The AIDS Education Program run by the SVD’s Mother of Perpetual Help Centre in Thailand has expanded to include not only school students and teachers, but now parents and care-takers as well.
The program, based in Nong Bua Lamphu, in northeast Thailand, started 18 years ago with youth in schools and later included the training of teachers and other interested government personnel with the aim of giving AIDS awareness education to villagers and groups.
Br Damien Lunders SVD says that each year the program reaches about 20 schools.
“The inclusion of teachers was with the hope that AIDS Education and Awareness could be given to youth in all schools, not having to wait for the Mother of Perpetual Help Centre to be available,” he says.
“This year, a new element of training was to include parents and care-takers of youth, including grandparents who have responsibility for youth who no longer have parents or whose parents are working in other areas of the country.”
The program provides parents and care-takers with a better knowledge of AIDS and other related problem areas such as drugs and early pregnancy.
Br Damien says the teachers initially go through the same three-day camp as the youth to develop a knowledge about AIDS and its problems.
The next step is an intense three-day workshop where they actually practice giving training to their group as if they were doing the training with their students.
The third step is a three-day camp with youth from schools, run by staff from the Centre with assistance from teachers. And the final step is a two day follow up with students in each of the 20 schools.“This year the teachers having gone through the process were involved during the five workshops with parents and caretakers,” Br Damien says.
“Each group of about 60 people showed a lot of enthusiasm and participated well.
“Our hope, of course, is to bring about a better knowledge of AIDS with the hope of a decrease in its spread.”
Br Damien says the COVID-19 pandemic meant a later start to the program this year, but the training got underway in October and follow-up with the schools will continue in the New Year.
The SVD Thailand District is part of the AUS Province.
PHOTOS: Participants taking part in the AIDS Education Program run by the SVD's Mother of Perpetual Help Centre in Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand.
