AIDSfree that's me!

Here is a short clip from that day in Klippan last week. And I tell you this: For me, this is magic. I think this is the best song they sing and you are all welcome to tell me different. Enjoy, and if anyone knows the name of this song...please! tell me :D

Today we didn't really get to work that much with the project but we did discuss it over lunch. We need to figure out how we are going to solve the issue with the money for our trip to South Africa. It may seem as we are just trying to get ourselves down to Africa but it is to help our school with wathever they need. And it is really important for us and for the organisation that we have this exchange. It can change things on both sides.

But there is, in fact, one thing that we can rejoyce over today! ; ) Finally we are beginning to see what our work does. Since the visit in Klippan there was one person that e-mailed us, through this blog I might add, and asked for our help to start som kind of project that conserns Star For Life. It feels great! And I am really happy that someone sees us as a sorce of inspiration and help.

So if there is anyone else out there that is thinking about starting a project...We are GLAD to help :D

Over and Out
Take that HIV-test
// Frida Jensen

This day was an exiting and motivating day! Because we got to go to Klippan to the high school there and meet the Star School Choir!

We started out by meeting, it was us three and three from one of the other groups from our school, and we met the teachers of this school in Klippan.We were all pretty nerveous because we knew we were going to talk about our projects with Star For Life, in front of a lot of people. And to be honest, we were not really prepared for anything!



However, we started our "lesson" by letting everyone watch the movie about Star For Life. It is really a great movie, since it tells the whole story about the programme and it summerizes all you need to know. And by showing this, there is no way that we were going to miss something while we were talking in front of the students from Klippan.



Rebecka, Louise and Samantha were the ones who spoke in the classroom (and the rest of us were going to speak on the concert that the choir was going to have later) I would have to say that they did a really good job, even if they didn't practice anything before. The described our different projects and promoted the benefit concert that is cming up in two weeks.

 

After our talk we were going to see the performance, the choir, so we went out to find the place where it was going to be held! There were some problems however, to find our way because we are so used to our small school. This was a GIGANTIC community school and if we wouldn't have had the teachers to help us we wouldn't have been able to find anything. So thankyou teachers! :D

We sat down and relaxed before the concert and met some of our precious friends from the choir as they were passing by and while practicing. It was a blessed meeting and we all felt really happy that they still remembered us after several months.



Finally the concert started and it was such a great experience! For all of you who haven't heard this choir I will try to explain it you, even though it is not the same thing as watching it for real: When they sing, you can see the happiness and joy in there eyes. Their voices are super clear and the hit every note perfectly! They are reallt singing from the bottoms of their hearts and they move throughout the whole concert. Them singing, get you into moving around clapping hands and having fun!






(This video is NOT from this concert, but from when the choir came to our school last august)

After the concert we went to eat some food in the school cafeteria and after that we went back to the classroom to talk with everyone. So it was us, the choir and the students from Klippan. We all sat downin groups and asked eachother questions. In my group we discussed a lot of differences between Sweden and South Africa. The discussions were really giving and it was a lot of fun to listen to the choir when they talked about Star For Life.



At the end of the day, the students all went out together with the choir to show them the city of Klippan and also just to be with them and enjoy their company. We talked alot with them aswell and one of the girls, whos name a really can't spell, made a beautiful brade in my hair. And she is now a part of my phone since she is my backgroud picture :D

The hardest part was saying goodbye after that magical day but we really had to. Mondli Nglobo, who was the last person that we spoke to before we left, was a truly inspiring person. He was very charming and outgoing and, Mondli, if you read this: I MISS YOU!!!.
He showed me, and the others aswell, that Star For Life is really important and that it is working. Thankyou Mondli.

"I'll see you in my dreams!"
"I'll see you in ONE of my dreams!"


Over and Out
Take that HIV-test!
AIDS-free, that's me!!! :D
// Frida


(More pictures are coming up as soon as we can post them)

Today I just wanted to take time to say how really important This project, Star For Life is.
Star for Lifes purpose is to inspire high school students to believe in their dreams for the future, to support them to live an AIDS-free life and to fulfil their dreams. The Star for Life concept is not only about changing behaviour and transforming the minds of students, but also about the school community. The aim of the Star for Life programme is that students will, step by step, build up internal strength through a number of learners' workshops in combination with regular and spontaneous programme activities over a three-year period.

You can't really tell who is infected with HIV and that is why it is good that these students learn how important it is to either abstain from sex until they are married..or practise safe sex. And I thin we should all think about that. The infection is spreading way too fast..so Star For Life is a great contribution to stop the spreading.

