I heard at an early stage that World AIDS Day is not such a big event here. For a start there is very little money with which to pay for anything. Then there is the culture of doing everything at the last minute. It’s not uncommon to get notice of an important meeting a few hours before it is due to start.

So its hardly surprising that when I started asking about World AIDS Day in September my requests were falling on deaf ears. After a while I came to the conclusion that we wouldn’t be doing much, maybe nothing at all.

On my last trip down to Windhoek (the capital of Namibia) I made my usual visits to some of the national agencies and ministries. In the IEC ( Information Education and Communication) unit of MHOSS (Ministry of Health and Social Services) they were busy rushing through the development of a new poster for World AIDS Day. It was already the beginning of November and they were still debating the wording. The poster showed three men with their back to the camera and the slogan “Don’t turn your back on AIDS” subtitled “World AIDS Campaign, Men Can Make a Difference”.

“Will it be pre-tested?” I asked, “No” came the reply “there is only just enough time to get it printed”.

Therein lies a sad tale. So many of the leaflets and posters here are produced in a hurry and nobody bothers to find out how effective they are. A few years ago UNAIDS Namibia produced a general HIV leaflet in a rush because there was nothing in circulation and they needed something out fast. The standard of the leaflet is no better than the worst I ever saw in Staffordshire and pays no attention to local culture and language. The translation in to Oshivambo (the main language where I work) is even worse.

Martyn, a fellow VSO volunteer at Oshakati IEC unit and myself reviewed the available material and took this leaflet off the shelf, it was so bad. UNAIDS are still producing and distributing it in the tens of thousands and have never bothered to ask whether it was doing anything useful. Of course I have told them what we think about it but maybe I didn’t make the point strongly enough. Or maybe it’s just easier to keep placing the reprint order than to properly develop something new.

Anyway, back to World AIDS Day. A week before the event somebody asked me what was planned for World AIDS Day. By this stage I had not seen any new materials or any sign that anyone was taking an interest. A large brick of a document had dropped through the post outlining the “Men Can Make a Difference” campaign with ideas for action. As is often the case with UNAIDS international documents it was very good. Unfortunately it didn’t come with a cheque or any new resources.

Meanwhile, unknown to me, a quantity of posters, leaflets and condoms along with a large banner and a request to organise public marches had been delivered into some dusty little room at the Council offices which are 60km away. Josephine, the HIV Co-ordinator at the Council contacted me and things finally got moving on the Monday before World AIDS Day. Four days to go!

By Tuesday it was emerging that there would be two marches at separate locations and Josephine was busy arranging the programmes and organising people.

On Wednesday I had a visit from DFID (the UK Department for International Development) who pay for my vehicle and project budget. They were only here for the day and it was a gruelling ten hour schedule in which we had seven appointments spread over about 350km some of which was driven on rough sandy roads.

Thursday bought the news that there was no money available for refreshments. We were, in effect, running the events on a zero budget. I was pretty annoyed that the community was expected to turn up and walk in this heat without so much as a drink at the end. Fortunately I have some discretion over the use of my small budget from DFID and I decided I would get the drinks myself on the day.

Somewhere in the middle of the hectic rush on Wednesday I had picked up the banner and a supply of posters and leaflets for the first March. By the end of Thursday everything seemed to be in hand.

So I got up early on Friday 1st December, had a cool bath and put on my best African shirt. Very posh white baggy thing with embroidery on the front that I don’t need to tuck in my trousers. Despite the loose clothing I was already sweating freely by the time I arrived in Ohangwena town for the first March which was due to start at 9am. And which eventually started at 10.30am, well this is Africa!

About two hundred children marched through the town and all around the community living areas singing and giving out condoms, leaflets and posters as we went. I followed behind in my vehicle carrying the stock of leaflets and condoms for the marchers to grab as they walked. After a while some of the children got tired and started to sit in the back. Very soon I had more than thirty children hanging off every conceivable bit of my vehicle as I crawled along in 1st gear. Most people loved the march but a few members of the public were a bit outraged by the children giving out condoms. I’m sure they have all been talking about it for the whole week since and that in some ways is the point.

There was just time to do a quick speech and answer questions before I had to grab the banner and head off for the second March in Eenhana about 60km away. Needless to say that didn’t start on time either and I managed to beg some rice, pasta and gravy from the community training centre to get some energy back in my body.

There was much confusion over the location of the materials for the march and Josephine was not around so I went to fetch some from her offices. By the time I got back, somebody had arrived with things that she had left for us and we eventually set off, this time about sixty adults singing and dancing down the road giving out condoms and leaflets as we went.

We eventually arrived at the Council offices where we were due to listen to speeches starting at 2pm and by 3pm we were still waiting for the speakers. By this time of day it is really hot. I would not stand in the sun without a hat for even a few seconds and even with a hat I’m always looking for the shade. So off I went to buy three crates of cold drinks for the marchers and when I got back I made a lot of friends. The speeches did eventually start and went on far too long as speeches here often do.

At 5.30pm it came to a blessed end and I dashed home for a quick bath and was back on the road within twenty minutes heading for Oshakati to attend my drumming lesson. Great evening bashing out a rhythm on my new drum and eating and drinking until the late hours. By the time I got to bed, World AIDS Day was over, oh and by the way I never did see the new posters that were being developed in Windhoek. Maybe they’ll be ready for next year……

So if you are fed up with World AIDS day in England then maybe its time for a change. If you have a professional qualification or several years experience there is nowhere I can think of that you would be more needed. For VSO recruitment information phone the enquiries desk on 020 8780 7500 (or e-mail: enquiry@vso.org.uk). You can also visit the VSO website at www.vso.org.uk

Andrew Colclough
AIDS Management Advisor
Ohangwena and Oshana Regions, Namibia