Grenada Red Cross rides the BUS again for HIV/AIDS awareness

Youth peer educators of the Grenada Red Cross (GRCS) are taking a ride – literally - to spread HIV/AIDS awareness.

Last year peer educators from the GRCS’ ‘Together We Can’, the regional HIV/AIDS peer education programme, distributed key messages about the virus at transport terminals in the capital, St Georges. The activity, called the ‘Ride the BUS’ (BUS standing for ‘Building Understanding for Safety’) campaign, ran from June to September.

“After phase 1 of Ride the BUS went well, we realised there was more to do and decided to take it one step further this year,” Kerlin Charles said about Phase 2, which began November 17.

Charles, the HIV coordinator in the Health and Safety Department, said this year instead of just distributing HIV/AIDS material to the traveling public, educators will join passengers on the “bus”, which seat 18 including a driver and conductor and is more popularly known as a “maxi-taxi”.

On the journey, two educators will disseminate information to passengers about HIV, from infection rates to modes of transmission and more importantly, prevention methods. Twelve maxi-taxis will be covered at a time.

A booth will also be set up in the transport terminal for passersby to receive paraphernalia like copybooks, tee-shirts and bumper stickers.

Charles said the target group on Fridays is young people who have just finished school and college for the day and are on their way home, and young adults and adults on Saturdays.

Maxi-taxis going to rural parishes (communities) like St John, St Mark, St Andrew, St Patrick and St David were chosen as Red Cross HIV volunteers have found that people in these areas request more information relating to HIV & AIDS. For example, it’s not uncommon for someone to think they can contract the virus from a mosquito bite.

Charles said the campaign will benefit everyone: passengers don’t have to pay as the fare for the entire trip will be paid for by the Red Cross. All they have to do, is listen and join in the discussion.

The maxi-taxi drivers too are excited, as fares are guaranteed and they get a free tee-shirt and bumper stickers.

“We’re not only giving information on HIV,” added Charles, “but hope to pass on proper values and behaviours, especially to young people, and so build their self esteem.”

While the National AIDS Directorate, the relevant government HIV organization is interested in the campaign, GRCS hopes it can receive financial support to continue. It is also a recruitment drive as passengers interested in joining the Red Cross can get volunteer forms.

“People have a lot of questions. They have begun to realize that HIV impacts everyone”.