Young volunteers dispel myths surrounding HIV and AIDS

The Youth Ambassadors of Positive Living Programme was initiated in Africa in 1993 as a response to the challenges posed by the spread of HIV and AIDS among young people.

Its success has led to it being replicated in Asia and Caribbean in 2001 in 2002. The main objective of the programme is to enable young women and men living with the virus to share personal experiences with their peers and create awareness about the HIV and AIDS pandemic through the promotion of dialogue between young people living with the virus, local communities, NGO’s and governments.

They do this formally in schools and informally through the communities they live in, bringing messages of prevention, determination, compassion and acceptance.

These volunteers, put on plays, write poems, sing songs and make up games to engage with other young people.

One such method adopted to increase understanding is when a 'magic box' is placed in schools. Any students who have questions on HIV/AIDS can write and then place their concerns in the box, protecting anonymity. At the end of each week a Youth Ambassador, accompanied by a doctor, answers all of the questions in front of the entire school.

Irene Phiri – Commonwealth Youth Ambassador in Zambia

By the time Irene Phiri found out that her boyfriend was having an affair with another woman, it was too late. She had contracted the HIV virus from the man she loved and to whom she was engaged to be married.

Because of the trust she had for her fiancé, Irene initially refused to undergo tests when she fell ill and visited a hospital in December 2005. Almost one year later it took her brother's encouragement and support, when her bouts of sickness failed to subside, for her to face up to her denials and find out the nature of her illness.

Upon confronting her boyfriend, he refused to believe what he was being told. It was not until he had a child with his other partner, who died from the HIV virus whilst still an infant, that his stubborn denials could no longer continue.

This experience not only made Irene want to learn more about the virus, but also drove her to make others more aware of its significance and consequences.

“The same year I found out I was HIV positive was also when I had just qualified as a primary school teacher. I thought this meant the end of my life,” she admits.

“What I have been through makes me want to make sure that no one else has to suffer a similar experience,” says Irene who currently works in Kapiri Basic School, in Zambia's central province. “By working as a Youth Ambassador I feel I am able to get through to many of the children I teach and improve their knowledge.”

Latoya Giles – Commonwealth Youth Ambassador in Guyana

From an early age, Latoya Giles and Shela Singh were close friends. This friendship remained throughout their school years, when they would often share dreams of what they would do when they grew up.

It was only a few years after they both left school, that their friendship and Shela's future dreams were dealt a serious and ultimately fatal blow.

Shela began to feel unwell and decided to confide in her friend, as she had always done on countless occasions. After hearing the symptoms described, Latoya offered sympathy and reassurance, but both felt confident that it was simply a bad case of the flu which would soon pass.

Despite her outward confidence, Latoya, who is in her early twenties, prompted herself to investigate further and conduct her own research based on what Shela had described. Through her investigations she stumbled across similarities between the symptoms her friend informed her about and the HIV virus, but Latoya refused to believe that this was the reason her school friend was suffering.

“I never thought that someone this close to me, who I had known all my life, would become infected,” Latoya admitted.

After a brief spat of anger directed at her long-term partner who had unwittingly passed on the infection, Shela decided that instead of remaining silent about her situation, she would speak to young people in order to quash ignorance and stop them from experiencing similar suffering.

Through her teaching, Shela - who was beaten by HIV at the age of 23 - motivated Latoya to keep her memory and message alive by educating young people.

“When Shela and I were at school we didn't get regular teaching about HIV and AIDS. So by volunteering my time to teach one class a day I hope to give these children the knowledge they need to have a good understanding about this disease,” said Latoya.

To date, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and development agencies are beginning to appreciate the central role that young people play in HIV and AIDS prevention and care programmes as youth ambassadors for positive living.

In context:

• More than 65 million people worldwide have become infected with HIV and 25 million have died since the global pandemic began over two decades ago.
• There were 2.7 million new HIV infections and 2 million HIV-related deaths in 2007 alone.
• Commonwealth countries represent approximately 30 per cent of the world’s population but carry a disproportionate 60 per cent of the world’s HIV burden.

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