EVERY ONE AND I go to ICASA

December 8, 2011

Hiwot Emishaw

ICASA conference facilities, Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa

8.30am: the trick of getting to the conference facilities

As I arrive at the Millennium Hall for the second day of the ICASA (International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa) , I am told by my colleague Neda, EVERY ONE campaign’s administrator, she had the pleasure of sharing the campaign vision with hundreds of eager people from around the world particularly from Africa earlier on Monday

Due to the strict security procedures, we had to park our car about a kilometer away from the hall gates. Neda tells me to make sure I have my fancy exhibitors’ badge which was apparently cleared for security by the National Intelligence and Security Services. I hang on to it and start the long walk to the gates with my 6 inch heels, which I  decided to put on for the occasion- thinking I would get to take the car in to the compounds.  Great!

We are now half way in to the walk and I am starting to regret the high heels and carrying my laptop and so many EVERY ONE pledge cards. Neda offers to help, but I bravely say “no, am fine. These shoes are super comfy”

When we are finally inside, I am completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of people walking in all directions carrying the official ICASA participant bags and all they picked up from the exhibitors so far.

 A sense of excitements fills my heart as I see the many white tents (temporary conference centers) named after the many tourist attractions of my proud land Ethiopia. Not surprisingly, Lalibela (coined the eighth Wonder of the World) is among them.

9am: the EVERY ONE stall 

The EVERY ONE campaign is one of the hundreds of exhibitors at this big event. Neda had done a good job of distributing over two hundred pledge cards when I arrived. Our exhibition stall, which is located just next to the Eastern gate, attracts everyone who passes by. After hundreds of people coming by and taking the one pager and other documents about the campaign, I started figuring out what was most attractive about our stall was  the illusion that we were giving away free t-shirts and goody bags. It got us to over 800 signatures and we only had to give away a few. What is it with people and free stuff anyway? Oh yes, it is free!

11am: Visiting the neighborhood

After hours at our stall, I decided to pay a visit to some of the other exhibitors. I started with the Federal Ministry of Health, which was to my immediate left. I was particularly pleased to see that some of their materials included our EVERY ONE logo. What a wonderful way to see the collaboration between the two of us! I was so pleased with the warm welcome the stall mangers gave me, I decided to give away some of our coveted t-shirts and scarves to them.

Our very own Save the Children, various pharmaceutical companies, laboratories, Ethiopian Midwives Association and countless NGOs were among the exhibitors that I visited. I could not walk anymore in my very uncomfortable shoes so I decided to go back to our stall.

2pm: back in the saddle

As much as I am enjoying promoting the campaign to hundreds of people, I am getting tired of telling people we don’t have any more goody bags for them. “But I just saw my friends carrying about ten” insists a delegate from Cameroon. I politely answer “Sir, we don’t have any more to give to you. Come back tomorrow morning” I say, looking at my colleague Neda, who is about to strangle me because of that remark. She knows she has to pay for it when she comes in tomorrow morning with hundreds of people nagging her about it.

4pm: visiting the local village and shopping (hurray!)

A Kenyan delegate alerts me that there is a wonderful market set up just steps from our exhibitors’ tent to the west. The eternal shopaholic, I look at her gorgeous Ethiopian hand made scarf and become restless.

Neda agrees to watch the stall for a couple of minutes so I can go shopping and visit the local NGOs village. I eagerly make my way to the market but my eyes were immediately attracted to the “Condomize” campaign run by UNFPA, DKT and other partners.

The huge banner and the colorful t-shirts do not detract from the key messages that the Condomize campaign is trying to promote: hundred percent condom use. That is one way of getting to this year’s World AIDS day theme “000- Zero new infections, zero HIV related deaths and Zero Discrimination”.

Before leaving the Condomize space, Henock Alemayehu, the founder and CEO of one of the most prominent anti HIV local NGOS, (Timret Le Hiwot or Alliance for Life) and a good friend of mine grabs me by the arm and takes me to the stall for “Commercial Sex Workers- “Nikat”.( roughly meaning ”Awareness”).  I have learnt about this organization over the years, about the wonderful work they do in creating alternative income generating activities for commercial sex workers (or, Survival Sex workers, as they call them).

5.30pm: it is time to go home

After a long but fruitful day, it is time for me and Neda to go home. Getting to the gate, I realize we have over 500 signatures. The day was a total success.