ADVOCACY: pushing the buttons or simply seeking understanding and acceptance.

Been scratching my head for a bit trying to think on what to say today, yep today is yet another day for a reflection.

First week and without my boss but lucky enough I had a dozen things to do especially on evaluation of social media , the website and print and electronic media. I had to read through all the networks and any bit of anything the organization uses for communication and advocacy. Like I mentioned on my first blog am an intern in an NGO, but I didn’t mention what kind of Ngo I was working with, to shed light into that area, PTF is a community-based organization providing information, education and care services relating to HIV-AIDS and sexuality in Malaysia and works with 5 different marginalized communities being, the HIV-positive, transgender, sex-workers, men who have sex with men (MSM) and drug users.

Advocacy for these marginalized groups or communities seems to be the hardest thing to do considering there is a lot of judgment being passed and thrown their way and always a question of religion, culture and morality, but then again who are we to judge these people, they are just like you and I; ironically everyone will have something to say about these people without a second thought. Regardless of what people say the bottom line is we are all affected or infected with HIV-AIDS.

Some people will take advocacy for the marginalized communities as pushing buttons but in my own understanding it is simply seeking understanding and acceptance. The most difficult thing the organization faces is discrimination by many and let alone it is a an NGO that solely depends on funding from donors.. mm that makes things complicated. And well as most of you know there is a lot culture and religion interference it even makes it hard, so now the sole purpose of the advocacy team here is try to fight the stigma, raise funds and support from the community, find volunteers who are willing to work without pay and also those that are willing to do outreach work. The purpose of our outreach work is to educate people of HIV-AIDS and many other issues regarding sexuality and sex health.

For the month of December activities laid out for the AIDSAware campaign involved visiting universities and schools around Malaysia to educate young people and also to take photos for the campaign in which they are all used as a message to communicate the way one feels about HIV-AIDS and as well have them posted on the Ruumz.com website which we need about 13000 photos to commemorate and remember all the loved ones who we lost to HIV-AIDS. I did go around doing the outreach work with my manager and some volunteers from IASEEC. We also went to major malls in Selangor, we went to Sunway Pyramid, The curve and many others and right now still working on going for outreach work and selling calenders for the AIDSAware calendar which will be officially launched on February 24^th 2011 at GARDENS MALL, at the launch 40 local celebrities that we worked with to produce the calendar and also the message for the campaign will be signing posters and also many other activities will be entailed, I would be still glad to keep you posted just incase you would love to come rub shoulders with the rich and famous for a good cause.

So for now the preparations for the big day are still on. Mmm did you ever think making 5000 red ribbons was a big deal, gosh ask me about it but anyway, I made a few to support my community but I had other things to do I left that to the Positive Living Group to do, they very supportive ordinary people from the community.

During the week of doing the outreach work, I had to do a dozen things first I had to device a way I could reach out to all the people let me say out audience at Sunway Pyramid.

The things I had to do include in a report requested by my manager.

The time

The booth

The audience

The messages of the out reach work and whats the purpose of doing it in Sunway.

Organizing the venue was the main aspect here because its not easy to get a free booth in a big mall at times considering we were asking for a free booth, we were not paying for the space. Nonetheless all was accomplished.

Emailed a request letter to the manager, called her a million times but I didn’t give up, and I seriously couldn’t afford to give up. Well thank God with me pestering her, mmm sounds annoying but yes I did it and she did give us the slot. There after had to organize transport, arrange all the information packages which include 2 four condoms, 2 lubes, 2 information leaflets which one is in English, the other one has all different languages in Malaysia well the major ones of course, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Also made a point that we did not forget the post cards that are also featured in the Calendars, small calendars for the year 2011 with information on the VCT at PTfoundation, Hiv-Aids information.

Well the outcome of this task was to organize an event and yes I did it and it was a success! Yeeppy I had fun and it was quite an experience.

Ok! for now let me leave you with these to chew on, will be back soon to update you on all the upcoming events and all the other things i have been doing.

Enjoy the video attached, thats one of the few you will be seeing on the Astro, will soon post the one on RapidKL