Keep hope alive

Stay Alive Program Moving to a New Level

UFI’s Stay Alive program is experiencing a time of vigorous growth. Stay Alive is implementing new strategies in Africa and the United States, and will also pilot a program aimed at reaching all 9 and 10 year olds in a nation to be selected.

Stay Alive Director Kelli Houghton said, “This will be the first time we have been able to implement on this level.”

By the end of March, Stay Alive will have deployed all of its professional marketing tools – a new website, DVDs and displays. These tools will be ready in time for the Global Health Conference in Washington, D.C., May 29-June 2, and the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) meeting in New York May 31-June 1. Both of these conferences will provide a forum to promote abstinence, fidelity and the importance of families.

Stay Alive Director Kelli Houghton, Wendy Sheffield (author of Stay Alive), Sylvia Finlayson (executive director of Care for Life), Professor Patrick Panos (Stay Alive evaluator) and Jastus Suchi (Stay Alive African trainer) will all make Stay Alive presentations at the Global Health Conference. The UNGASS meeting will review the progress of AIDS prevention and discuss ideas and programs to decrease HIV/AIDS. Cecil and Linda Ash will also attend.

Suchi will conduct fundraising efforts in the United States and present the Stay Alive program to various groups. UFI board member Lauralee Christensen will work with the Stay Alive committee on additional fundraising ideas.

Houghton and Stay Alive Committee members will travel to Africa the last week of June to attend a conference for 100 teachers in Kenya and 50 teachers in Uganda. They will also visit Lesotho and meet with leaders of countries interested in implementing the Stay Alive curriculum. Stay Alive is also completing implementation in Nigeria and initiating translation of the workbooks into the Nigerian language.