To equip the people with basic knowledge of the disease, World Vision’s Dien Bien Dong Area Development Program (ADP) in cooperation with local authority organized a series of training courses on HIV and AIDS to eight remote villages in the mountainous district from February 25 till March 1. More than 400 ethnic minority women participated in the courses.

“I didn’t know what HIV and AIDS is so I was quite embarrassed when my village’s leader invited me to attend the course,” said Lu Thi Ngan, a 30-year-old Thai ethnic minority woman. “The information is necessary because I’m taught about HIV, prevention measures. I’m also provided condoms for the first time.

“I’ll talk with my husband about the knowledge,” she added. “The first thing I’ll do at home is to ask each of my family’s members to have a separate toothbrush.”

More than 250 people were reportedly infected with HIV/AIDS in Dien Bien Dong District in first half of 2009, according to the official statistics. The number increased to to 285 carrriers by the end of 2009. Eleven people including a child died of the disease.

“It’s uneasy to organize such training at villages,” said the trainer, Lo Thi Chanh. “The roads to these villages are rough. Local people are busy with their crops and reluctant with a sensitive topic of HIV and AIDS. Many of ethnic minority women don’t know the national language of Vietnam. It took us time to encourage them to join the trainings.”

“I hope women have some basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS, transmission and prevention methods of the disease because they’re the most vulnerable,” said the woman, who is a staff of Women’s Union of Dien Bien Dong District and World Vision’s volunteer.

It’s the first time that Dien Bien Dong ADP has held such training courses on HIV and AIDS. Local men will be focus of the ADP-funded next training courses. The ADP also plans to organize competitions at villages and district to further raise awareness of local people about the topic.