Revolutionising Youth Perception of Sexual and Reproductive Health
Africaid was established in 2002 by UK HIV Nurse Specialists Marcus McGilvray and Nicola Willis in response to the burgeoning HIV & AIDS epidemic in Africa. Its award-winning anti-retroviral patient readiness training has been written into treatment policy by National Governments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) globally, directly supporting an estimated 4 million people to successfully manage HIV. In 2005, Africaid’s WhizzKids United (WKU) programme began to address the main casualties of HIV across Africa: young people.
The programme revolutionised the way in which youth focused on sexual and reproductive health, including: HIV prevention, treatment, and how care is approached and managed. Instead of the staid classroom setting, WKU ‘broke out’ onto the football pitch to teach life skills through its multi-award winning life skills curriculum‚ ‘On the Ball’. Each football skill is directly related to a life skill which helps ensure young people not only have the knowledge, but also the skills needed to use that knowledge and remain healthy and goal-driven.