Rene Constanza

HIV/AIDS - Education - Belize (Caribbean, Mexico and Central America)

 

The increase of HIV/AIDS infections amongst young people in Rene’s home country is alarming.

“According to UNAIDS 2003 report, Belize has one of the highest incidence rate (per capita) in Central America. Cultural and societal norms in Belize impede any effective discussion of issues pertinent to sexuality. In addition, the religious dominance in my country makes this subject taboo in schools especially in Catholic schools, the largest educational system in Belize.”

 

Being a secondary school principal at Bishop Martin High School and working closely together with the Belize Red Cross Society, Rene is establishing a clinic that provides different services such as one-on-one contact and workshops.

 

Renes Action Plan is related to youth and their awareness of HIV/AIDS. The original Action Plan was to establish a Peer Educator Program in secondary schools in Belize. The Peer Education Program would utilize creative learning strategies in the form of drama and interactive programs to achieve its objectives. His goal was to get PLWHA involved in the program and change the attitude towards them.

 

However, Rene and his team had to deal with a strong stigma and the problem of “machismo” in the community and within the society of Belize. They didn’t get a response from youth as there are cultural and social taboos and young people fear to be stigmatized automatically when they talk about HIV/AIDS.

 

Rene had to go back to the basics and change the means of his Action Plan. His new goal is to establish a clinic and provide different types of services. There will be a place where people can actually go to and have private one-on-one contact. Rene also wants to provide workshops in the clinic.

 

“I will know that there is a difference when there is openness to discuss the HIV/AIDS issues, students become more conscious of problems and solutions; incidence of disease in youths fall, attitude toward PLWHA is changed.”