World AIDS Day Mural Project

Hola, Here is an entry Alex wrote for our Peace Corps Panama newsletter about a World AIDS day project we did in San Juanito. Enjoy!

"World AIDS Day 2012 in happy, little San Juanito of Cocle will be
forever remembered in the community mural folks painted on la casita
de los voluntarios... or will be remembered at least as long as the
mud wall stays standing. The day kicked off at 9:00 a.m. with a charla
from Vida Sana, Pueblo Sano facilitated by Voluntaria Lorena that was
widely attended by two young women and a five year old girl. As the
day wore on and the arroz con pollo started to smell better and
better, more folks trickled in until a respectable size junta ranging
in age from five to seventy four was crowded on the patio avoiding the
rain and getting their artwork on the wall. Five year-old Juan
Bautista Hernandez can be credited for laying the foundation of the
mural days earlier as he and Voluntario Alejandro covered the mural
spot with white cement. The first addition was a giant red ribbon
painted boldly in rojo intenso. The junta slowly added a Panamanian
and U.S. flag, two flowers, a bright yellow sun, and some grass. When
asked, "Que hace falta?" Abuela Chola scratched out an excellent
reply, "Una pareja, claro!" The masterpiece was signed '-San Juanito-
1 diciembre 2012 dia internacional del SIDA,' the arroz con pollo was
eaten, red ribbons were pinned super-prity on sueters, and as an
unexpected treat leftover, fake vampire fangs from Halloween of
various neon colors were carefully sanitized and handed out to the
youngsters. To slightly redeem the poorly attended charla portion, a
week or so later one of the three charla attendees was asked what she
learned the day of the mural. After a long, thoughtful pause she
replied, 'No lo haga con una persona que no conoce muy bien.' A
successful World AIDS Day 2012? Como no, como no!"