c





 
 Internationally, we aim to provide HIV rapid testing and counseling to rural villagers in
developing nations and pursue an awareness initiative to statistically at-risk populations. On campus, we aim to
provide volunteer and research opportunities regarding HIV/AIDS through collaboration with local HIV-related
organizations and a bi-monthly newsletter, and host events that increase awareness and mobilize students to make
a difference including panels, film-screenings, and fundraising campaigns.


 India has a population of over a billion and it is estimated that 5.1 million individuals are infected
with HIV. It has the second largest number of HIV infections in the world and accounts for nearly 10 percent of
the global HIV/AIDS prevalence. In the summer of 2008, I conducted field research in Punjab, India to analyze
the lack of adequate healthcare in the rural villages of northern India. My research showed a shocking lack of
awareness and accessibility to testing for HIV/AIDS due to a variety of factors including social stigma,
corruption, distrust, and ignorance. AIDS Brigades allows undergraduates like you and me to make a difference.
You may be wondering why we are piloting in Honduras if my research was in India. While I aim to expand the
program to other countries including India, there are two reasons why we are focusing on Honduras first. Firstly,
Honduras has a great need for our program. Honduras is one of the hardest-hit countries in Central America, with
an adult HIV prevalence of 1.8%. Principle causes of the high HIV prevalence include stigma and lack of
awareness, which lead to negative economic and social consequences for the country. Secondly, it will be best for
AIDS Brigades to launch with as much support and resources as possible. Global Brigades, our fiscal sponsor, is
based in Honduras, and will be of crucial logistical support. Details are elaborated below.



 What makes UAID unique from any other existing organization, is that it is an undergraduate-led
organization. We aim to utilize the efforts of college students across America as the volunteer force behind this
initiative who will also benefit from a global public health experience. Furthermore, Global Brigades, a secular
501 c3 nonprofit, is our fiscal sponsor. Global Brigades is the world¶s largest student-led global health and
sustainable development organization that provides the opportunity to volunteer overseas in a variety of public
health and development programs. Being a part of this organization means that we have connections and
networking with over 100 universities across America, logistical support in the form of lodging, food, in-country
travel and translators, financial support, and an established international infrastructure that will enable UAID to
expand rapidly and successfully.





 From my research, I discovered that the best way to implement the program in
rural villages is at the dispensary level. Dispensaries are the most basic form of medical care the Indian
government provides and are often the only source of healthcare for many villages. This is the most direct way to
help villagers, and it provides a healthcare building with practicing doctors that would be convenient to
incorporate our program into. The role of the undergraduate students who travel to the rural villages is to provide
HIV testing and counseling in these dispensaries. UAID utilizes rapid HIV testing because the results of the test
are ready in 5 to 30 minutes and it allows testing, counseling, and referrals to be done in one visit. Furthermore,
they are less costly, positive people get into medical care quicker because results are delivered quicker, clinical
studies have demonstrated that the sensitivity and the specificity of rapid HIV tests are comparable to those of
EIAs often used for screening, and potential exposures that would have occurred between traditional testing and
receiving results is reduced. However, because false positive tests do occur, all positive tests have to be confirmed
with a conventional Western Blot test. Complying with CDC protocol, the students will encompass both
components of HIV counseling: provision of information and prevention counseling. All patients will receive
information about the rapid test and give informed consent for testing, and patients who can benefit will also
receive prevention counseling. All students will provide counseling in a face-to-face meeting, but our program
also aims to include pamphlets, brochures, and videos as well. Counseling includes information about the HIV
test, its benefits and consequences, ways HIV is transmitted and how it can be prevented, the meaning of the test
results in explicit, understandable language, and where to obtain further information and testing services. Before
going abroad, all students in this program will complete a detailed orientation provided by Hispanos Unidos
including information about HIV/AIDS, counseling scripts and practice, and the village where they will be
volunteering. To keep our organization self-sufficient, the students will pay for their flight and stay abroad,
though the organization will organize the trip and help the students in every way to fundraise. Yale University has
been very supportive of this program, so it is probable that we will receive a considerable amount of funding for
our travels. The FDA-Approved Rapid HIV Antibody Screening Tests cost from $25.00 for 50 tests (Multispot
HIV-1/HIV-2 Rapid Test) to $168.75 for 50 tests (Clearview HIV ½ STAT-PAK). We hope to have these tests
donated from hospitals or other volunteer organizations initially, but as we work on obtaining funding from
grants, we hope to be able to buy these tests ourselves. Thus far, we have collected over 400 rapid HIV tests,
Spanish AIDS awareness materials (donated by Hispanos Unidos), medical supplies including hand sanitizers,
gloves, and finger lancets (donated by Remedy), and $400 in fundraising efforts.

