Embassy Newscentre

Embassy News 2008-2009

A student during the Q&A session (Photo: Teko Folli/US Embassy)

Secondary School’s Students in Dabou Watched Short Films on How to Fight HIV/AIDS

On February 4, 2009, about 500 students from a high school in Dabou took part in the U.S. Embassy’s “HIV/AIDS Caravan” program. The program was designed to create awareness and build capacity to combat and prevent HIV/AIDS among students, as well as the general public. The program also brought together PEPFAR and public affairs representatives with Ivorian government officials, local medical officers, teachers and NGOs involved in the struggle against the spread of the disease.

The program was marked in the morning by the projection of a series of short films in French on AIDS, based on scenarios by young Africans. The messages mainly focused on issues including abstinence; stigmatization of people with the HIV virus; testing; and responsible behavior to avoid infection. The projection was followed by an extremely animated Q&A session led by local health authorities and a representative from Care Cote d’Ivoire, a PEPFAR partner in fighting the disease in Cote d’Ivoire. Participants were impressed with the quality of the questions from the students, including specific questions about how one gets contaminated with the virus, where and how to get testing, and what a person living with the disease must do in order to stay healthy.  The debate was covered live by Leboutou FM, a local radio in the area.

The session was followed by an opportunity to take an HIV/AIDS screening test. About 100 students volunteered for the testing. The interim PEPFAR Coordinator, Jim Allman, used the occasion to highlight the USG’s support in fighting HIV/AIDS in Cote d’Ivoire. Public Affairs Officer Sharon White emphasized the importance of testing.  She also presented to the school’s officials books on HIV/AIDS designed for youth and IIP items including a brochure on Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States; English teaching materials and T-shirts.

In the afternoon, the U.S. Embassy partnered with Leboutou FM to organize a live radio program on the PEPFAR campaign against HIV/AIDS and how to fight the stigmatization of people living with the disease. The program featured interim PEPFAR Coordinator, Jim Allman, an Ivorian doctor, a local health official and Folli Teko, Information Specialist at the U.S. Embassy. At the end of the program, the public affairs section presented to the radio manager IIP materials including the Handbook of Independent Journalism; Media and Ethics; A Responsible Press Officer; The New Media Order; The New Tools of Communication and a microphone and headset to assist with future programs.