Food for thought: "God won't judge our exploits... but our motive behind it!"

Fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

“My interest to embark on an HIV project grew when I saw how young people are the most affected by HIV. I feel that as part of my contribution to the emergence of an HIV-free population, I can help by first finding out more about this virus and then disseminating this knowledge to other young people who share in my vision or are otherwise interested in saving humanity.” Jennifer, 20 years old

Jennifer lives in Nigeria, where HIV/AIDS gets a lot of attention. But even though the issue is all over the media, Jennifer knows that young people still engage in high-risk behavior that could expose them to HIV. “Being informed is one thing,” she says, “but being well informed is another.”

As an intern at Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria, a media resource centre on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, Jennifer has learned all about HIV and other diseases and is determined to share this knowledge with other young people. She is busy organising youth-based projects, including an upcoming roundtable with both youth advocates and young people living with HIV to discuss ways of achieving behavioral change.

MDG 6 aims to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other deadly diseases by 2015. Jennifer hopes to build a network of young people who will be fully committed to sharing their knowledge and working together to see the emergence of an HIV-free population.

“Working towards the good of everyone is a passion-driven thing that goes beyond personal interest,” says Jennifer. “I am happy to see so many young people both at home and abroad who recognize the importance of volunteering and dedicating their time and skills towards building a fairer world.”

http://www.unicef.org/voy/takeaction/takeaction_2366.html

http://www.unicef.org/voy/speakout/speakout_564.html