The reason why I thought this was important to write about today is because I read an article in the paper yesterday and it was about the pope, Benedict XVI,  visiting southern Africa. And he said that condoms really wasn't the answer to the problems with HIV. But I say, that without the condoms the problem would be bigger! It is a really important part of the process.

Please, DO comment on this!



Really listen to this great song! Because it says alot of great things.

Over and Out
AIDS-free, that's me!
I Decide!
I'm Proud!
I go for my dreams
Take that HIV-test!
// Frida

We have started a nwe trend by having meetings with the other groups involved in Star For Life in our school, and it is good thing because we are now able to work together.

Last week we had a meeting like that and we all sat down in a very small room, and belive me when I say that almost 20 persons in a small working room is too much! But we had a nice little start of the morning with some tea, coffee and buns. Our teacher, Mia, treated us and we got along well and started discussing things that are important right now.



One thing that we really had to discuss was the upcoming events conserning the two other groups. One of them is going to have a benefit concert in a few weeks and they wanted us to help them bring out the message to everyone..about the concert! And the others wanted us to help them talk about HIV/AIDS in the upcoming theme-week, that they are planning. So, nice and lovely as we are, we told them we would be glad to help them. It is in our intrest to make people understand everything about HIV/AIDS so that there won't be any missunderstandings in society.



So now we have a real team work going on between all of us and we are so glad you are all intrested in reading our story :)



These people are our angels! Without there help and time and commitment we would not be where we are right now! So thankyou soooooooo much!

Over and Out
(For this time)
Take that HIV-test!
AIDS-free, that's me!
//Frida

As you all may have discovered..we usually take the weekends off working with the project. But I have to tell you, our minds are always set on finding solutions and new ways to get the money rolling in! ;)

The marketing of the project and this blog is what has been the center for tha past week. We started a group on the internet site Facebook(so go join it!) and we tried to get other big bloggers to link us! So now we have a couple of tags on google^^ We are very proud and also very thankful for all who have helped us during the past week by getting people to look at our blog. So thankyou, and we will be back again tomorrow. Coming up, we have some photos from last wednesday that, if we are lucky, is going to be posted tommorow.

Over and Out
Take that HIV-test
AIDS-free, that's me!
// Frida

Today is another first..
a quite big first, I would like to say. Because today is the first time we are blogging in english. You want to know why? AIDSFREETHATSME has gone intrenational! The project that started out being just a school project has reached people outside the Swedish borders. (Thank God for Facebook!)

So, for all our international readers..Welcome! This blog is kind of a diary, or a log, for a projecvt that three girls, Rebecka Moa and Frida, are running in school, to save money to help the organisation Star For Life.

Star For Life is a project, started by swedes, to help decrease the amount of HIV infected children in South Africa. The project goes into schools and works as a program together with the normal edjucation. All the schools teach math, english and all the usual subjects..but has seminares and sexual edjucation along with convents to help build the childrens dreams and belief in the future. The motto for Star For Life has given name to the song "AIDS-free, that's me" which has inspired this blog!

We met some of these students in august 2008 and after that we started thinking of ways to help this program. So, the blog is our way of the telling YOU, our readers, what we are doing and YOUR way to ask if you can help or if there is anything you want to know about HIV/AIDS or Star For Life.

I hope everyone enjoy our little blog and that we in the future can all work together to help Star For Life and everyone involved to fight HIV/AIDS!

Love
// Frida
PS. Take that HIV-test!

Nu råkar det vara så att treorna på vår skola är sjukligt ambitiösa! Det finns två grupper som jobbar med Star For Life, precis som vi gör och en av dessa grupper har beslutat att organisera en konsert till förmån för Star For Life. Alla pengar de får in går till skolavgifter inom Star For Life, vilket innebär att fler kan gå i skolorna som är med i projektet.

Hur som helst, vill jag hälsa er välkomna att den 1 April (2009 xP) vandra bort till Sensus i Helsingborg för att lyssna på:

Bulletrain
Striker
2ForU
och Maja Casén

På scen kommer också Carl Rydén + Abbe
(Komiker)

Konserten börjar klockan 18.30 men insläppet börjar 18.00. Det finns både fika och dricka att köpa om det skulle krisa och det allra bästa med konserten är...Att alla pengar går oavkortat till Star For Life.

Förra veckan var en bra vecka för vårt projekt. För det första lyckades vi ha möte med rektorn, vilket gick bra. För det andra hade vi möte med tre andra tjejer ur en av de andra Star For Life-grupperna på skolan om när vi ska åka till Klippan och träffa Star School Choir! Visst är det härligt!!!!!???? Jag tyckte jag var fruktat priveligerad då jag fick träffa dem i höstas...men att möte kören igen..det är ju bara fantastiskt.

