4/10/97
I chose to do my Service Learning at the Waikiki Health Center. the program that I am in deals with the working ladies of Waikiki (prostitutes). My job there is to become familiar with STD/AIDS information and apply it to talking and answering questions on the STD/ AIDS Hotline. Which is located at the Waikiki Health Center. I assist with the By-Monthly Newsletter "On the Track". By focusing on the STD/ AIDS information I create literature that suits the prostitutes and provide many different types of information for them. I also create my own activity for the Prostitutes on the street.
I work with a lady in her mid twenties named Kimberly Gallant. She just graduated with her masters degree in social work. I also work with a guy named Paul Chen. He is the STD/AIDS program coordinator. They both are very nice and cool to work with. Also very much dedicated to their jobs and the people they work with.
Both of their offices are located in the Waikiki Health Center. As I entered Kims office I thought to myself, "Gee what a messy office!" But there are really stunning posters on the walls, that pertain to prostitution and safe sex. I really tripped out when I saw boxes and boxes of assorted condoms in her office. Drawers full of astroglide and more condoms.
Before I even started the Service Learning Project Kim gave me handouts to read on prostitution and STD/AIDS. About 50 pages of reading. She asked me to read those handouts and to familiarize myself with what I would be dealing with while working at the Health Center. KimO also gave me about 10 different newsletters "On-the Track" to read and to get a general idea of what I would have to create on my own. These newsletters contained information for the ladies on the street. All kinds of facts about AIDS and STD's. But, of course not in the high-tech language the we speak, but more in like a street talk way. The newsletters also contained messages for the ladies, like thanking them for doing this and that. Letting them know where to go, what to do, and who to call when in need of any kind of assistance.
So far I've came up with different kinds of games to play on the street with the ladies. But Kim chose one that she really liked- "Spin the Dick on the Track" We really didn't discuss all the details of the game but so far we came up with like a big circular poster board divided up into slots and in these slots have different questions pertaining to STD/AIDS and what this or that stands for or what it means. Then we have like a big Penis that spins. What ever they land on they have to answer. I did some reading and researching about all of the different types of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS and came up with a total of 40 questions.
I found it very interesting but yet some what gross at the same time. By doing all of the research and looking at many different pictures it really opened my eyes to what is out there. I remembered reading the Tortora book and it showing pictures of many different kinds of diseases and I used most of that information for my questions.