Two Foreign Languages

MDR TB. Coinfection. Discordant Couples. ARVs. CD4 Count. СНГ.

I have to admit, this is all new vocabulary for me. I feel like I am currently studying two foreign languages here in Saint-Petersburg - the language of socially significant diseases and, of course, Russian. Despite constant confusion from things lost in translation, I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

A week ago Natalie and I had a meeting with the director of E.V.A. to discuss our role with the NGO before the office officially reopened after the holidays. Volunteering with HIV+ children, writing prevention curriculum, educating HIV+ mothers on the importance of using milk formula…I had some vague expectations as to what my time here would look like…STOP. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. And I mean this in the most positive way possible. Here is what I did not expect - I am working with THE leader in changing what it means to be an HIV+ woman in Saint Petersburg. And not just Saint Petersburg, this encompasses the whole of Russia.

My ignorance didn’t stop there. Alexandra Volgina, who I have been nonchalantly emailing for the last few months, is much more than the director of this powerhouse NGO. She is a famous activist in this country and is internationally renown for her work within the HIV/AIDS sphere. One of the first women to openly share her HIV+ status, one of the first activists to go to the Russian government and demand treatment for a population that was dying, a woman who is changing the face of HIV+ IDUs.

Here is a bit about her story:

http://www.hivhumanrightsnow.org/blog/alexandra-volgina-would-it-be-easier-if-i-lied/

She was the opening speaker of the 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna. nbd people….nbd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi4Swx0Yz5Q

The ridiculous thing is, they want me here working with them. I wake up every morning and feel way out of my league – especially since Natalie eats and breaths this public health jargon. But if my greatest contribution is no more than translation work, social media development, working on grants, and spending time with HIV+ women and children, I’ll take it. Just being in the midst of such grassroots energy, working on addressing humanity’s most basic need in a real and practical way is greater than any experience I could have imagined.

So, as I wake up each morning to do my daily (self-taught) Russian lesson, I’m throwing in a few articles on HIV, TB, and organizations like UNAIDS. I have the distinct feeling that just as my mind settles back into thinking and speaking in Russian, I will also adapt to life in the public health sphere.

To learn more about E.V.A. check out there website:

http://evanetwork.ru/

(I’m currently working on the English version of this website, and I apologize that I haven’t been able to translate more of its content…check back in a few weeks)