Natalia Cales of The Carolina Empowerment Group
December 2008 Award Winners
On 1st December, World AIDS Day 2008, The Staying Alive Foundation proudly awarded 30 new grants to grassroots HIV and AIDS projects around the world. You can read about the recipients and their inspiring, change-making initiatives below. Each and every one continues to make a difference in their local community.
E2SD Akorede
Location: Benin
E2SD raises awareness among professional trainees (learning to become hair dressers, mechanics etc) in region of Donga. They do this by training 30 professional trainees as peer educators who organise 2 animated sessions in their community every month, create an image on HIV and AIDS, produce posters, organise a 'caravan' to go from village to village every quarter, and organise a session of traditional story telling every month.
Fundacion Igualdad LGBT
Location: Bolivia
This project aims to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS by focussing in particular on sexual rights. Based in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, they train 20 peer educators, organise 20 forums in schools and universities, train up 100 teachers, perform 10 theatre pieces, organise artistic performances in public places, organise 6 festivals in schools, universities and public spaces, show 12 movies in public places, distribute newspapers, encourage people to get tested, and distribute condoms.
Qanrayku
Location: Bolivia
Qanrayku, based in the region of Oruro, raises awareness among young people in and out of schools, focussing on teenage mothers and pregnant teenagers in particular. They train 100 peer educators who organise workshops in their communities. They also organise 6 education festivals in 6 communities and organise 42 workshops for students from schools and universities.
Social Care Volunteer Group
Location: Burma
This project is aimed at raising awareness about HIV and AIDS among university students in Mogway, which is a city with a very mobile population. They do this by training 100 students as peer educators, holding advocy meetings with local authorities and hostel owners, organising 4 drama shows and distributing educational materials and condoms.
Aibai Chengdu GLBT Youth Centre
Location: China
This project aims to raise awareness among the young gay population living in Chengdu. They do this by training 40 peer educators in universities, holding bi-monthly activities aimed at gay men, organising 3 drama performances and 2 photo exhibitions in 2 universities and holding a gay pride month.
Tianjin Tongren University Student Working Group
Location: China
This project focuses on 'daily rent rooms' in the city of Tianjin. Zheng educates 20 students at Tianjin Tongren University as well as among gay groups. They raise awareness in their communities and the 'daily rent rooms' (hotel rooms which can be rented by the hour) by distributing educational materials and condoms. In addition they also train owners of the daily rent rooms on HIV and AIDS related issues and develop student clubs on HIV and AIDS.
Association des Jeunes de la Rue
Location: Democratic Republic of Congo
This project raises awareness among street kids living in a very rough area of the capital, Kinshasa. Guy and his colleagues, who all used to live in the street themselves, train 25 peer educators who reach out to young street kids, organise a football tournament, distribute condoms and encourage people to get tested.
Joy Development Association
Location: Ethiopia
Meaza, based in Awassa, has already received 2 grants from us so far. With this new grant she builds on her current project by continuing to support young people living with HIV through giving them business training as well as a small grant to set up a business. She also organises 32 dialogue forums with young people, distributes newspapers and brochures and gives support to anti-AIDS clubs by giving them team building and leadership training.
Ngathal Youth Club
Location: India
Ricky, a former heroin addict, raises awareness about HIV and drug use through the use of music and sport. The project is based in the region of Manipur and a jam room and drop-in space at the Ngathal Youth Club has been set up, training 60 musicians as peer educators, who carry out workshops in schools, churches and youth groups. They also organise lyric writing workshops, rockband karaoke days, concerts and organise sport activities.
Social Health and Education Development Trust India (SHED)
Location: India
SHED raise awareness on HIV among young migrant workers living in Tamilnadu. They do this by training 150 workers as peer educators, train 15 members of a theatre group, organise street theatre, distribute educational materials and hold one on one sessions and group info sessions.
Utkal Network of People Living with HIV
Location: India
This network reduces the stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV in Orissa state. They do this by training young HIV positive people to speak in public, organise photo exhibitions of people living with HIV in 7 local hospitals and colleges, organise interactive discussions at hospitals and colleges, perform theatre pieces at hospital compounds, distribute educational materials and organise support meetings for people living with HIV.
AYOMI
Location: Indonsia
AYOMI raise awareness on HIV and AIDS in a prison in the city of Jantho. They do this by training 20 prison staff and 40 inmates as peer educators, hold events on World AIDS Day and candlelight memorial day and produce educational materials for inmates.
