Today was the first day of my internship at the
Treatment Action Campaign in the Khayalitsha Township. About one million people are congealed in
this area and I found it to be very upsetting to see that families have to live
in such squalor; after almost two decades of the demise of apartheid, the
effects of segregation live on. I have
been assigned to the communications department and have been involved in
research and the formulation of press releases.
I was amazed and inspired by their achievements in the face of such
hardship. One such accomplishment is the
widespread access of Nevirapine, which reduces the chance of HIV transmission
from mother to baby to little over 8%; the availability is a direct result from
TACs committed advocacy. The level of
denialism regarding HIV/AIDS in South Africa dismayed me, particularly the
response of President Zuma when he had unprotected sex with a person who was
HIV positive. When asked if he was
concerned about possible infection he asserted that he was fine because he took
a shower. I was also shocked to
understand the level of mistrust in the South African Police Service. Police officers will sell their weapons to
known criminals and then report that their weapon was stolen. They will then be resupplied with new
equipment and later sell on to criminals.
Interning at TAC has been an eye opening experience as I have absorbed
so much and comprehended governmental responses to the HIV epidemic.
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