KICK 'N TEST
Three local High Schools were chosen to compete in the 16 team 7v7 soccer tournament. Players participated in a soccer tournament, Grassroot Soccer HIV education games and had the opportunity to receive HIV testing and counseling. The entire community was also welcome to receive testing and watch the soccer matches. 500+ players and community members attended KICK ‘N TEST and 215 people tested. I was running the soccer tournament was too busy to find any time to check out the testing area or to be tested. Two people did test positive at the KICK ‘N TEST Tournament, including a young High School soccer player. When the boy was told the news of his status, he ran from the event crying. Not exactly the reaction we were hoping for. Many people here feel an HIV positive result is a death sentence when in reality with the combination of ARV treatment and living a healthy lifestyle an HIV positive person can live a normal life. Hours later the boy returned with his parents and other family members to receive post counseling.
When I first heard that the boy had left the event I felt the idea of testing young High School students was a terrible idea. I felt revealing the boy’s status only terrified him and ruined his life. It was not until I heard that the boy returned did I realize the impact of all the long hours and hard work into the VCT event. A young man was now aware of his status and brought his family in search for answers for a way forward.
Pictures from the KICK ‘N TEST event.
Young girl from the championship team. She was an excellent player and I was cheering her on the entire tournament.
Ben sneaking chocolate bars to the little boys who helped clean up.
Trophy ceremony.
Ntosh, Ngwenya, Spakes, and Afro. All new trainers to the GRS PE program.
KICK 'N TEST Runner Up.
Goal celebration.
Tumie and the ladies.
Coach Zaza and his team. Zaza's team won the spirit award for the KICK 'N TEST tournament.
The ground was too hard to stick in the flag. This boy was kind enough to hold my corner flag the entire tourney.
The roommates and I have had no internet at the house for the past month. I never realized how much I relied on the internet. I cannot look up a movie time, the weather, news, write emails, blog, or plan my holiday. Internet will hopefully be up and running just in time for all the interns to set out for holiday. Looks like holiday for me will be spent in Cape Town, Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Mozambique. I am very excited for holidays because work has been very busy and very boring the past few weeks, end of the year program reports and expense reports. We are also currently working Holiday camps. I have been busy with work and have not been to the schools in ages. I miss the kids and hope to return to the schools in the near future. In the meantime I am trying to track down a local doctor from Dora Nginza Hospital. Roommates and I are looking into being certified in HIV testing. I would love to help with HIV testing at our next VCT event.
I am headed to Dora Nginza Hospital today with Conrad. Conrad is our Afrikaans friend from the Bluewater Bay gym. Conrad is 22 and has just finished his third year of law school. Conrad is extremely intelligent and he has been educating the roommates and I on the inner workings of the South African government. Conrad has lived around the Bluewater Bay area his entire life and until the VCT tournament last week has never stepped foot into the townships. Conrad like many other Afrikaans from the Bluewater and Port Elizabeth area have never dared to even drive through the township area. I am excited to take him on my little adventure to Dora Nginza hospital.
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