HIV/AIDS at the University

HIV/AIDS is huge problem in South Africa and it is a daily part of the life of millions here. On a national level around 15% of South Africans are infected. If you take away those under 15 years of age and those above 40 years of age you find that the percentage of infected for people between 15 and 40 is a lot higher.

Stellenbosch University is mainly a white University, with educated parents. Most of the students belong to the age group with the highest risk, but they should also be those who knows the most about the danger of HIV/AIDS. The estimated percentage of infected students at the University is around 25%. Imagine that, one out of four students are infected with HIV/AIDS, and then you can most probably add some more because it is hard to get people to test them selves.
This means that out of the 50 students I can see around me know around 12 are infected with HIV/AIDS.

Sometimes I am shocked and surprised by the hard reality and stupidity of the area and people around me. Students here are like students everywhere. They are generally happy, drinking and fucks around quiet freely. I just find it hard to realize that to use a condom is still not considered obligatory. Or that very many are not bothered or afraid of 'hooking' up with random persons on a Saturday. I just can't really understand this.

The old perceptions of HIV/AIDS to be a gay or black disease is not valid anymore. This is mainly a white University, with students with the background you will usually consider 'safe' in this regard, and the infection rate is still 25%, if not more. When will the normative perception of who are infected and who are not infected be changed? The truth is that you cannot trust anyone. You never know who people was with before, or who that person was with before that. It makes me scared to think about. Furthermore, it is just not statistics about a place far away. It is where I am, where I will be for the next year and the people in the statistics are the people I know and see every day.

One final note to make a comparison. Imagine if 25% of the students of the University of Oslo had HIV/AIDS. Or if 15% of the Norwegian population were infected (Approximately 650 000). How would that influence the economy, the society, your home community, the voters before the election, etcetera?

School as normal

It is already mid-term break here in South Africa and it is strange to know that the semester is over in two months. I have a quiet break with some library time and some not library time. I really like being in the library in the break because it is as hectic as during a normal week. I easily find a good place to sit without having people around on all sides.

On Monday and Tuesday we had a study trip that SPOSSA arranged. It was very interesting and it was nice to see what we actually can organize ourselves. We meet with some research institutions, tour at Western Province and National Parliament, meeting with an ANC Parliamentarian, visited a volunteer center and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Several of them had organized a lot before we came. The Ministry for Home Affairs had 6 of their people presenting for over two hours. The Parliament provided us with a lot of food, and the ANC Parliamentarian offered to give us a very interesting tour of the Parliament, including some secret passages built by the Apartheid, torture chambers in the basement from the British and a lot more than the standard visitor are not showed. It was two long, but interesting days.

On Tuesday night I got to watch Norway win against Portugal, thanks to SuperSport Maximo and the previous Portuguese colonies of Mozambique and Angola. It would be perfect if Norway qualify for the European Championship in Poland/Ukraine 2012.

The weather is really starting to be good again and most days are now quiet warm and the nights are not cold anymore. It will soon be problematic sleeping again, something that I am not to excited about.