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Summary: The Lesson for Life, an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign which educates children and youths about prevention and the virus’ effects, took place on 1 December, World AIDS Day, with more than 10 million children participating.
[17 JAnuary 2006] - The Lesson for Life, an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign which educates children and youths about prevention and the virus’ effects, took place on December 1st, World AIDS Day, with more than 10 million children participating. The annual campaign is organised by the Global Movement for Children (GMC), a group composed of non-government organisations, community based organisations and individuals that strive to bring an end to HIV/AIDS through child participation utilising the tools of education, dialogue and advocacy. World Vision mobilised thousands of children worldwide, within their programmes and beyond, to participate in creative and innovative ways in the 2005 Lesson for Life. Some of the success stories included: -Children in the Dominican Republic engaging in roundtable discussions regarding HIV/AIDS with government officials, journalists, and local church members serving as onlookers -Participants coming up with detailed plans on ways they can prevent HIV/AIDS in their communities and assist those in need. In Ghana the children’s action plan included raising money to buy food for HIV/AIDS patients, making educational posters to be placed in public areas, and submitting articles to newspapers in order to educate the public about the virus -Children communicating their messages through drama and mime in Bolivia -A 12-year-old girl, Esther in Zambia receiving a scholarship from a former politician for three years of free secondary education due to her avid participation in the Lesson for Life -Large numbers of children marching in protest against HIV/AIDS all the while handing out educational brochures to people they passed in the streets of Guatemala -Utilising poetry and song in Kenya where children in the Makueni district brought many villagers to tears whilst performing in their local vernacular of Kikamba -Children in Bangladesh vowing to inform others about the lessons they learned since their “parents do not discuss this issue in front of [them],” as said by 15 year-old Mohammad, a participant in the lesson -More than 40,000 Korean high school students joining in the lesson compared to 600 students participating in 2004 -Children in Armenia writing essays on their understanding of HIV/AIDS and World Vision Armenia engaging the popular singer Ani Kristi to be photographed for HIV/AIDS awareness posters which are now placed in every high school and youth club throughout the country’s capital -Peru mobilising 20,000 youths to write messages of hope on a 20 meter (65.6 ft) long banner which was unveiled at the National HIV/AIDS Fair in Lima -In Azerbaijan children training to become peer educators on HIV/AIDS -Children participating in regional folk dance and drawing pictures regarding HIV/AIDS that were later posted in their town hall in Oaxaca, Mexico -Children in Ethiopia writing stories about their hopes for the eradication of HIV/AIDS -Bold children in Nicaragua going door-to-door, to 1,218 homes sharing HIV/AIDS information with families in their communities -Children participating in a forum in Ecuador hosted by the Ministry of Education & Culture in which they discussed children’s access to HIV/AIDS medication The many accomplishments that came as a result of the Lesson for Life 2005 are far too many to record but to find out more about the lesson and how to participate in 2006, visit the GMC website.