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| Group Photograph of Participants at the CROWDOUTAIDS offline forum in Ogun State |
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| Adeyanju Mariam presenting recommendations. Photo: Leke Obadimu |
I feel excited to host the CROWDOUTAIDS forum because it gave me the opportunity to discuss HIV/AIDS to a passionate group of young students.The offline forum which held at the NUD GRammar School Solu,Ifo Local Goverment Ogun State. The forum which started at 12.30pm and ended at 3.00pm
had 56 students of the school in attendance. 26 female students and 30 male students had an interesting engaging sessions discussing issues that affects them and suggesting better ways of ensuring we crowdoutaids. the participants through group sessions discussed and unanimously came with answers to questions raised by CrowdoutAIDS discussions.
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| Leke Obadimu(Volunteer) introducing the CROWDOUTAIDS forum. Photo: Alofu Kingsley |
In our School, young people are now considered by the establishment of a Student Representative Council.
1. Youths perspective is now represented through the creation of various youth empowerment programs and civic education targeted at youths. For example the last elections, the politicians engaged the youths and asked for their votes instead of the previous way they use them as political thugs.
2. The youths are usually overworked when the governments and organizations work with them.
3. The older ones do not follow some recommendations made by young people.
4. Organisations and governments give little or no resources to youths and expect them to produce results under a harsh condition.
2.1 If you could change ONE thing in the way your community deals with sex and relationships what would it be?
1. We will change our educational curriculum by adding sex education into our curriculum because it will help give more information to young people
4.1 How can UNAIDS make young people aware that this information is available?
1. UNAIDS should recruit, and train local and student representatives to serve as counsellors for their fellow youths.
2. UNAIDS should work directly with committed volunteers who can disseminate this information to their peers.
3. UNAIDS should engage teachers of schools as mentors for young people.
4. Sponsoring soap operas that educate youths on HIV/AIDS
5. More advertisements on radio and local town criers, flyers and booklets
4.3 How can UNAIDS support and strengthen youth leadership in your country? Below are some ideas, but feel free to add your own!
1. UNAIDS should liberalize their requirements when looking for youths organizations to work with so that they can reach more grassroots organization that don’t have strong institutional structure.
2. UNAIDS should create student HIV/AIDS support groups for those who are living with HIV/AIDS
The forum ended with a group photograph and an appreciation to UNAIDS for giving them an opportunity to speak out there voice in the fight against AIDS and leading change by contributing to their policies.
