EIL Intercultural Learning

Hi Meave! First of all, can you introduce yourself, where you are from,  what you do?

My name is Maeve Galvin, I’m 24 years-old and from the lovely seaside town of Bray Co. Wicklow. At the moment I’m doing a Masters in Development Studies in DCU. I also work part time as a News Reporter for the Evening Herald.

Next month you're going to Nigeria as part of the Global Awareness Programme. Are you excited about that? Is that your first volunteer abroad experience?

Excited beyond belief! I have gotten my hands on a load of books and I’m doing best to learn everything I can about Nigeria before I go. I feel incredibly fortunate to have gotten a place on this programme. I’m literally counting the days. Although I’ve done a lot of volunteer work in Ireland, I’ve really wanted to volunteer abroad for years. I never had the opportunity until now which makes it all the more exciting for me.

Why did you decide to apply for this programme and what are you expecting from this volunteer experience?

My main reason for applying for this programme was I felt a huge draw to the fact that it focuses on awareness. I really wanted to find an opportunity to use my skills as a journalist for something that I feel utterly passionate about. It’s been said that the most effective weapon we have at our disposal to fight HIV and AIDS is education and awareness creation. I really believe in communication as a catalyst for change and this programme is a wonderful opportunity to use it to its full potential.

I’ve no doubt that the volunteer experience will be challenging at times but my aim is for the challenging aspects of it to be what motivates me and pushes me to work incredibly hard while there and also to maximise awareness about HIV and AIDS at home. I also think that it will be an incredible adventure. I am someone who really enjoys immersing themselves in a new culture. I’m really excited to experience food, weather, customs and culture completely different from what I’m used to. Although it can be daunting I think that it’s a great thing to be put out of your comfort zone and to be encouraged to try new things. I’m expecting to learn and experience a great deal, to use to my skills to best of my ability and to hopefully make a strong contribution to the ongoing fight against HIV and AIDS.

On your return to Ireland, you will be leading an Awareness Raising Campaign. What do you think about making your community more aware of HIV&AIDS issues? How important do you think public action is?

I think that it is absolutely crucial to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS within my community. I’ve been engaging with people on the subject in advance of going to Nigeria and I really feel that it is frightening that the issue is dominated by so much stigma, misinformation and just plain lack of awareness. There is a vital need to bring the issue to people’s attention again as it seems to have somehow fallen off the media and political agenda here. Collective action is incredibly important as a reminder that HIV and AIDS is not simply Africa’s problem. At least one person is now diagnosed HIV positive in Ireland every day. At the moment people are really shocked when they hear this but I really feel that this needs to be made common knowledge so that we can fight against the rising number of HIV and AIDS in this country.

Aside from the increasing figures, stigma is an enormous obstacle for those living with HIV and AIDS. This, along with misinformation is an ongoing problem in this country. For example, last year an Equality Tribunal found that a HIV positive man wasn’t given basic treatment because of his illness. Such discrimination is utterly irrational and the best way for us to stamp it out is with proper communication and education in our communities. Now more than ever, is an especially pressing time to raise awareness in the community. HIV and AIDS services are said to be under severe pressure because of cutbacks. I think public action is the most effective way of ensuring their survival and before we do that we need to make people aware of the dire need for these services. Public action is also the best way of encouraging our government to continue to provide incentives and funding for programmes including that of medical researchers working on treatments for the disease.