Nongovernment Organizations and Civil Society

Teenagers promote better understanding of HIV/AIDS

Baan Leng, Thailand - Every Saturday and Sunday morning, people in Baan Leng Village in northeastern Thailand listen to Kallaya and her friends hosting a radio program called "Teenage Voices… We Care about Health." They discuss teenage health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other health issues.

Kallaya pays special attention to sharing facts and advice to help prevent HIV/AIDS and promote a better understanding in the community. Kallaya is one of the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Foundation's proud core youth leaders.

This grade 9 student shares a home with her grandfather and her aunt, who is living with HIV/AIDS. Before becoming an FXB core youth leader, she had doubts about living in the same house with her aunt. "I was never sure if I could have meals with my aunt or do things with her. That made me feel so uncomfortable and I tried to avoid my aunt as much as possible. I was scared, but I could never say anything," recalls Kallaya.

Now, having received training herself, she has a very clear understanding of how to avoid getting HIV/AIDS. Most importantly came the realization that she cannot get HIV/AIDS from her aunt by sharing a meal with her, hugging her, or living with her. "Then it dawned on me that it is a very important thing to make other people in my community have the same understanding of HIV/AIDS and of living with HIV-infected people," she says.

Ignorance creates stigma and discrimination

This feeling of not knowing creates the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, she says. Being a youth core leader has given her an opportunity to do what she really wants to do-to educate others about HIV/AIDS.