Transformative Agents of Change Initiatives
Location: Kenya
TACI, based in Siaya district, raise awareness on HIV by training 30 peer educators, producing bi-monthly interactive workshops in schools, and set up anonymous message boxes in schools so that students can ask questions which will be answered in their radio show. Finally, they also organise football tournaments, dance nights and a World AIDS Day event.
Positive Youth Initiative
Location: Kenya
PYI received their first grant in December 2007. They are building on their current project by training another 30 young people living with HIV as peer educators and counsellors, holding weekly therapy sessions and holding 30 outreach activities and dialogue forums in Nairobi and Mombassa.
Takieng Lao Community Theatre Group and Kabong Lao Puppet Artistic Group
Location: Laos
This is a project that brings 2 organisations together, one specialises in theatre, the other in puppetry. Both are based in Vientiane, the capital, and their leaders build a network together to train their actors and puppeteers on issues around HIV and AIDS. They peform 40 theatre pieces in schools and universities on HIV, AIDS and sexuality.
Centre for Education, Advancement and the Promotion of the Rights of the Adolescent Mother.
Location: Malawi
CEPARAM, based in the city of Zomba, received their first grant from us in June 2007. They are building on their project which set up a support centre for adolescent girls. They train 20 village-based adolescent girls, set up 10 village clubs on HIV and AIDS, organise sports and theatre activities, organise 3 mobile HIV testing clinics and organise support services at their drop-in centre.
Social Service, Awareness Raising and Advocacy for Tranquility and Humanity
Location: Nepal
SAATH, based in Kathmandu, produce a weekly radio programme called 'Human Face', aired nationally to raise awareness about HIV as well as create a platform for people living with HIV and advocate on behalf of them.
SAHAYATRA
Location: Nepal
SAHAYTRA, based in the municipality of Nepalgunj, raises awareness about HIV and AIDS by forming 8 youth peer groups, producing educational materials, performing 16 street dramas, organising a youth work camp, publishing 9 magazines, organising 16 intergenerational dialogues, 2 awareness campaigns for seasonal migrants, and 28 'on the spot' discussions.
Nari Chetana Samaj Nepal (SWAN)
Location: Nepal
SWAN focuses on young migrant girls living in Kathmandu. They train 15 migrant girls as peer educators who organise community events, reach out to 200 managers of workplaces for migrant girls (bars, factories etc.) and reach out to 60 clinics to advocate for providing more youth friendly services.
Youth Are Talking
Location: Nigeria
Shola, based in Lagos, received his first grant in December 2007 which he used to produce radio shows on HIV and AIDS related issues. He is continuing to do his monthly radio show, as well as organise musical community outreaches encouraging people to get tested, produces educational materials, including 2 spots for TV, trains 50 young people who are working in the media and reaches out to young people via online forums.
Girls 2 Mothers
Location: Nigeria
Ibiye, based in Port Harcourt, has already received 3 grants from us (she was among the first grant winners) and is developing her project further. The project raises awareness in brothels and schools, and 4 anti-AIDS clubs organise theatre performances on HIV issues in schools. Young girls are trained by other trainers and condoms are distributed.
Leaders with New Dimensions
Location: Nigeria
Eunice and Desmond received their first grant in December 2007 and have used it to educate young deaf people in Lagos. With this project, they develop their project by producing a handbook on HIV and AIDS in sign language, training 300 young people as peer educators, distributing condoms, and organising interschool forums which involve theatre, musical performances and discusssions.
EDHUCASALUD
Location: Peru
This project is led by Cynthia, a recently graduated medical doctor. She raises awareness about STIs and HIV among the military living on the largest military base in Peru, located near Piura city. She organises 2 workshops for military nurses and troop members, trains 5 military nurses and 15 military troop members as peer educators, performs 5 workshops and distributes condoms.
Medical Student Association of Rwanda (MEDSAR)
Location: Rwanda
Jean Luc and MEDSAR, based in the city of Huye, received their first grant in December 2007. They used it mainly to raise awareness about HIV by encouraging people to get tested. With this recent grant, they set up and train people of 32 anti-AIDS clubs, organise public events with mobile VCT clinics, and produce a documentary that they use as one of their teaching tools.
Somali Youth and Students Association
Location: Somalia
SYSA educate young people living in 'Internally Displaced People' camps near the city of Garowe. They train 240 young people as peer educators, and 20 'trainers of trainers' to train up more people. They also conduct a monthly radio show, develop educational materials, organise 10 focus group discussions and organise 2 drama shows.
Teens Against AIDS
Location: Tanzania
Teens Against AIDS have received 2 grants from the Foundation so far. With this grant, they strenghten their HIV education activities among the Masai in the district of Bagamoyo. They are setting up 5 support groups, training 25 'Trainers of trainers', training 120 peer educators and distributing 5000 condoms.