I will be conducting a research project in Honduras for one-week in March or April. The purpose of the project is
twofold: 1) To explore transportation availability of rural villagers to hospitals or healthcare facilities that can
provide HIV treatment so that we may finalize our long-term care options 2) To confirm connections with Global
Brigades, the doctors in the clinics where we will be working, and community leaders who will guide our
awareness campaign.

The pilot of the program will take the last week of August. Details on that are in the application at the end of this
document. Executive board members are highly encouraged to go on the pilot program.

V  In the past few months, AIDS Brigades has worked diligently to establish itself on Yale
campus. We are registered as an official undergraduate organization. AIDS Brigades has partnered with several
organizations (see below) and has developed continuous programs such as volunteering at Leeway every Friday
and sending out a newsletter bi-monthly to our 50+ member panelist, as well as individual events. Such
individual events have included an awareness e-mail sent to all of Yale campus on AIDS Day, co-sponsoring of
the Sex Week Event "Developments in Safer Sex", and an information session with Microfinance Brigades and
Water Brigades. Currently, we are planning to host AIDS Day on April 9, 2010 during National Public Health
Week. This will include 6 events: 1) AIDS panel, 2) a talk by the CEO of Global Brigades, 3) a screening of Rent
4) red-ribbon campaign (all-week), 5) a party to fundraise 6) registration help for AIDS Walk New Haven which
will take place that weekend.


 Collaboration is very important to UAID. We have succeeded in collaborating with the organizations
listed below. UAID is also pursuing collaboration with NGOs in Honduras including Siempre Unidos, Central
American Medical Outreach (CAMO) Honduras, Fundacion Fomento en Salud, and Project HOPE Honduras.

 Global Brigades is the world¶s largest student-led global health and sustainable development
organization. Comprised of secular, international service programs, GB mobilizes student volunteers and
professionals to empower communities in developing countries with programs that improve quality of life while
respecting local culture. (www.globalbrigades.org)

V
: Public Health Coalition is an organization at Yale that aims to be a catalyst for public
health action in New Haven and around the world; PHC sponsors speakers, organizes events, and serves as a
coordinating center for public health groups on campus. (http://yalestation.yale.edu/publichealth/).
!"Leeway helps people living with HIV/AIDS revive, reclaim, and renew their lives. Leeway provide
intensive medical, nursing, and behavioral health services , focusing on the best possible quality of life and
growth of body, mind, and spirit. (http://www.leeway.net/) UAID organizes student volunteering at Leeway every
Friday.
cHispanos Unidos promotes health and well-being of the Latino community and other
disenfranchised populations through education, prevention, care and advocacy. (http://www.hispanos-
unidos.org/frame3.html)
V
#  CIRA's mission is to support the conduct of interdisciplinary research focused on the prevention of HIV
infection and the reduction of negative consequences of HIV disease in vulnerable and underserved populations
nationally and abroad. (http://cira.med.yale.edu/).

 $% AIDS Walk New Havenis a 5K walk to raise money to provide support services to
individuals and families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the greater New Haven community. Our goals are
to raise money, increase public awareness, promote prevention through advocacy, and unite the Yale-New Haven
community against stigma, apathy and infection. (http://aidswalknewhaven.org/)

 &
% AIDS Project New Haven provides education, non-judgmental comprehensive and
holistic services to individuals infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. (http://apnh.org/mission.htm).


' c
()
 The Executive Board at Yale consists of the following: Rapid HIV Test
Coordinator, Financial Director, Global Brigades Liaison, Travel/Orientation Coordinator, Campus Coordinator,
Awareness Campaign Coordinator, and a Medical Supplies Coordinator.. However, we are looking to expand the
board to include a National Support Coordinator. The details of all positions are given below:

1) #
*'
V
 (Ö
): Having rapid HIV tests to test the villagers with is key to our
mission. Because we are just starting out, we aim to have as many tests donated to us as we can. Your job is to
contact hospitals and other organizations in this effort.
2) 
 (] 
): The success of any organization depends so much on its finances. The more
money we have, the more tests we can buy and the more students we can send abroad. Your mission is to apply
for and win as many grants as possible, whether it be on a campus level to a national level.
3) ! (m
 ): As mentioned, we aim to become a part of an already existing
student-run volunteer organization, Global Brigades. Your job is to work with this connection and use the
network to spread AIDS Brigades to other campuses with Global Brigade chapters. You will work with the
publicity director. See http://www.globalbrigades.org/ for more information.
4) '+

