AIDSfree that's me!

Tuesday week 14 we had our first presentation outside our own school about HIV/AIDS and Star For Life. We planned this really hard because we wanted to start our series of presentations with a good one! So our day started just before lunch when Moa and I checked that the movie about Star For Life was really working since we were going to show it to the students we were going to visit.

Along with the movie we thought that it could be intresting to have a discussion about the resent statement from the pope about condoms. Because the students we have met from South Africa that is in the Star For Life-project, has been telling us that condomes are really important, but then again, who actually knows what is best? So we prepared some articles about this to bring in to a discussion.


(Here is me sending the articles!! :D)

After a quick lunch we took the bus to get to the school and when we got there we began to feel a little nervous. Especially me, because although I feel confident when speaking in front of people I know when improvising, speaking in front of younger students about something this important feels so much different. But we met with the headmaster and he showed us to the teachers lounge. We said hello to the teachers and then we were off to the lesson.

We began by letting the students watch the film and then they were all divided in to two smaller groups which ment we too had to be divided. Moa went on her own with one of the groups and Rebecka stayed with me and the second group. (And I was a HAPPY Frida :D)

We started of by reading them some statements to which they were going to answer true or false. They didn't really like the assignement at first but when they had to join because their teacher told them they had too it was alright. Me and Rebecka made them follow in our pace and I think they learned something anyway.


(Everyone is having sex. Noone wants HIV)

The best thing about the day was when we were finished and we were talking with the teachers and they told us we had done a good job! I was so proud of us, myself and our project. It is hard to explain the feeling of doing something for someone else, but it feels good. And to know that they hopefully learned something that day, makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

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)

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

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!

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.

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..

Idag var det lite synd om mig, Frida, eftersom jag var lite sjuk och knappt kunde stå upp denna morgon. Det var ganska tråkigt eftersom jag idag hade tänkt att sätta upp lite posters med bloggens adress på i bilioteket. Rackarns järnspikar!

Men om man ändå är sjuk har man ju tid till lite annat. Hela dagen har min tv stått på CNN, för att jag i så stor omfattning som möjligt skulle kunna följa denna historiska dag. För idag var det äntligen dags för historiens FÖRSTA afroamerikanska president i USA. Det är ganska svårt att förstå vidden av händelsen, men imorgon har vi nog greppet det hela allesammans.

MEN, nu var det ju faktiskt projektet jag skulle prata om. Jo, att vara sjuk är ingen ursäkt när man ska sköta ett så stort projekt som vårt projekt faktiskt är. Så, jag har faktiskt fått gjort en del saker.

• Börjat på en finfin powerpoint-presentation, som ska vara nyckeln till framgång vid det möte vi med spänning väntar på allihopa. (Håll tummarna för oss!)
• Skrivit en inledning som på fredagens möte skall visas upp, diskuteras, möjligtvis ändras och till sist sättas in i det manus som blir vårt slutgiltiga för föreläsningar.
• Letat efter tänkbara stipendier (Inte för att jag hittade något men försöka går ju)
• Pratat med en person som kom med en del konkreta idéer för insamling av pengar.

För morgondagen hoppas jag att vi kan gå till Helsingborgs bibliotek och sätta upp posters, som jag egentligen skulle ha velat göra idag.