Annual Report First 4 Years:
2000–2003 Text-only Version
PROGRAMS
Youth Together Against AIDS
In the 2000-2001 school year, Firelight initiated a pen pal exchange
between a California high school and a group of South African children
from an after-school program in Alexandra, a township near Johannesburg.
The success of the exchange led to an expansion, and it now involves more
than 500 young people in 2 U.S. schools and 5 African countries. Through
their pen pal correspondence, these students from vastly different backgrounds
get a more intimate feel for life on a continent unlike their own.
The first letters typically start off with introductions and getting-to-know-you
information about families, friends, schools, and interests. After the
second or third letter, more significant information is exchanged. Quite
frequently, African participants have described the impact of the HIV/AIDS
crisis in their countries, often in personal ways. As a Rwandan Pen Pal
Exchange facilitator points out, “Frankly, children like talking
to their peers and explaining the circumstances leading to the death of
their parents, i.e. war, genocide, and HIV/AIDS, with much openness.”
Pen Pal Exchange Participants U.S. Partners: |
Most of the American teens participate through their high school history
or English classes or extracurricular clubs. The exchange program helps
them understand the daily challenges facing youth in Africa. Many of the
African teens participate through after-school programs or youth clubs
operated by Firelight’s grantee-partners. The Pen Pal Exchange has
helped these children feel that a wider world cares about their problems.
More importantly, the letter writing has helped them communicate about
difficult circumstances in their lives. One of the young people participating
in the program in Rwanda observed, “… above all, we know we
are not alone in the war against AIDS, which gives us strength to work
even harder.”
Still Friends I liked it before you knew |
YOUTH PHILANTHROPY WORLDWIDE
In September 2002, Youth Philanthropy Worldwide (YPW), a Berkeley, California-based
group, partnered with the Firelight Foundation to coordinate the Pen Pal
Exchange as well as to provide Pen Pal Exchange Coordinators with curriculum
support in a project called Youth Together Against AIDS.
In addition to the letter exchange, YPW leads participants through a completely youth-driven grantmaking activity. First, the teens brainstorm about various ways to educate their peers and their community about HIV/AIDS. Then each group writes a proposal that includes a budget of up to $250 to pursue their favorite strategy. The next step is a peer review of the proposals by the youth groups. After analyzing and ranking the proposals, the youth groups send them back to YPW to tally the results. Grant awards are made to those projects deemed best according to the students’ ranking. The first review process awarded funds to three innovative projects: a youth-hosted radio call-in show in Cameroon, a forum of young people and traditional elders in Kasese, Uganda, and an outreach program aimed at the public frequenting taxi stands in a densely populated township in South Africa.
Programs like Youth Together Against AIDS/Pen Pal Exchange allow young
people to educate each other about issues facing our global community
in a very personal and powerful way. Giving youth an opportunity to design
and implement projects through the grantmaking activity teaches them that
their ideas are significant, and that a small amount of money combined
with their creative energy can foster positive social change. Through
these efforts, we hope to inspire an interest in social justice in young
people and a life-long passion to work toward a better world.
Please note that this Annual Report covers the period from December 1,
1999 through September 30, 2003.
If you are interested in receiving a copy of this report, please send an email to Cheryl Talley-Moon at Cheryl@firelightfoundation.org.
