Hello Everyone!

Today is Sunday, July 2nd and I'm leaving for Arusha, Tanzania on Wednesday, July 5th. While there I will be immersed in the local culture and working closely with the community doing AIDS volunteer work. My placement is at St. Lucia, which is a hospice care center for people with AIDS. St. Lucia was founded in December 2002 as a Non-Profit Organization by M. Winfrida Mwashala, after witnessing and feeling the level of discrimination directed against HIV/AIDS victims as well as the total lack of medical care and input. Typically, HIV/AIDS affects livelihoods and families through loss of income when breadwinners can no longer work. When this happens, other family and house hold members are forced to spend time and resources caring for those infected. This burden usually falls on women and girls. This forces some girls to stop schooling. Nutrition deteriorates with less money for food and less labor for farm production. Families suffer from stress as many members become sick and die and may also experience alienation from their community due to the HIV/AIDS stigma.

Heavy stuff, I know. I'm feeling overwhelmed but also empowered to help in every way that I can while I'm there.

So here I go - off to run more errands and check more things off the endless lists running through my head. Leaving oh so soon!

And for more info:

Cross Cultural Solutions is the volunteer placement organization I'm there through. Visit this link to see a video of Arusha.
Arusha Video

My hotel the first night
L'Oasis Lodge