Keep hope alive

Stay Alive's Expanding Popularity and Success: Program Expanding in Africa and Asia

By Dennis Durband

United Families International's popular Stay Alive program is spreading into additional African nations, and the program will soon debut in Asia. Three more African nations have requested the Stay Alive program for their adolescent students. During summer meetings at the United Nations, representatives from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Algeria asked United Families International to bring the program to their schools. Stay Alive is also headed for India.

Kelli Houghton, Stay Alive program director, met with Nigeria 's Elder Ndekhedhe E. Ndekhedehe, minister at the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN. "He loved the program and felt that it taught the correct principles needed to save the children and give them a better life," Houghton said.

The First Lady of Zambia, Maureen Mwanawasa, had previously requested the Stay Alive program for her nation. The summer meeting with the Zimbabwe delegation at the UN reflected that nation's continued desire for the Stay Alive program. Delegation members examining the Stay Alive program included Dr. Xaba, the minister of Health and Child Welfare; Sydney Mhishi, the Minister of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare; Dr. O. Mugurungi, the chief coordinator of AIDS and TB Programme with the ministry of health and child welfare; and Meshack Kitchen, the counsellor to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Algeria's secretary of Health also met with UFI officials and expressed his interest in instituting Stay Alive in his nation. Algeria has only had about 700 cases of AIDS, but the secretary said she is interested in implementing the Stay Alive program along the nation's borders, where AIDS is most prevalent due to immigration.

Additionally, a delegate from Cameroon attended UFI's Stay Alive presentation in New York and expressed interest in learning more about how to implement the Stay Alive program in his country.

UFI representatives also met with Dr. Doreen Mulenga, who serves as senior HIV/AIDS advisor for UNICEF, and Farid Ali, the director of religious organizations for UNICEF. They were impressed with the Stay Alive program and suggested that UFI work with in-country UNICEF offices and with world religious organizations such as World Conference of Religion for Peace.

Stay Alive is a positive approach to HIV/AIDS prevention education. The program teaches truths for living long, healthy and loving lives by involving teachers, parents/guardians and students, utilizing three integrated discussion guides. The eight-week Stay Alive course empowers children who are not yet sexually active by teaching critical thinking skills that help them remain disease-free.

Operating for more than three years in Africa, the Stay Alive program is currently in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Somalia, Tanzania and Mozambique.

United Families International is also making plans to bring Stay Alive curriculum to India. Houghton said that may happen as early as January, 2006.

Half a million students have gone through the Stay Alive program, and, with adequate funding, that number could potentially triple in the next year.

A Project of United Families International