Rethink HIV: World AIDS Day 2015

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn

World AIDS Day is held each year on December 1st to continue support for the fight against HIV and to commemorate those who have died because of an HIV or AIDS related illness. It began in 1988, making this the 27th year of this international health day. While there have been great strides in the past three decades in understanding HIV and developing treatment, World AIDS Day reminds us that this struggle is not yet over. 

Here are some stats of what happened in 2014 alone (AVERT):
Estimated 36.9 million people living with HIV
2.6 million children living with HIV
54% of all people living with HIV know they have the virus
2 million new HIV infections
220,000 new HIV infections in children

This health pandemic still affects a huge number of the population. Although HIV is manageable with proper regimented treatment, there continues to be misconceptions, stigmatization, fear of getting treatment and lack of access to treatment that pose as obstacles. World AIDS Day is a time we can all come together and show solidarity in the fight against AIDS. Support our HIV health and education programs by visiting our donation page. You can also order your red ribbon.

Your gift provides services and awareness to Malawian communities. By taking this day to reflect on the evolution of this pandemic and rethink HIV, it gives us the opportunity to create new ways of providing support and infrastructure that can benefit those, especially youth, living with HIV in Malawi. Thank you!

Connecting Community Engagement with a Global Mission

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn

World Camp’s United States headquarters are located in Asheville, NC, a small city known for its active local engagement and progressive ideas centered on community. As our focus lies on Malawian communities, it is necessary to understand how to motivate a tight-knit local community to become active in a far away community. Many people become more invested in projects when they are directly affected. For example, issues concerning climate change are more likely to be addressed when adverse effects are noticeable and affect one’s every day life. So, how do we connect community engagement with a global mission? What gets people passionate in engaging with an organization whose outcomes benefit those living in different parts of Malawi?

We should consider that the three aspects of community engagement involve decision-making, capacity building, and relationship development (Bang the Table). While these three facets are not mutually exclusive, a broader engagement relies most heavily on relationship development to engage citizens at a local level. Since the local community does not directly see the benefits of engagement, it is necessary for the lens to be widened to include a global vision and to redirect what a successful outcome looks like.

This is difficult, as modern psychology shows that humans are generally insensitive to scope. This means if you could save 1,000 birds by giving $80, you would not increase that amount proportionately if you were saving 10,000 birds. Since individuals are rather unaware of scope, the next approach to successful community engagement is outreach. If more people can become excited about the global vision, then the cumulative engagement will be more powerful than from a few individuals who will not be more driven to give by an ever increasing need. This is relationship development.

 Engagement through relationship development can come about by combining a few tools. These include: accessibility to information, clarity of mission and vision, providing welcoming and approachable events, implementing reward systems, and engaging with already present community staples. One of the best ways to keep the local community engaged is to make progress visible and current. Luckily, our globalized world can provide the reward of seeing the effects of donations or involvement almost instantly as pictures, videos, and online posts can keep donors updated on the successes that are happening everyday.
Stay connected to World Camp’s programs and projects, not only through this blog, but also on Facebook (World Camp Inc.) and Instragram (@worldcamp_Malawi).

Graphics from Bang the Table