Last Thursday I had my first big event that I planned! I got a VSAT grant to do various workshops and a road race for HIV/AIDS awareness. During last week was El Salvador's National HIV/AIDs Awareness Day and so the health workers were doing free HIV testing throughout the country. I worked with the health workers to plan and organize this event! We advertised with flyers, word of mouth, in the schools and the best was the ambulance! The ambulance driver, Elias, who is 23 and lives in my town and I drove to a neighboring town blasting Merengue, Bachata, and Salsa music along with the siren. Every few miinutes one of the two of us would announce about the event...I think we got people's attention or at least got a laugh at us zipping around in the ambulance.
The day before the event I was stresssingggg. No store had medals or enough medals for all the winners so I had to buy little prizes and make prize bags. Also, no place had face paint, but the guy at the libereria said that watercolor colored pencils work. I was a little skeptical, but it's true they work. Also, Coca-Cola had told me that they would provide water, poweraid, announcing and trash cans. However, I called them like a stalking girlfriend all day, and by 5 o'clock still had no answer. I was a bit worried. At 7pm they had called and were on their way to my house to drop stuff off!
On the day of the race, the morning was a little hectic. The school was suppose to let kids leave who wanted to, but 4 teachers, the principal, and vice principal decided not to show up that day and kids aren't suppose to leave the school without a teacher. However, there wasn't a teacher to go with the kids. That was kinda a bummer because like 20-30 kids were ready to go when we arrived. But anyways, the health promoters, nurses, Megan, Nick and I set up for the race, and some other clinic workers went to the start of the race to begin!
I waited at the finish line hoping their would be more than like 2 people and there were! A guy from my town won and then this like 11 year olf boy who I asked to run earlier in the morning, but who told me he was "too busy" with errands that he couldnt shows up at the finish line as the 2nd place winner. Glad his errands included the race haha. Also, there were a bunch of young girls which was awesome to see, and then 1 middle aged woman and 1 older woman came walking and then with all the clapping and cheering came running across the finish line. Nicole with some girls from her school came too! Overall, there were like 20 participants!
After the race, there were 4 booths set up. Nick talked about and did condom demonstrations which was a big hit and HILARIOUS to see. Megan gave info and asked people how you can contract HIV and some myths about contraction/ around HIV/AIDs. Nicole had the patience and artistic skill to paint little kids faces and hands. And the nurses, took blood tests!
To end the event, we announced and crowned the winners. Yes, I bought and made them wear silly plastic crowns. And then it wouldn't be El Salvador without 2 pinatas (one for girls, other for boys) and the mad dash, pig pilling action for some candy.
I am very happy and glad that it turned out okay! And hopefully, the workshops will go just as well.
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