HIV/AIDS is one of the leading diseases currently devastating the world's youth. FOCAL POINT GLOBAL is committed to arming youth with useful information to tackle this epidemic in their own communities. FOCAL POINT GLOBAL partners with organizations to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and prevention methods, and mobilize youth to create and implement activities to combat the epidemic.
US-NAMIBIA HIV/AIDS EDUCATION INITIATIVE
FACT
Namibia, a southwest African country, is one of the countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS pandemic. With a prevalence rate of about 15%, many children have experienced first hand the detrimental effects of this disease. Though the United States’ prevalence rate is still about 1%, its major cities seem to be losing the battle against HIV/AIDS. Baltimore, MD has one of the highest prevalence rates of US cities at just under 3%.
GOAL
Focal Point Global's overall goal is to LINK youth in US and Namibia to have them EDUCATE themselves about HIV/AIDS in their respective communities. Through online collaboration and sharing with their peers, Focal Point Global MOBILIZES youth to join the fight against the spread of global HIV/AIDS.
ANSWER
US-Namibia HIV/AIDS Education Initiative is launched by FOCAL POINT GLOBAL, in partnership with Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust and Mondesa Youth Opportunities, to bring about an educational exchange. The Initiative brought high school students from Baltimore, MD, USA and Swakopmund, Namibia together to discuss HIV/AIDS in their communities during a 3-day interactive Skype conference. This online event provides a fresh, new approach to educate, empower, and mobilize youth to join the fight against the spread of global HIV/AIDS by using online collaboration and sharing.
OBJECTIVES & APPROACH
 Students of both cities identified the risk factors and emerging issues of acquiring HIV/AIDS in their communities, built an international partnership through educational exchange about HIV/AIDS, and developed a key activity to initiate at their respective schools or programs that can reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in their communities. Below is how it is achieved:
Day 1: Awareness
All youth are provided with HIV facts and information from reliable health resources to prepare them for their Skype conference with peers.
Day 2: Peer Education
US and Namibian youth engage in live discussion via Skype by each group of teens providing a presentation of HIV/AIDS epidemic in their respective countries and region and exploring culture and preconceptions may have of one another. A Q&A session follows each presentation.
Day 3: Call to Action
US and Namibian teens share projects they can implement to combat HIV/AIDS in their own communities. A Q&A session follows each presentation to provide feedback on proposed activities.
Rest of the Year:
Youth work with facilitators to guide and implement their projects. Focal Point Global follows up with the youth participants on the progress of their activities, leading to a final virtual conference in early 2011 between the American and Namibia youth to discuss their completed projects.
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