HIV / AIDS Management

Our housekeeper, Phinious, is a highly motivated and thoughtful individual. When he approaches us about loaning / granting him the money to earn the Malawian equivalent of an associate’s degree in HIV / AIDS Management, we readily agree. Little do I know at the time that helping Phinious with his course homework will be one of the most interesting and enjoyable ways I spend my time here in Malawi.

In general, I’m impressed by the types of questions asked: define the “charity paradox” and talk about why grassroots development is important; discuss how the Millennium Development Goals relate to HIV / AIDS in Malawi; list and explain barriers to communication. Coaching Phinious through crafting his responses to these questions gets me my mentorin fix and my social justice conversation fix all in one. And I get an “on the ground” perspective on Malawian culture, tradition and what it might take to stop the AIDS epidemic here.

Our most profound conversation by far starts when Phinious knocks at the back door one afternoon. “One of my teachers told me that AIDS is a punishment from God,” he tells me, “and one of my teachers told me that AIDS came from gay people in New York. Which is true?” I’m surprised by this mis-information, as the teachers have seemed generally well informed and liberal-minded up until now, but probably should not be given the general religious fundamentalism that abounds. 

We embark on a two hour online investigation of the origins of the AIDS virus, exploring evolution, the biology of viruses and an amazing New Yorker article on “virus hunters” along the way. At the end, Phinious is fully convinced by the scientific evidence, although a bit concerned about how he will navigate the treacherous waters of moralism with his teachers and classmates. Here’s to passing on the information torch! Hearing Phinious' views and goals, I can't wait to see what impact he has...