Med en så wunderbar vecka bakom oss blickar vi nu framåt. På onsdag ska skolans tre grupper ha morgonsamling (vilket leder till att vi slipper ha engelska på onsdag :D) och träffas för att prata ihop oss lite. Mia kommer att skaffa fram lite te och andra mysigheter ^^

Sedan har vi ju fått svar från lite olika skolor angående föreläsningarna vi vill hålla. Så nu är det planering till max som gäller. Av någon skum anledning känner jag mig lite som en affärskvinna eller egen företagare. Ja, något i den stilen i alla fall.

Over and Out
Take that HIV-test
AIDS-free that's me!
// Frida ^^

Då var det alltså avklarat, det där mötet som vi så länge fasat över. Var det så särskilt hemskt? Nej. Gick det bra? Större delen..kom undan med ett par små misstag.

Ungefär fem över åtta gick vi tre upp för att vänta på att Mia och Annika skulle komma så att vi kunde börja. De var båda två redo (för action) och det var vi med. Så satt vi oss ner och så presenterade vi arbetet med en power point. Här dök en jobbig sak upp och jag har lovat mig själv att inför andra möten jobba med detta. Vi lät de läsa presentationen helt själva och det kändes så konstigt och fel. Jag hade velat att vi skulle presenterade muntligt och fint. Kanske var det egentligen skönt för dem att få läsa i lugn och ro, men i alla fall.

Efter det flöt mötet på och vi fick diskutera olika idéer, hurvida gruppen ska utökas med tre personer, våra föreläsningar och allt annat gällande pojeketet. Det enda jag faktiskt var lite besviken över var att vi inte satte något datum för avresan. Jag vet inte riktigt varför, men det skulle kännas skönare om vi hade gjort det.

Ja en finns det hopp för att vi ska få ihop lite pengar.
Under hela tiden vi har arbetat på det här projektet har jag haft så mycket idéer, men det har inte känts som om någon av dem har varit helt genomförbar. Det känns ju lite tråkigt förstås, men det är bara att ta nya friska tag när det går i uppförsbacke.

Nu är det i alla fall så att jag har lyckats med en sak. Eller lyckats och lyckats.. det handlar kanske snarare om att jag har vågat och friskt vågat, hälften vunnet. Det jag har vågat har varit en hemlighet i nästan en vecka av den anledningen att jag ärligt talat inte vetat om jag har kunnat lita på den. Det. Hemligheten.

Jag har frågat körledaren till Ängelholms St.Mikael gospel om hon är intresserad och kören med henne, av att hålla en välgörenhetskonsert. Saken är den att denna kör är riktigt populär och av erfarenhet vet jag att deras biljetter säljer som smör. Så om inkomsten skulle kunna gå till vårt projekt vore det super!

Håll tummarna och hoppas på det bästa.

Igår bokade vi slutligen ett möte med vår rektor och det gick alldeles utmärkt. (Kanske borde vi tänka på vad vi har för bild av henne? Näääääääää ; ) )
Så imorgon 8.15 skola jag tillsammans med de två andra tossingarna även kallade Rebecka och Moa komma dragandes med Mia och så ska vi på bästa möjliga sätt övertyga Annika om att det är bra för skolan och bra för mänsklighetens framtid om vi får lite pengar att åka till Afrika för.

Jag hoppas av hela mitt hjärta att det inte är någon som missförstår det här. För, det finns en viss risk att det låter som om jag och de andra två bara vill åka till Afrika och sola, träffa "små stackars fattiga sydafrikaner" och tycka att vi gjort något gott för världen som vi borde få något för. För anledningen till att vi gör detta, är den att vi faktiskt vill göra något för någon annan. Vi gör heller inte detta för att vi ska känna oss duktiga efteråt.
 Jag har inte ens tänkt på något efteråt!
Jag vill bara veta att detta så otroligt viktiga projekt får fortsätta. Dessutom vill jag göra något för någon annan än mig själv..för en gångs skull.

I vilket fall, så har nervositeten krupit allt närmare under hela dagen idag och nu står den mig upp i halsen. Det kliar i fingrarna och mitt huvud bubblar av idéer till mötet.
Ska jag kanske säga så här? Vad kommer hon att vilja veta? Hur kan jag förbereda mig? Vad ska jag ha på mig? och så går det runt..om och om igen.
Men det är nog rätt bra att vara nervös. Speciellt när det gäller något så här viktigt.
Jag har nog inte tänkt på det förut..Men det möte vi kommer hålla imorgon..jag menar vad som händer på mötet, kan vara det som bestämmer om vi kan åka eller inte.

Jag ber för att det ska bli så..