Man on a mission will prompt discussions of AIDSBy
Jesse Froehling of the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An expert on AIDS awareness and education is coming to Costa Rica and Panamá Wednesday to talk with youth in those nations about the epidemic.
John Chittick, or Dr. John as he goes by on the street, brings an approach to the old cause which is as practical as it is simple. He walks the world telling youth about AIDS. He simply talks to the country's teenagers wherever he finds them, be it schools, parks or on the street. He has a doctorate in education and human psychology and knows how to communicate with young people, he said.
“I call it the AIDS attack,” Chittick said. “The object is to get them interested in five or 10 minutes. If they blow me off, I see it as a challenge.” As a short, chubby white guy from the United States who is partial to loud Hawaiian shirts, Chittick sticks out wherever he goes. And that, he said, is part of the reason he is effective.
Chittick said his talent lies in his ability to talk with young people. He knows that most of them have heard of AIDS and know how it can be prevented, but he hopes that his street approach will lead him to people that aren't aware of the disease and more importantly, will be empowered by their conversation with him to spread the awareness to friends.
The language barrier has never been too much of a problem, he said. He speaks broken Spanish but has been to countries where he spoke nothing of the local language. “I can almost always find someone who speaks enough English,” he said. If he finds and makes an acquaintance, he tries to talk the person into taking him to their school or their neighborhood. He talks with principals and community leaders and will do whatever he can to spread AIDS awareness, he said in a telephone interview.
Though he has avoided robberies and other problems with the citizens of the countries he's been to, his biggest problems have come from authorities. He was arrested in Cuba, he reported.
“I don't believe in censorship. I don't think you should deny people information based on cultual or religious concerns. This is a mission and it has to be done. It's a very proactive mission. I don't back down for religious or cultural reasons. I'm respectful of the country but if someone askes me a question I always answer it,” he said.
“My message is that preventative education in AIDS works everywhere. You don't need money. Don't complain about the fact that you don't have a lot of money to do AIDS prevention because you can empower young people to carry the message to someone else,” he said. “If you love a friend, you must tell your friend about AIDS.”
Chittick is planning to be in the country for 11 days. At some point in his journey, he plans to fly to Panama City for a couple of days.
Costa Rica and Panamá are the 71st and 72nd countries he has visited during his nearly seven years of AIDS awareness walks, he said.