Youth Together Against AIDS

Youth Together Against AIDS (YTAA) connects young people in Cameroon, Uganda, and South Africa with middle and high school students in the United States. YTAA is a collaborative effort to raise awareness of and take meaningful action against HIV/AIDS.

YTAA, which receives the majority of its financial support from the Firelight Foundation, is a project of Youth Philanthropy Worldwide (www.givingrevolution.org), whose mission is to mobilize young people in the United States to eradicate global poverty, promote peace, and advance the dignity of all people.

There is no more pressing issue for youth today than the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Currently youth around the world make up about one-third of all people living with HIV/AIDS. Most of those who are infected do not know they carry the virus. Millions more do not know enough to protect themselves from becoming infected.

More than 400 participants, ranging in age from 12 to 24, are challenged to use their voices through YTAA to counter this crisis. In pen pal letters, they voice their personal stories, interests, worries, and dreams. Through the program’s newsletter they share their experiences and opinions about HIV/AIDS, ask and answer questions, and feature their art and poetry.

They are also called to act. While participants in the United States raise awareness at their schools about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa, the youth in Africa create and implement direct-service programs. U.S. students fundraise in their communities to support their partners’ programs.

2004-05 programs include:

• Street Parade to End Orphan Stigma, Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud – Alexandra and Soweto, South Africa
  
  
• HIV/AIDS Theatre Village Outreach, Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development – Kasese, Uganda
  
  
• HIV Testing Promotion Campaign, Cameroon National Association for Family Welfare – Northwest Province, Cameroon
  To stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, we must engage young people in an international collaboration. With Firelight’s support YPW is currently developing a Youth AIDS Action Guide as a resource to help more young people take effective action against the HIV/AIDS pandemic through community education, advocacy, direct service, and fundraising.

In Africa

Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud – Houghton, South Africa
– Grace Mnguni

Cameroon National Association for Family Welfare – North West Province, Cameroon
– Jude Boja
– Belack Jimbam Ernest

Centre for Environmental Technology and Rural Development (CETRUD) – Kasese, Uganda
– Godfrey Kasozi

National Coalition of Women Living with AIDS (NACWOLA) – Kampala, Uganda
– Cecilia Ajom

In the United States

Arrowsmith Academy - Berkeley, California
– Corina Peila

Berkeley High School - Berkeley, California
– Ali Geering-Kline

Oakland High School - Oakland, California
– Tara Asciutto

Pacific Collegiate School - Santa Cruz, California
– Darrell Steely
– Alan Graves