Race of Hope

            Each year a race is held on Mt. Cameroon, the largest mountain in Cameroon and also an active volcano. The event attracts thousands of people from around the world. Runners are able to complete the race in a single day, going up to the summit at 13,000 feet and back down, sometimes in just several hours. Peace Corps has begun using the event as a grounds for education and outreach in recent years, and has seen great success. This year, certain volunteers worked incredibly hard to organize a mass HIV screening and education. Over 30 volunteers showed up to help out, and I was lucky enough to participate. Participants came in and played several games to learn about the facts of HIV and AIDS, from condom demonstrations to trivia. If they wanted to, they were then able to undergo rapid HIV testing to learn their status. This year, the race fell on Valentine’s Day, and many couples were encouraged to attend together. Around 700 people were successfully tested throughout the day.

            I took the opportunity to do epilepsy education. While participants waited for their test results (normally about a ten minute process), I ran a booth in conjunction with CODEF (Community Development and Epilepy Foundation) to promote awareness. We were able to reach over 650 people. We taught them about the causes of epilepsy, the treatment options, and what to do in the event of a seizure. People were very interested and often knew or had seen people having seizures but had many misconceptions about it. Many thought it was contagious and many thought there were no treatment options. It was wonderful to be able to reach so many people. In addition to the education activity, I also met with the Regional Delegate for health and gained his approval and support for the work we are currently conducting to combat epilepsy.