Passion

"Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." --Confucius

You know those days when you're just sitting at work, wondering why you're there, and then suddenly something happens that takes you back to why you're doing what you're doing? Well on Friday I had one of those moments. 

I've started to interview people for my graduate school research capstone and have been lucky enough to be connected with some amazing people working in various public health offices on a national level. When I initially sat down with the Executive Director for the organization I'm working with and he listed all the organizations he's connected with and who I could interview, my inner professional self did a happy dance. To be able to talk with some of the people who have developed the adolescent reproductive health curricula for the entire country or talk with people who have been part of one of the largest IEC/health promotion event in the world just gives me the greatest joy. 

So on Friday, I met with staff at the National AIDS Control Office (NACO) under the Ministry of Health. Back in 2007, NACO started the Red Ribbon Express, one of the largest health promotion campaigns in the world. They knew that they had to develop an innovative and successful health promotion campaign teaching people about HIV prevention and why to get tested. So they decided to have a train go around the country for an entire year, spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS, promoting safe sex and reducing discrimination against AIDS victims. They painted colorful murals on the outside of the train cars and inside the train cars were various multi-media exhibits. 

This campaign was so successful that they ended up running this train for a total of three years, with each year having a different focus. The second year of the Red Ribbon Express focused on how to change stigma about HIV/AIDS and the third year focused on targeting youth. 

When I spoke with someone who had worked on this campaign from the very beginning, it just amazed me that despite all of their challenges and issues they thought they would face along the way, they were still very successful in their efforts. During the first year of the Red Ribbon Express, they thought that people wouldn't come for HIV counseling because of the stigma associated with it, but in fact it worked so well that during the second year of the train, they added HIV testing to their activities. 

This is what drives me. It gives me the motivation to get through those crummy days because I know that sooner or later I'm going to have one of these amazing days. And when you have an amazing day at the office, you know it's been a good day.