Tanzania Young Positive Ambassadors Living with HIV and AIDS (TAYOPA)
Location: Tanzania
TAYOPA received their first grant in December 2007 with which they organised a music tour in Tanzania. They are doing this again this year in a different part of the country and also training up an other 30 artists to know more about the issue and train 30 young people living with HIV to become peer educators. They conduct the tour in at least 10 communities in the 'Southern Transport Corridor', where they conduct sessions on HIV with local artists on 5 stops of the tour, organise 2 health talks at each stop, distribute educational materials and conduct at least 5 concerts.
Association pour le developpement et l'amitie (Association for development and friendship)
Location: Togo
This project raises awareness among rural youth in the district of Badja. They do this by training 30 peer educators (5 per village) who organise 45 debates. They also organise 30 film screenings, 30 mass awareness sessions using drama, distribute condoms, organise a football tournament, create 2 anti-AIDS clubs in 2 schools and organise a tour in 6 villages on World AIDS Day.
Carolina Empowerment Group
Location: USA
Natalia and CEG received their first grant from the Foundation in December 2007 which they used to organise workshops for young girls on HIV and sexuality.Their project 'Youth in Action' continues to educate young girls in Charleston through workshops, a book club, monthly presentations, encouragement of testing and the training of 10 peer educators.
Youth RISE
Location: International
Youth RISE is a international network coordinated by 2 young women with the aim to reduce the risks and harms associated with drug use among young people.Youth RISE has over 200 members from 68 countries and works in partnership with its International Working Group members, who are from 12 countries around the world. With their grant they are developing a training guide on HIV prevention for injecting drug users and organising trainings in Bucharest (Romania) and Imphal (India) and the results are be shared with the entire network.
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Comments
by Tanveer Hyder Bhanger on Dec 02 2008, 20:37 GMT
Nice to see all th young leaders striving to combat HIV/AIDS; I am very happy being youth that we really can make differene if actively involved. Meanwhile, I request SAF team for Pakistan as we really need to work up in Pakistan too. Best wishes, Tanveer
by Mohamud Abdi Ismail on Dec 02 2008, 08:36 GMT
I am Somalilander member of youth organization that supports the marginalizes groups in somaliland like minority, IDPs and PLWHA, therefore we are very eager your partnership of supporting uor campiang for the prevention and control of HIV
by vincent atitwa on Jan 24 2009, 14:49 GMT
As the American presindent Obama said yes we can that is how youth all round the world can change and prevent more hiv/aids spread.youth we have believed in our selfs we need the world to believe in us and every thing in life will matter to all generation for now and future.best wishes ,vincent atitwa-kenya.
by Bimal Acharya on Feb 16 2009, 14:15 GMT
Very happy to see that movement for HIV/AIDS is hitting target with Youth initiation. And eager to have partnership with MTV Staying Alive foundation. I request not to gather sympathy but to gather empathy which drags a person into action.
by Tanbang Emmaculate Ndenge on Apr 09 2009, 14:00 GMT
This is wonderfull, youth can carry the world. I am happy to be among you to learn more and more and share my experience. Youth are able to change the world, influence positively their environment. I am a single young mother I taught everything was finish for me.Today, the story is different thank to the Vocational Training Center Isabelle de Boismenu who train single adolescent single mothers on lifeskill and marketing skills. To day I am teacher in the Center and train so many single adolescents mothers to adopt healthy behaviour. Where I live, HIV/AIDS prevalence is the highest in the country and trought education and councelling I have succeeded convince so many young girls to avoid risky behaviour but it is not easy.
by Ishaan Bhutani on May 13 2009, 11:17 GMT
Its really amazing to see how people from all over the world come up for the same cause. Its nice to see the growing number of youth being involved in the staying alive organisation's endeavour of getting the youth involved in the betterment of HIV victims. This is a platform where people are really motivated to get down to doing and actually empowered to bring about a change, by providing financial aid, to help them help this world. I have learnt a lot as I read more about the various projects and how people are dynamically working hard to bring about a change in other's lives. I and my NGO based in India, really look forward to working with this foundation for a noble cause. This organisation and the people involved with it are really angels who are helping to spread awareness about AIDS and helping more and more young people to take initiative.
by M S Prakash Raju on May 17 2010, 10:26 GMT
Its so interesting. I also want to serve with you wholeheartedly anytime/anywhere. Please help me in this regard. Thank You.
by Ogoko Chinenye on Apr 21 2010, 23:11 GMT
I am happy i feel excited seeing young people like me fighting against HIV/AIDS PLS keep it up