Parkwat has been giving back to his community by doing everything from raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, to bringing free career counseling to high school students. Below, he reflects on his two latest projects.

By Parkwat Walkyes, YES 2011-2012, Nigeria, hosted by AIFS in Sharon, PA

HIV/AIDs Awareness and Free Testing Outreach

Millions in Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, continue to suffer the scourge of HIV/AIDS. Over 60% of all people living with HIV reside in this zone. Nigeria ranks 21st among Africa countries in the prevalence of the disease. No doubt, efforts have been made by governments, benevolent individuals, and non-governmental agencies (NGOs) to tackle the disease. However, we cannot leave this fight to a few groups or individuals. We must all fight this disease in our own little way. 

Volunteerism is one of the core principles of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program. In this light, on January 17, 2015, I volunteered with staff from the local clinic, Primary Health Care (PHC) Dungung in the Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. The local clinic partners with Pro-Health International Africa, a faith based non-governmental organization that was founded in 1991 and provides free health care outreach to rural communities in African countries.

We visited two remote villages, Gele and Lumpye, in the Kanke local government area. The villages are so remote that they are only accessible by motorcycle. In both villages, we were able to provide HIV/AIDS education, voluntary counselling, and free confidential testing to youth and pregnant women. We also talked to them about the proper use of condoms for preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STI's. We assured them that their identities and status would be kept confidential.

The major challenge of the outreach was access to the villages and providing education in the local dialect, since most of the community did not understand English. Regardless, the outreach was a huge success and I was proud to be a part of the outreach. 

Inspiring Big Dreams in Local Students

My next project was inspired by the fact that every human being has a a dream, goal, or wish he/she would like to achieve. As a child, I had always dreamt of going to the United States of America. My dream came true not just because I had a dream, but because someone shared that dream with me. That was the opportunity that the Kennedy - Lugar Youth and Exchange program gave me. My dream came true, so now I do whatever I can to help fulfill the dreams of others.

I noticed that many Nigerian high school students have big dreams, but what they lack is the encouragement needed to make their dreams come true. That was why I decided to organize a two-day seminar on January 23-24, 2015 about career and goal setting for the SS1 (senior secondary school form 1) students of Solid Foundation Academy. I approached the head teacher of the school and explained my idea to him, after which he gladly assured me of their willingness to participate. The class was unique because it is the first set of the school and also because it is a class that is able to choose whether they would like to study the science, social science, or arts.

On the first day of the program, the students were counselled on career choice and common mistakes students make in choosing a career. Mr. Rimfat, a chief lecturer of guidance and counselling at Federal College of Education Pankshin Plateu State, Nigeria, was the resource person. When I first approached him to talk to the students about career choice, he was happy with the idea and he pledged to do it for free. He advised the students not to be influenced by their peers or by pressure from their parents. It's very common in Nigeria for parents to choose careers for their children. At the end of the talk, many of the students asked a lot of questions and shared their fears about choosing a career, which he gladly answered. The day closed with light refreshments for the students.

On the second day of the program, I gave a PowerPoint presentation on "Goal Setting." It is important for students to make a career choice and also to plan how to achieve their dreams. After the presentation, to further highligh my point, I played a film about Ben Carson, "Gifted Hands." Afterwards, I asked each of them to write their short and long term goals, and to paste it on the wall of their rooms when they go home. Many of the students were thrilled by the movie, and one of the students even asked for a copy of the book, which I gave him. 

In conclusion, the school, managment was very helpful in making the program a success. The students were overjoyed with the two day training, and the school management has now pledged to start engaging in community service every month. How awesome is that!