The first week of December was the Regional Forum that I have
spent six months planning!
All of the PATA staff (the five of us) moved into the hotel
a day early to do set up for the conference. The Protea Fire and Ice Hotel in
Cape Town was amazing and very helpful for everything we needed done.
Delegates started arriving late morning on Monday all the
way up until close to dinner time. We had 77 delegates from 20 treatment teams
arrive. It was supposed to be 79, but two Angolans did not come without telling
us they had changed their minds (thus we lost money on them since it was paid
for – how rude). The countries
represented were South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi,
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, and Nigeria. We also welcomed
around 40 individuals who were donors, speakers, or PATA steering committee
members. Angolan and Mozambique delegates speak Portuguese which meant we had
translators on hand for everything.
I had the task of getting the correct lanyard/nametag to
each guest, distributing conference bags, explaining the program, masterclass
signup sheets, and providing 200 condoms to each clinic team for them to take
home. Thankfully Echati helped me because otherwise it would have been too much
to handle, especially when the 40 people arrived at the same time off the
flight from Jo’burg.
That evening was the opening dinner which featured a choir
of HIV-positive individuals singing African songs. I was the only one who did
not know the lyrics as all of the delegates were singing along. I was told one
of the songs was the South African National Anthem. Also Premier Helen Zille of the Western Cape
Government made an opening speech praising PATA and the work we are doing.
After many more speeches we had a buffet dinner.
The conference starting the next day with Day 1: Engagement
in the cascade of care. Each day had plenary sessions with guest speakers
sharing knowledge on the day theme. Then came two workshops, first in
professional groups (so all the nurses worked together) then in clinic teams
(so it was one of each profession from the home clinic). These help them create
their goals for the following year and to address major issues at the clinic
with resolutions to enact to make a change. The afternoons feature a sharing
session from the workshop, speakers’ corner presentations from different
delegates, and optional masterclasses to learn on varying topics that aren’t
the three day themes. Day 2 focused on
Managing co-infection and Day 3 was Disclosure. In the conference room we had
headsets to wear for simultaneous translation of the Portuguese to English and
vice versa. Whenever a Portuguese delegate wanted to talk we had to all put on
our headsets – it felt very UN.
Throughout all of this I helped with everything needed to
make the days we worked so hard to coordinate run smoothly. I assisted in the
workshop rooms, distributed documents and stickers, changed signs, and
interacted with many clinic team members. It was very rewarding to hear them
call my name and ask me for help as a member of PATA.
For dinners we spent one night at the waterfront, with the
delegates wandering wherever they wanted. Then next was build-a-burger where we
spiced our own meat to cook and had competitions for the best burger. This night
was so much fun as while the burgers we created were cooking an impromptu dance
party broke out. Everyone was singing and dancing (once again I did not know
the words). They bonded with each other and called teams into the center to
dance. Even PATA got a turn in the middle!
Unfortunately my burger did not win any prizes.
The last night was our closing ceremony and dinner. We took
everyone in the cable car up Table Mountain for the speeches and reflection.
Then we had dinner at the Gold restaurant in town that serves 13 courses all of
different African variety so you taste dishes from many countries. This dinner
ran very late and the delegates were falling asleep at the table. The staff
plays traditional music and dances for you – which woke quite a few people up
as they beat the drums and moved about.
On the day of departure we got up to see off the delegates
at check out. The only problem was they had 6:00 flights so a 4:30 in the
morning pick up time. It was very early and I was very tired. Once everyone was
gone we got to go home, instead of work and I immediately fell asleep exhausted.
The forum overall was absolutely incredible to be a part of.
I learned so much and met very influential and interesting people in the
HIV/AIDS field as well as in Public Health. Every delegate learned who I was
and what I was doing and loved me for it. They were all so great to meet. PATA
2013 East Africa Regional Forum is most likely being held in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania and I have every intention of going!
Interesting things from the forum:
·
Dr. Andrew Kiboneka from Botswana has lived in
Omaha, Nebraska and studied at Creighton University. He asked where I was from
and I told him Nebraska (most people have no clue where that is), but he goes “Omaha.
I have been to California and New York as well, but I liked Nebraska best.”
Made my morning!
·
A good portion of delegates had never left their
home country before.
·
We gave gift vouchers worth R100 to the
waterfront for dinner. They came as cards that you can use anywhere you want.
Some delegates did not know how to use it and wanted their R100 not some card.
·
The delegates come to learn. They did not slack
off from the conference nor stay up late partying/drinking. Come morning everyone
was ready to go.
·
It is hard work keeping Africans on time. We had
to start threatening things in order to get people there. We said the bus for
Table Mountain left at a certain time and if you weren’t ready we would leave
you behind and you could find your own way – several delegates had to pay for
taxis to the mountain.
·
I learned I kind of like red bull – Nadine our
savior of a Conference coordinator for the hotel gave PATA staff red bull when
we looked like we had no energy left. It definitely helped.
·
Tea breaks happen late morning and early
afternoon every day. Now without them back in my apartment and at work I get
hungry for snacks then, but no longer get any.
·
Dr. Shaffiq Essajee flew from our conference to
Geneva to be involved in a World Health Organization meeting on pediatric HIV
guidelines (SO COOL)
