One of the strongest points of the program highlighted below is the peer education component. Information shared and lessons taught to one group must not stay only with them, but requires them to serve as ambassadors, spreading the advice, giving this and similar movements the breadth and depth they need to truly make a difference.

Thanks to Ben Cummings and the folks at Sport and Dev for this piece. You can find the full article at http://www.sportanddev.org/newsnviews/news/?906/Cricketers-advocate-for-people-living-with-HIV, with an excerpt below.

(Excerpt)

Cricketers advocate for people living with HIV

by Ben Cummings, 30 September 2009 |

Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera and Lasith Malinga visit a local HIV programme

Cricket players work with youth affected by HIV/AIDS

Some of the game’s top cricketers visited a local youth programme last Tuesday to pledge their support for youngsters living with HIV. The visit formed part of the ICC’s THINK WISE partnership with UNAIDS, UNICEF and the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI).

THINK WISE champion and Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, along with team-mates Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera and Lasith Malinga, met with young people affected by HIV at the WITSECHO Adolescent Sprint Holiday Progamme as the Katlehong Art Centre near Johannesburg, South Africa during ICC Champions Trophy 2009.

The visit was organised by one of UNICEF’s local partners, ECHO, which serves more than 11,000 South African children and their families and helps to provide approximately 10,000 children with anti-retroviral therapy.

Following a fun fielding session at the start of the visit, the cricketers heard from the programme directors and youngsters about the important work that the clinic carries out to allow adolescents to develop important life skills.

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The ECHO youth holiday programme helps develop the capacity of adolescents to implement a peer education programme which encourages HIV prevention focusing on building self-esteem and confidence in young people to promote responsible choices within sexual relationships.

(The full article can be found at http://www.sportanddev.org/newsnviews/news/?906/Cricketers-advocate-for-people-living-with-HIV)