Info-murals Go to School

Posted by Artis LangBruttig & Brittney Terry, SAN IGNACIO, BELIZE --As a part of a community mapping program sponsored by Georgia State University's Geosciences Department we traveled to Belize for two weeks with 21 other students and two professors. One of the major objectives of the trip was to help the Cornerstone Foundation map social service and HIV/AIDS treatment locations so their clients can have one cohesive resource guide. HIV/AIDS treatment and support facilities are in high demand in Belize as HIV/AIDS sweeps through the country.

During our fieldwork, we discovered some informational murals about HIV on the side of the St. Andrews school as children ranging in age from 5 to 14 years were enjoying their recess. These empowering and direct murals were among the most progressive we saw during our trip. The two St. Andrews students pictured in the photographs were eager to socialize with us and take us around the murals. They are likely a pivotal generation in efforts to curtail HIV in Belize. Perhaps as they grow up they will create their own info-murals throughout the region.

Artis LangBruittig and Brittney Terry are graduate students in the Sociology Department at Georgia State University and are also receiving a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the Department of Geosciences. Artis can be reached at artis.langbruttig@gmail.com and Brittney can be reached at bterry2@student.gsu.edu.