On December 20, 2019, our 2nd secondary students welcomed representatives from Anwar Al Mahaba, a non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and provide patients with medical and mental care while taking into account their dignity and human rights.
Prior to the conference, a group of students designed a brochure which was then posted in each classroom. Upon entering the auditorium, each student was offered a special AIDS pin prepared by their own classmates.
The session began by a shared experience with one of the AIDS patients. He expressed how much suffering he endured not only physically but also socially. He narrated how he felt excluded from his family, neighbors, and community. Such disease hits the person rock bottom making him feel vulnerable to physical ailments and depression. It is thanks to Anwar Al-Mahaba that he feels respected and alive again.
The patient ended his conference by stressing the importance of saying NO to drugs that can lead to AIDS and suicide.
He also expressed how much one should be grateful. No one should ever give up in life. There is always someone who can lift us up in this world.
The session was then followed by a PowerPoint and discussion on facts related to AIDS and its prevention.
At the end of the presentation, our students learned an important lesson: Our life is valuable and should not be taken for granted. God has given us so many gifts. It is our responsibility to respect our body and embrace human dignity.