter's dream alive 15 Oct

---

What is the greatest threat facing us now? "People will say it's terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No. Can they knock down a building? Yes. Can they kill somebody? Yes. But can they change us? No. Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing? I would approach this differently, in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there - ones that we can take advantage of?" Read more.

---

Senator Dodd's Peace Corps Hearings Read PCOL's executive summary of Senator Chris Dodd's hearings on July 25 on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act and why Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter does not believe the bill would contribute to an improved Peace Corps while four other RPCV witnesses do. Highlights of the hearings included Dodd's questioning of Tschetter on political meetings at Peace Corps Headquarters and the Inspector General's testimony on the re-opening of the Walter Poirier III investigation.

---

Paul Theroux: Peace Corps Writer Paul Theroux began by writing about the life he knew in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His first first three novels are set in Africa and two of his later novels recast his Peace Corps tour as fiction. Read about how Theroux involved himself with rebel politicians, was expelled from Malawi, and how the Peace Corps tried to ruin him financially in John Coyne's analysis and appreciation of one of the greatest American writers of his generation (who also happens to be an RPCV).

---

Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania.

---

Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences .

---

He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

Read the stories and leave your comments.