No matter how many rap songs are played on the radio, and how many eye- catching billboards Aids awareness messages are plastered in the public domain, statistics show that the HIV rate of infection is growing the fastest among Belize's young population. Planners say there must be some way to get the message through and Youth for the Future thinks it might have the answer. YFF today opened an HIV/Aids Education and Prevention Unit and we found out how it will work.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
Housed at the Youth for the Future Secretariat's Violence Reduction Unit, the HIV/Aids Unit is geared at getting information on the pandemic to that segment of society which is most at risk, disenfranchised youth.
Nuri Muhammad, Executive Director YFF
“It is exactly because those vulnerable youths have not been reached through the methods that are presently being exercised by the status quo efforts to reach them that Youth for the Future which has a rapport or a connection with these young people are making an effort to get this information out to them. It is through youths like themselves who have been trained as peer counselors and are in fact reaching out, we are not waiting for them to come in, but these young people who have been trained are actually in the community working with these young people.”
And while ongoing campaigns have not been able to get the message through to the clientele of Youth for the Future, this new initiative is expected to work largely because the message is brought directly to the youths, by youths.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Ambassador for HIV/Aids
“I think the concept is to allow young people a space and an opportunity to improve their education. The importance of it cannot be overemphasized. It is so very very important that information and correct education reaches all our young people and even our older people because no one is completely exempt or immune. We are all human and we are all susceptible and we all must have the knowledge and the tools at our disposable so that we can make the correct choices.”
But while the tools of choice including condoms and pamphlets are readily available at the unit, there is some apprehension over whether this new front on the HIV/Aids battle will have an effect. Organizers say it’s not a question of will, but must.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia,
“We have to make it work. We have to make it work and as we have seen from Red Cross and from other agencies peer counseling is very effective. So I wouldn’t expect to have a bunch of adults speaking down to people saying this is what you must do. I would more expect that there would be forums for young people; participatory and interactive sessions where we can counsel one another and the young people can feel they are at home.”
Nuri Muhammad,
“Time is the best test of everything but based on what we have seen already, there are a number of young people who are understanding this approach that’s being taken by the peer educators and we will not know that it is working until we begin to see some of the statistics going down. All we can do is work and hope that our work will have an effect.”
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia,
“We cannot say too much about it ever is my submission and having a forum like this with a space, it’s actually a physical infrastructure, it’s very encouraging.”
Encouraging because once again the front is drawn to the youth and those who would ordinarily not get the message on HIV/Aids.
Minister of Youth and Sports Francis Fonseca and Ambassador Dolores Balderamos-Garcia cut the ribbon declaring the HIV/Aids unit open.