Not Another AIDS Statistic
CRWRC Newsroom | December 1, 2009
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Today, on World AIDS Day, Sofia Alfredo is determined not to become a statistic. And she’s doing her part to make sure that the other young people in her community won’t be either.
Sofia is a young woman from the community of Chitima about 130 kilometers south-west of Tete city in North Central Mozambique. Chitima is a relatively small community and the young people often have few options for education and entertainment beyond the local school. All too often, this lack of opportunity leads youth to make poor decisions that put their health and lives at risk. But not Sofia.
Thanks to an innovative program by the Igreja Reformada em Mozambique (IRM – which stands for Reformed Church of Mozambique), she’s learned how to make healthy decisions and she’s sharing that with her peers.
The truth is, young people under the age of 25 account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide. Yet, the latest data collected from 64 countries indicate that fewere than 40 percent of young people have basic knowledge about HIV and how it can be prevented. In a country like Mozambique, where 12.5 percent of the adult population are living with HIV, teen-age sex and intravenous drug-use are not just “risky behavior” but can lead to a death sentence for otherwise healthy young people.
CRWRC has been working with IRM to reach out to young people like Sofia. While other community-wide campaigns to raise AIDS-awareness have failed to make a difference to the youth in Chitima, this one is different. In the CRWRC/IRM program, individuals like Sofia are targeted for one-on-one leadership development and training. Later, these young people serve as co-promoters to share what they’ve learned with their peers.
“These co-promoters target youth leaders and reach them through songs, drama and studying of the healthy choices manuals which emphasize both healthy physical and spiritual lives,” explains Istifanus Gimba, CRWRC-Mozambique staff.
Sofia has been a co-promoter since March 2009. She has already been able to share her learning with 10 other young people. She hopes that they will, in turn, teach others and the benefits will spread.
“Sofia has expressed her excitement at being part of this education program,” Gimba continued. “Apart from influencing the lives of many youths in the community, she has also benefitted personally. She’s told me that she’s learned a great deal about making healthy choices and can explain to other young people what HIV is, the details of its transmission, and how it can be prevented.”
CRWRC is working with partners like IRM and individuals like Sofia to mitigate the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS in 19 countries. To support this work, Donate online: US | Canada
- by Kristen deRoo VanderBerg, CRWRC Communications