V
 (
): Your job will be to help organize the orientation procedure for
students traveling abroad. This entails making sure that all students are knowledgeable about AIDS/HIV, rapid
HIV testing, counseling, and the area we are traveling. Students will go through practice counseling sessions and
will be required to shadow at an HIV clinic prior to departure.
5) V V
 (ï
 ): As campus coordinator, you will focus on establishing AIDS Brigades as
an undergraduate organization on campus. This could include organizing student volunteering at Leeway,
bringing speakers in, etc.
6) V V
 (•

): You will be in charge of contacting companies and
national AIDS/HIV organizations for donations of literature, condoms, etc. for the awareness campaign. It will be
your responsibility to design and organize the awareness campaign. You will work with the Travel Coordinator to
plan and implement the appropriate orientation for students going abroad.
7) V
( 


): You will also be in charge of contacting companies to

obtain donations of gloves, soap, and hand sanitizers.
8) %
 
V
: Celebrities¶ particular effectiveness in educating the public and shaping
public opinion around AIDS in North America should serve as a lesson for countries where AIDS sufferers are
stigmatized. This, in fact, has already begun to happen in countries with developed celebrity systems. For
example, in China, television actress Wenli Jiang, is closely associated with AIDS prevention and in India, Lara
Dutta, who is Miss India, is active in raising awareness. You will write to notable figures in America from Oprah
to Bill Gates to gain support for our organization, whether it be financially or publicity-wise. An initial list of
celebrities and methods to contact them has already been made, though we would welcome additional input.
Remember that there is no hierarchy in any of these positions; I want the leadership team to be just that« a „
.
Everyone will work together and help each other out. A couple important things to keep in mind:

Meetings are held weekly and attendance is crucial. Thus far, we meet on Sundays at 6:30 in the Stiles Common
Room. If however, that conflicts with your schedule, we will find another day or time that works for everyone.

So! Now that you know everything about the organization and want to be involved, send me back an e-mail at
sonia.gupta@yale.edu with your name, year, position you would like (only the National Support Coordinator
position is available at this time), and a short statement as to why you would like that position and any applicable
qualifications or experience you may have. Again, thank you so much for your interest. I look forward to hearing
from you!

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at any time. Also, if you know of any others who
would like to be involved, feel free to pass this on and give them my contact information.

Best,

Sonia Gupta
Yale 2011
Sonia.gupta@yale.edu
(937) 216-5029

m


  

  
|   The mission of this trip will be to 1) work with local clinics to provide rapid HIV testing to rural
Panamanian villagers and 2) to lead an awareness initiative in the local Honduran community (i.e. schools,
community centers).

 Students will be divided into two groups of 5 students each. One group will provide HIV testing
and counseling in the clinics while the other group will lead the awareness campaigns in the communities.
Students will switch groups half way through the program. All students will be together during the evenings,
where we will have a chance to experience various aspects of the Honduran culture through different fun and
exciting activities.

 Students will travel to Honduras for 1 week in August 2010, the specific dates of which will be
determined by the group of participants. Students will fly between the Miami, FL airport and the Tegucigalpa,
Honduras airport.

 We intend to take 10 students total for this trip. There will be no preference given in regards to previous
international experience. The trip is open for all who are interested.

 Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

  Students will stay in dorm-style accommodations provided for by Global Brigades. A
cleaning service and laundry service will be available. Food will also be provided by Global Brigades.

m AIDS Brigades is supported by the Yale Center for Interdisciplinary for AIDS, and will be directly working
with Global Brigades, the world͛s largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization
(http://www.globalbrigades.org/).

 

1) Vaccinations (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/panama.aspx)
2) Passport for travel (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_994.html)
3) Mandatory orientation
a) Info sessions
b) Shadowing at HIV clinic (Leeway)
c) Practice with rapid HIV tests and counseling (Hispanos Unidos)

!
$750 for program (includes accommodations and meals, in-country transportation, Spanish translators and
coordinators) + airfare

"##$ Please e-mail sonia.gupta@yale.edu with your name, college, year, and short answers (200-400
words) to the questions listed below. Please put ͞[AIDS Brigades Summer 2010 Application]͟ in the subject
heading. The deadline for all applications is March 1, 2010. Please e-mail sonia.gupta@yale.edu if you have any
questions.
1) Why do you want to be involved in AIDS Brigades?
2) How will you contribute to the group? Please note if you speak Spanish.
3) Please describe any international traveling experience you may have.
4) Are you willing to put in the necessary time, not only for the trip but for training as well?