Face Aids

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Written by Lindsey Hoyt

Friday, 21 November 2008 10:12

A group of over 40 million people is impossible to fathom. It is the population of Spain and Argentina. Canada has 7 million fewer people. It was the number of people who watched the nomination acceptance speeches of President-elect Barack Obama.

It is also the number of people worldwide infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day. The University of Wyoming chapter of FACE AIDS is commemorating early with “Taste of Africa” tonight in the Union Gardens from 6 to 9. The celebration will include three musical performances, an informational video, African finger-food tasting and an iPod raffle.

Attendees are eligible to win the iPod if they have an AIDS Awareness Pin – either previously bought or purchased tonight for $5.

“It’s putting a face to people who have AIDS and making it a problem that people can relate to. The pins that we sell come with the story of a person who is infected or affected by AIDS; it’s actually the person that made that pin,” Whitney Chandler, UW FACE AIDS co-leader said. Zach Peters is also a co-leader.

The pins are beaded red AIDS ribbons, and are made by locals in rural Rwanda, according to the FaceAids Web site. The profits from “Taste of Africa” will go to support the nonprofit organization Partners in Health, to which all national FACE AIDS profits are given.

Partners in Health was created over 20 years ago by Dr. Paul Farmer, who wanted to provide health care to the poor. Now it’s a $50+ million organization that runs clinics in nine countries, Peters and Chandler said.

“I never thought it was possible to do what [Dr. Farmer] is doing, and what people all around the world are doing with populations that are so in need,” Chandler said.

Peters and Chandler want to see AIDS in Africa firsthand as volunteers at locally-run clinics. They are planning to take the year-long trip before Peters goes to medical school.

Peters said he’s interested in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. “It stems more from not just AIDS in general, but to the social injustices that are seen all over the world. It just happens that this is one way that I can get involved here on campus,” he said.

“Another reason that I’m motivated is people are dying every day from these diseases that are easily treatable. It’s just they don’t have the access,” he said.

For Chandler, FACE AIDS and similar movements are inspiring. She said it takes 40 cents a day, or $60 a year, to treat someone with AIDS. With the $7,000 UW FACE AIDS raised last year many infected people were helped.

“I know this sounds really cliché and cheesy, but it’s actually just really inspiring to see what a few college students can do and how you can make a difference in the lives of people who are less privileged, and have grown up in societies where they don’t have the means and the resources that we do in this country,” she said.

UW FACE AIDS is in its second year as a Registered Student Organization and leaders said it has 20-25 active members.

The group cooperates with Laramie Reproductive Health with offers like free rapid HIV testing. Peters, also a member of SexPERTS through the Wellness Center, said regular, two-week-result HIV testing is always available in the Half Acre Gym.

“The stigma attached to AIDS in this state is extremely high. People feel that it isn’t a problem since we live in Wyoming, but there are about 300 people in the state of Wyoming that are HIV positive,” Peters said.

Tonight’s music celebration will open with a drum circle from the Wyoming African Students Association, followed by an acoustic set from Andrew T and a performance by Chase the Moment.

UW FACE AIDS is the beneficiary for the World AIDS Day event at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Cheyenne on Nov. 30.

A semi-formal/formal dance and silent auction will be held Dec. 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn and UW Conference Center to support the Shalom Garden Orphanage in Kenya.

“Our goal is to inspire and motivate students on campus to fight AIDS, not only in our country but also in Africa,” Peters said, wearing the group’s T-shirt and awareness pin on a chain around his neck.

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