July 2003

Teen Talks HIV/AIDS in Kenya

by Jessica Lajoie

In March, with the help of a grant from NEAC, high school senior Jessica Lajoie went to Kenya as a peer educator to raise AIDS awareness in Bungoma, Kenya. In her month there, Jessica says, she made 31 presentations, mostly to elementary and high school students. “In January the Kenya government made primary education free for everyone, so schools are popping up everywhere. In the middle of nowhere, there would suddenly be a building with 400 students in it,” she said. She usually did two presentations a day, traveling sometimes an hour or more each way. “We had to put in $1,300 for room and board and gas,” she said. “And the gas really added up. It’s a lot more expensive than here.”

In Kenya, Jessie Lajoie found herself in a whole new field!

In Kenya, Jessie Lajoie found herself in a whole new field!

Since her audiences ranged from 200 to 800 students, Jessica estimates that in her month in Kenya she spoke to 10,000 people. “The high school kids knew more,” she said. “They asked knowledgeable questions. But the topic was new to many in the elementary schools. When we went to a school, we’d sign the guest books, and there weren’t any other HIV educators listed in them.”

Her home base was a family sugar cane farm run by six brothers. There were about 50 people living there, in a series of small houses. It was a new experience for Jessica, whose home is in Bloomington, Indiana. “There was no electricity or running water. Many of the people I met hadn’t met white people before,” she said. “It was a good experience to be a genuine minority.”

As surprising to her as the lack of amenities was the degree of openness in attitude. “I was impressed with how willing adults are to talk honestly about HIV and AIDS,” she said. “They are very trusting. It was particularly surprising because I come from Indiana, which has an abstinence-only policy.”

Kenya doesn't seem to subscribe to the U.S. conspiracy of silence.

Kenya doesn’t seem to subscribe to the U.S. conspiracy of silence.

The members of her host family were a particularly strong support. The oldest brother, Reuben Lubanga-Keya, is himself a pastor. Another brother, Richard, served as her translator. A third brother who’s a filmmaker in Nairobi had made videos about HIV and AIDS, featuring honest interviews with those infected talking about how their lives had been affected; the videos became part of Jessica’s presentation along with posters and other visual aids. The family is now working to convert a family park on the farm into a clinic and an HIV counseling center.

Asked about what she found most impressive about the experience, Jessica had a simple reply: “I came to realize that telling people about HIV and AIDS can really help. Education matters. The truth will make a difference.”