RTK - Thailand Youth

In Thailand, the growing HIV/AIDS problem has inspired many youth groups to take action. Two high school students from the Ton Kraechaeng club in Krachaengwittaya school discuss their club's efforts to raise HIV/AIDS awareness, spread knowledge, and reduce stigma in their hometown.

Pattama Kattivong, 17

Why she decided to join RTK:
Before joining this project I saw problems occurring in my village. Labour migration is a fact of life among the people in my community. Most of them migrate to work in big cities. It was sad to see that there were a lot of HIV-infected people in my village and that the number kept increasing every year. Discrimination against and contempt toward positive people was a problem here. Villagers did not want to get close to or talk to positive people. I saw some villagers shouting angrily at positive people. I did not want to see this happen. Once one contracted HIV, was it not possible to live in the world with other people? There were many incidents of positive people committing suicide by hanging or poisoning themselves. These things should not have happened.

Children of positive people, although they were not infected, were ostracized. No one played with them. They were shouted at and chased around as if they were monsters.

The lack of information and proper understanding about AIDS kept people ignorant of AIDS prevention and resulted in hostility toward HIV-positive people. AIDS had invaded my village, but a large number of villagers still held on to misconceptions about AIDS and nurtured a negative attitude toward positive people.

The situation inspired me to look for solutions. I sympathized with the positive people. When AIDSNet and UNICEF came up with a project to mitigate AIDS-related problems, I applied to take part in a training workshop on AIDS to become a core group member. The project, “Fostering proper understanding to fight against AIDS,” then got started. It has received encouraging support from the teachers and students in Krachaeng school. The total number of members, made up of senior and junior high school students, is now 100, up from 60 members before. Our project has been implemented in school and has reached out to the community to provide information. 80% of the objectives have been fulfilled, which represents a great success for my friends and me.

What made her the most proud about the project:
Many aspects of the project have impressed me and made me proud. I am proud that the educational activities my friends and I implemented could change many people in my village and other surrounding communities. Though originally ignorant about AIDS and filled with negative attitudes, many villagers have developed a better understanding of how HIV can be contracted so they know how to protect themselves, and they have stopped being hostile to HIV-positive people. Although we could not reach 100% success, my friends and I are pleased to have accomplished this level. In the beginning, we thought we would not make much difference because we were about 13 or 14 years old, and we feared that being minors would pose problems and obstacles for us in our work. In fact, our age did not prove to be obstructive at all. If we are determined to alleviate problems, it does not matter how old we are.

I have also been impressed by the teachers and friends from Krachaengwittaya school. No matter what activities we implemented, the teachers never failed to give support and assistance. Even when an activity was held in the evening, they would be there to give moral support. Whether it was an evening event or a rainy day, we never let petty obstacles hold us up. We kept visiting village after village with a musical band and a team of soap opera performers to work for the interests of different communities. Even when we had no time to rest on weekends or public holidays, we were happy we had the time to get ready for the upcoming activities. Each person made the best preparation to fulfill his or her roles and duties. Sometimes, I felt exhausted and discouraged, but I could not let discouragement engulf me when I thought of the other people involved. The memory of them at work made me so happy that I could not help crying with joy. If it had not been for the teachers at Krachaengwittaya school, in particular, Ajan Priya Kumarijit, the project adviser, and for those friends of mine totaling over 100 persons, the activities would not have had such a great success.

The most rewarding experience came after we had staged our project. HIV-positive people in my village and villages nearby had the courage to disclose themselves and participate in our performance. The contempt towards HIV positive people has gradually dissolved and the HIV-positive and -negative villagers can live together in harmony. These events have become my pride and joy.

Thammasak Sihanam, 17

Why he decided to join RTK:
I had never heard of AIDS until four years ago, when I learned about AIDS from a primary school teacher. I found out that AIDS was a contagious disease that could be contracted through unsafe sex and needles. Since then, I have heard more and more about AIDS. AIDS has visited Thailand and, more crucially, my community, Krachaeng. It has brought about many problems, including the disintegration of family units and the community as a whole. The people in Krachaeng community lacked knowledge because they lived in an underdeveloped area where education is limited. They had misconceptions about AIDS. For example, they avoided touching or communicating with HIV-positive people because they were afraid they would contract the virus through such social contact. Children of HIV-positive people were despised and isolated. Parents told their children not to play with the children of positive people or give them sweets. These parents instilled bad behavior and selfishness in their children's minds. As a result, the children of positive people experienced a lack of warmth and friendship. When these children grow up, they could become a burden to society. They could be on drugs, a serious problem many Thai teenagers get mixed up with. As a result, Thailand could face a shortage of youths who would be valuable human resources for the nation. These problems inspired me to contribute to alleviate the problems and help make Krachaeng community free of AIDS.

What made him most proud about the project:
Many aspects of the project made me feel proud, such as the benefits to our community. My friends and I collaboratively implemented activities that have brought about better understanding on AIDS and the way to treat AIDS patients among the community. The animosity toward HIV-positive people has decreased. People used to be afraid to approach people living with HIV/AIDS, but after we from Ton Krachaeng club worked to educate them, they have changed their attitude. Now they can get close to positive people and are eager to understand them. Positive people can lead a happy life in the society because we from Ton Krachaeng club were ready to provide information and understanding and to work for the benefits of our community and the country.