UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – When Kenya Crawford set out to South Africa over the summer she was prepared to make a difference in the lives of students. She also knew she would learn a great deal from them, but the impact they made on her life is something she never could have imagined.
Hit the ground running
The human development and family studies (HDFS) senior, who was recently elected 2014 Penn State Homecoming Queen, traveled to the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to represent the Penn State Chapter of the Keep a Child Alive program, a nonprofit organization devoted to providing treatment and support services to children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.
“While abroad I created and implemented interventions regarding sexuality, gender roles, race, healthy interpersonal romantic relationships and social equity,” she said. “In addition, I collaborated with the HIV/AIDS unit and their LGBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer) director in hopes to enhance the gender and women studies minor.”
Specifically, Crawford helped create syllabi focusing on sexuality and safer sex practices in order to decrease the rates of HIV/AIDS.
Crawford also proposed something like the Penn State Ally House, which is a special living option that provides a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ students on campus, to the residential services at UWC, she said
“Currently, I serve as the resident assistant of Penn State’s Ally House and used this experience to shape my proposal for the University of the Western Cape,” Crawford said.
The Philadelphia native lived on the campus of the university, located in Cape Town, for two weeks. And though she had communicated through Skype with the director of the HIV/AIDS Programme at UWC ahead of time, she was still nervous about how the local community would accept her.
“The second I walked into the center they welcomed me with open arms,” she said.
Being from a different background and socioeconomic status, Crawford said, wasn’t an issue.
“That never formed a barrier of the work we had to do,” she said.
The university was respectful and hospitable to her, she said, and was eager to learn from her.
Breaking barriers
Crawford was worried that cultural and language barriers would inhibit her work, or the messages she was trying to get across.
There are a variety of different languages in South Africa, Crawford said, so to prepare she studied Afrikaans – one of the main official languages – beforehand. She was concerned that the sensitive subject matter of safe sex and LGBTQ issues would be lost in translation.
“I introduced some terminology that might be more appropriate to use within the LGBTQ community,” Crawford said.
Through the use of social media and videos, she was able to enhance that communication.
“It was amazing to see how we were able to communicate,” Crawford said. “In that culture (these are) taboo subjects. I was happy to actually (contribute to) that conversation.”
Crawford said during her time at the university women came to her and expressed gratitude for helping them achieve self-confidence among the topics she addressed.
“Sometimes that conversation can make the biggest difference,” she said.
Making a connection
As a resident assistant at Penn State, Crawford has some counseling experience and has learned about the topic through her courses.
“Actually practicing it is very different,” she said. “(Sometimes I would) cry after sessions.”
“I still remember those sessions,” she added.