Herman Bane is a 40 year old gentleman of Belize City who is living with AIDS. At the invitation of teacher Angie Ellis, he was at the San Pedro High School (SPHS) speaking of his life to second-year students at the school.
Mrs. Ellis informed The San Pedro Sun that prior to the Easter vacation, she had covered a topic in her Christian Life Choices class in which she touched on topics such as HIV/AIDS and homosexuality, amongst other life choices and skills. She was very enthusiastic in acquiring the assistance of individuals who have stories or life experiences dealing with the topics covered.
“I was at home on Monday morning carrying on as usual when this gentleman walked up to my house, introduced himself as Herman Bane, requesting donations. I hadn’t planned on this. He explained to me that he was collecting donations to buy medication in Guatemala, and that he was living with AIDS,” explained Mrs. Ellis.
It occurred to her to ask Mr. Bane if he was interested in presenting to her class and he accepted. Mr. Bane has been living with HIV/AIDS for 13 years. His presentation is a personal testimony of his experiences. He speaks of his childhood, having dreams, the various choices he made that contributed to his being at this point in life, where he is infected and living with the disease. He is the father of a 20 year old young man and is currently travelling cross-country, sharing his story in the hope of promoting abstinence or protection, and tolerance.
Following his presentations, Mr. Bane entertains questions from those participating. The students at SPHS were very receptive and in some instances, even shared personal experiences about loved ones either suffering from the disease or that have passed due to HIV related illnesses.
