HIV Awareness (1) Empowering Lives: Bridging Hope Through Compassionate Care (Engaging in HIV and AIDS Prevention, Care, and Treatment

 

The Field Practicum Class joined the seminar about HIV and AIDS Awareness held on March 14-15, 2024 at Wesleyan University-Philippines in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. We traveled almost five hours going there from Taytay, Rizal. The seminar was facilitated by the health workers, faculty, and staff of WUP, the Association of Positive Women Advocates, Inc. (A.P.W.A.I.), and the Board of Women’s Work of the United Methodist Church. Also, it was attended by the students of Wesleyan University, UMC Episcopal representatives, and other invited students like us (Harris Memorial College Students). The seminar started by opening worship followed by various sessions on HIV and AIDS awareness.

The theme of the seminar was “Empowering Lives: Bridging Hope Through Compassionate Care (Engaging in HIV and AIDS Prevention, Care, and Treatment). The seminar enlightened me and made an impact on how I should look at the issue of HIV and AIDS in the Philippines and in the world. I have learned about people dying because of this disease. The patients are begging for life, a longer life to live, however, this disease is incurable. The hope that we can bring to them is to break the stigma about them, raise awareness, to accept, care, help, and love them as individuals who deserve to be respected and loved. The cause of the disease may seem to break the morals in the society such as the issue of prostitution, and unprotected sex, and at some points tackles the issue of sexuality in the Bible. There are also some causes that people don’t know which are the sharing of needles, blood, and breast milk. People tend to ignore or distance themselves from these groups of people, but Jesus is telling and showing us to be compassionate, pray, and visit the sick. HIV and AIDS patients need help in all aspects of their lives. Because of the disease, they became vulnerable and weak. They can take medicines that can make them undetectable, but they still need to be careful. Above all, the best thing that can help them is to make them feel loved by God and us. My prayer is that God will help me and other people to be more compassionate and merciful to the vulnerable group in the society in which I can bring hope to the weak through Jesus Christ my Lord, Savior, and Guide.