~Tuesday July 2, 2013~
~Family Health Development Association~
Another non-government organization; they have been around for 52 years and were once a family planning association dealing with contraceptives. Today, they are more focused on sexual health. They have programs for unwanted pregnancies and abortions as well as HIV/AIDs. It's quite interesting to see these outreach groups and programs in a poor and shabby building. In the U.S. the charity groups and volunteer programs usually have nice offices that aren't falling apart. This group of people have 20 regular staff and many outreach volunteers. One of the interesting stories of that day was hearing a transgendered woman talk. She was once a he and she is really pretty. She talked about her struggle of acceptance with her family. Unfortunately, her father never approved of her lifestyle. She is one of the many volunteers at the association. I noticed that a lot of the male volunteers were feminine. Do I have a problem with this? Of course not! :)
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There was another lecture to visit, however, I became ill and was unable to hear the discussion about the Consumer Association of Penang. :(