Ups and downs of door-knock

I was going to write about the success of our door knock appeal. For the past couple of weeks, we have all been busy distributing collection tins to schools, phoning supermarkets and shops, writing letters, trying to get some publicity and shaking cans in the streets. People have been giving generously. Tevita and I filled more than half a tin just from a quick tour of the stall-holders at the market. The amazing thing is that you don’t have to say much- people see the sign of the Red Cross and it speaks for itself. I was really touched by how many people were willing to give. Although the major push of our appeal is still to come, many tins were filled and waiting to be emptied and counted. Then disaster. On Thursday morning, we arrived to find that our office had been broken into during the night – and all the money stolen. The Police came and dusted for fingerprints, and we all tried to be philosophical about it, but it was very disappointing. Its not so much that the hard work of the volunteers has gone to waste. Its worse than that – its the thought that every person who saw the distinctive sign of the Red Cross and dug deep for 10c and handed it over with a smile has been cheated. Our branch president told us all that we shouldn’t dwell on it, and that the appeal would continue as before. So yesterday afternoon, Ruci and I went out to FSC – the big sugar mill – to collect. The staff there were very generous, and our tin was a lot heavier when we left than when we started. But it still doesn’t make up for what was stolen.

Today is World HIV Testing Day. There was a small celebration held in – you’ve guessed it – Shirley Park, and this time the weather was lovely. Some of the Red Cross volunteers were performing a puppet show about HIV/AIDS, but I was just along for the ride! It was a low-key event, but the speakers were good. The main message of the day was that people should not fear testing. The chief guest stressed that people involved in carrying out HIV testing must ensure that all information is kept confidential. His speech was very interesting as it also focused on HIV and the law (he himself being a magistrate). Afterwards came our puppet show, followed by refreshments, and the the testing began. There were many counselors present, and anybody who wanted to be tested first had to be interviewed by a counselor. While I knew that this was normally the case with HIV testing, I was surprised at how long this took – 10 to 20 minutes per person. After this, the actual sample was drawn out by a doctor, in the vehicle which is usually used by the Blood Bank to collect donations. Before I left the event, Reggie, one of the peer educators from the Hub Centre, drew the Red Ribbon on the side of my face… which I completely forgot about until I was walking down the main shopping drag in Lautoka. I heard someone call out ‘World AIDS Day’ and was quite impressed that the sign was so instantly recognized.