There were quite a few activities taking place here to mark the day, many lead by Stichting Mamio Namen Project.
The day started with a networking meeting of all the AIDS Service Organizations (it’s rare to get them all in the same room together so it’s a nice sight to see them take steps towards working together). Next it was off to the World AIDS Day Walk. At the walk the various AIDS quilts (or Mamios) were displayed. The Mamios are made in memory of people who have died from AIDS here in Suriname. Before the walk got underway there were speeches and presentations, then it was off for the walk which I actually had to leave early so I could get to my next event...the launch of a new men’s association. Suriname Men United is an association for men who have sex with men. No, it’s not a gay men’s association, it’s a men who have sex with men organization. The reason you don’t use the term gay is because there are many men who have sex with men but who have wives, etc and so therefore are not technically gay. I’ve been learning so much here in Suriname! Anyhoo, the event was held at a men’s resort. The launch included poems, a comedy routine and a VERY funny act by the ‘Poeniecat Dolls’ Suriname’s version of the Pussycat Dolls. Poenie by the way is vagina in Surinamese. Of course the Poeniecat Dolls were all transvestites. Say what you want, I wish I could move my hips the way the lead (male) dancer did and I can’t even stand in stilettos never mind dance in them!! At the end we were all given candles and we walked to a form of a red ribbon where we placed our candles in a tribute to those who have died of AIDS. It was really quite nice and you could see many people gathered around who had lost a loved one.
The tribute was indeed lovely, but for me, I think most profound about the day was the mamios, especially the ones for the little babies. Children of 4 months and 7 months who have died of AIDS. Children who got AIDS from their mothers. It’s so senseless.
There is a lot of opportunity to reverse the spread of HIV here and in some ways a lot of good work is happening. But there are days when it feels overwhelming to deal with the cultural behavior and how that is contributing to the spread of the disease. In the interior you’d think you were in Africa in some places. There are some that even maintain the belief that if you have sex with a virgin you can be cured of AIDS. Of course this is ridiculous. And then there is the behavior of having a wife and a mistress on the side or a husband and a lover since it seems to be a two-way street here in that regard. They have their partner and their lover and they don’t use condoms with any of them particularly their husbands/wives because using a condom with your husband/wife suggests you’re not being faithful...which of course everyone in Suriname is! One big vicious cycle. People don’t have to die from this disease, or get it in the first place, it’s preventable! And that might be the single most frustrating thing about all of this.
I’ll get off my soapbox now. Here are some photos of World AIDS Day in Suriname.
Some of the Mamios.
The AIDS Walk...lead by Santa no less!
The marching band kept us all in step.
My fellow Crossroader Julie and Milton, the manager of the National AIDS Program (where I'm working) in Suriname.
A backshot of me in the walk (this also happens to be on my street, my house is just outside of view on this shot to the left).
In memory of those who have died.
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