December 2, 2019
In commemoration of World AIDS Day 2019 and this year’s theme, communities make the difference, AVAC is throwing a blog carnival—a series of blog posts that amplify the voices of young advocates who are doing remarkable work to shape the global HIV/AIDS response.
In AVAC Report 2019: Now What?, we wrote a letter to these advocates, members of Generation Now, encouraging them to sustain their bold efforts in the fight against HIV and to lead with a vision of the future they want to see. A number of our partners have responded, imparting firsthand perspectives on what it means for them to mobilize in various contexts across Africa.
We encourage you to read their responses for their take on the state-of-the-field and the advocacy priorities of some of its young leaders:
- Deloune Comfort Matongo, 2018 Fellow, GALZ, An Association of LGBTI People in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
- Ulanda Mtamba, 2018 Fellow, Advancing Girls’ Education in Africa, Malawi
- David Ita, 2019 Fellow, New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS), Nigeria
- Mercy Mutony, 2019 Fellow, Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme (BHESP), Kenya
AVAC’s Maureen Luba and a long-time partner, Charles Holmes, also address this in their editorial, We Can Beat AIDS with Youth in the Lead.
As we enter 2020 and beyond, we commit to supporting young people as leaders in the response to HIV and AIDS. Join the conversation and let us know what you think should be prioritized in 2020 by sharing your response to the vital question AVAC poses in our annual report, Now What?. Tweet at @HIVpxresearch using the the hashtags #NowWhat2020 #WorldAIDSDay #WAD2019 and look for additional blogs in the weeks to come!