The Godmother

I said I would write a bit more on WORLD AIDS DAY. German Development Cooperation organised a day of awareness and sensibilisation for all staff not only for HIV and AIDS but sexual health in general, gender roles and gender based violence. And although we were all wearing our red ribbons in solidarity I simply refused to wear the matching condom tie provided in our AIDS-DAY-survival-kit. Why couldn't they have come up with something for the girls, too? A condom handbag perhaps? Or a condom umbrella which would have even served an honorable purpose since the event started in pouring rain.
Every program of the German Development Cooperation in Rwanda has a so-called peer educator which is someone colleagues (peers) can talk to in confidence, ask questions and someone who is supposed to be a role model. This instrument has been used for a while now to support behaviour change instead of just showing people pictures and preaching to them to use a condom. The peer educators organised some stands where they demonstrated how to put on a condom, including female ones - anyone of you tried one before?? and where people could try themselves to get the condom on a (gigantic) wooden penis, with eyes closed. At another stand people were to attribute great, minor and no risk to certain ways of transmission. Among the images to chose: someone on a toilet, people embracing or kissing and of course the anal sex.
Unfortunately many of my especially senior male colleagues still think this has nothing to with them and their "real work". But in my view they just have a weird perception of what their work here is. I really don't wanna be a disciple of Development Cooperation but if we want to initiate social transformation we need to reach the individual and touch on such intimate and private issues like sex and gender relations. The questions asked and interest shown at the stands by the staff proved this right.

But back to my "Jahresrückblick"

In 2009 I was made a double Godmother. I am not quite sure what they were thinking, maybe: she is never there, but hey, at least when she comes she will bring loads of presents. I am joking now but I was honestly very touched and honoured to be considered and trusted with that role (mwwoooaaah Denise, Adrian, Marion und Thomas!)


So my "firstborn" is a lovely little fellow piscies (Fische) girl named Moana.


Here she is taking a bucket bath.
Moana (die ältere meiner beiden Patenkinder beim Baden im Eimer.)








And here she gets a nice little full body massage.




Godbrother Joris was born a few months later and only a a couple of weeks old when I first met him. It was hard to get a sense at the time of what kind of a little man he is but according to "Mama Joris" he is taking after his older sister. Hurray, so I can actually keep him and dont have to swap him for Anouk anymore ;)



Here we are at the Fete de la Musique in Berlin.
Und hier ist das zweite Prachtstueck, Joris, unterwegs in Berlin.