Jenny Rotter is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, with a degree in Public Policy. And she will be teaching elementary education in Detroit through Teach for American (TFA). She writes about her experience both in South Africa and in Jamaica, and concludes that there are more similarities than differences. Jenny spent seven months in Cape Town working with HIV positive groups. I think her experience with POA gave her insights about shaping how to think about her place in the world.
Enjoy,
Nesha Z. Haniff
Director, Pedagogy of Action
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Cross-Cultural Experiences Working in HIV
By Jenny Rotter
I first became involved with POA after returning from a seven-month study abroad trip to South Africa. There, I worked for two months as the Program Coordinator for CAFDA, a social services organization in the Cape Flats region. That was my first experience in working on the frontlines of HIV. When I came back, I saw POA as another opportunity to engage in similar work, learn about a different culture, and reflect on the initial experiences I had in working with HIV.
One of the most prominent similarities with doing HIV related work in both countries was the intense stigma that was associated with having the virus. Fighting against stigma in Cape Town was a constant battle. Even within the organization I worked at, I often argued with the social workers in order to receive food and clothing donations for my HIV positive support group members. In Jamaica, many of the rural areas focused on abstinence as the only method of HIV prevention. This made it difficult to teach ideas of health ownership because for so long they have only been taught to be faithful to one partner. Teaching abstinence as the sole method for HIV prevention greatly contributed to the myths and stigma associated with the virus.
The second most striking similarity between the two countries was the immense amounts of generosity and hospitality that we received from the people who have guided us. Everyone I met in South Africa, whether it was the a co-worker of CAFDA or the son of the previous finance minister made no hesitation to invite me to stay at their home, go to a large family dinner, or attend a service at their church. In Kingston, I was in awe of Barrington Watson’s willingness to open his home and studio to a group of students he never met. His comfort in showing us his studio, a place of great personal and emotional value is an act that would be rare in the United States. Although the staff we worked with at JFLAG lacked a stable office, they did not hesitate to offer to drive us to and from our teaching sites, never once expecting anything in return. Coming from a country that values individualism, these experiences have shown us the graciousness of the human spirit, regardless of one’s income. Although Jamaica and South Africa have distinctly different histories and cultures, it is these human experiences that are the most impactful and will hopefully be carried with us upon our return.
