Camp SEHAT: Sex Education and HIV/AIDS Awareness for Teens

For about a year, I have been planning a sex education and HIV/AIDS awareness camp. I hesitated doing it because I wasn't sure how much money I would need, if anyone in my village would help me, or if kids would even show up. I finally just sucked it up and told myself, "This camp is going to happen." Luckily, I had the support of my counterpart, Bu Muji, the entire time.

The banner for Camp SEHAT that welcomed all the students

I did most of the fundraising, but honestly Bu Muji put the rest of the camp together. Once the money arrived, she called all the presenters, wrote the proposal, and made sure the stickers/t-shirts/banners were made on time. I am so grateful to have someone in my village who is so passionate about HIV/AIDS prevention. She is a true gem.

Bu Muji doing a presentation on sexual harassment

The name of the camp came from another volunteer, Carly. SEHAT stands for Sex Education and HIV/AIDS Awareness for Teens. "Sehat" in Indonesian means "healthy." The acronym worked out perfectly! Camp SEHAT hosted 28 middle school students in a 2-day, 1-night camp.

Students lining up to register for Camp SEHAT and yours truly helping greet everyone!

For the most part, the camp ran smoothly. However, the students and I endured a lot of jam karet (rubber time) for the first five hours. Presenters were late, the opening ceremony was late, and we were late to starting our get-to-know-you game. It made my New England blood boil, but I had another volunteer, Julia, there to calm me down.

Four teachers (myself included) host the opening ceremony at Konang Beach

Over the course of 2 days, the students learned about sexual harassment, sex education, HIV/AIDS prevention. In between sessions, we played games and sang songs. The kids seemed to enjoy both the seminars and the games, so I'd go ahead and call that a success!

PCV Charisse and her counterpart Pak Khoirul Huda presenting on germ theory

Additionally, Julia brought two Indonesian friends with her who work in the health sector. They were so impressed with Camp SEHAT that they are trying to replicate it in their village next month. Their camp will host between 70-80 students. They are also looking to extend the camp, so they hope to do a 3-day, 2-night camp. I am so excited that this idea has hit the ground running!

Julia and I are both working on making materials and resources available for Camp SEHAT so that other Peace Corps Volunteers can replicate it in the future. I hope this is a sustainable project that I can leave behind as I move on from Peace Corps Indonesia. So far, it's off to a great start!