My name is Marie and this week is my first week interning at Designers Against AIDS, a non- profit organization. My interview was on Friday and saying I was nervous is an understatement. What drew me in to apply at Designers Against AIDS was the fact that I grew up in a LEDC - Senegal. A country where, even though it maintained a low HIV prevalence, it was still a problem for those that had the disease because of the poor health care.

My father currently lives in Kenya, a country where they have experienced an impressive decline of people with HIV/AIDS, but it's still an urgent matter. I realized this when I spent my Christmas break volunteering at an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. The orphanage was called New Life Home Trust, founded by Clive and Mary Beckenham in 1994. It deals with abandoned and vulnerable babies, particularly with those affected by HIV/AIDS. They then provide these children with educational and medical welfare. I was honored to help out and humbled to be there. I worked with children between the ages of 1-3 and being aware of the fact that some of them had this disease before their life even started broke my heart. Now, I know the importance of getting tested and having safe sex, because the last thing one would want to do is give it to someone else, let alone give it to your unborn child.

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I am looking forward to working here because I think it's important to raise awareness about this commonly occurring disease in all parts of the world, even in MEDC’s such as my native country. Belgium alone deals with 3 new infections per day, which is a large number considering it's such a small country.