Lisa Campbell Salazar

University of Guelph student Yvonne Su volunteers with LetsStopAIDS, a national youth-driven organization that works to share information, inspire action and create projects surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS. Yvonne  concern for both the environment with the fight against the spread of HIV brought her all the way to South Africa.  “Our program was called Spread Trees, Not AIDS, and we did workshops about both HIV prevention and environmental health. The young people who participated were very receptive. They don’t have the resources we have for sexual health education, so they were never formally educated about these issues.” Not only did Yvonne spent her time doing workshops with South African youth, but also volunteered planting trees in the schoolyard nearby to provide both fruit and shade for the community.  This December Yvonne will be traveling all the way to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen to be a climate change delegate. Be sure to catch her writing in the May 2008 issue of Youth Action Forum Magazine!

1.) Why did you decide to Get Involved?

I got involved because it felt natural to lend a hand to those in need- holding a door, joining in on school yard clean ups, donating to those down on their luck- they were all simple tasks that didn’t warrant a request. When I realized the magnitude of the global HIV and AIDS pandemic 4 years ago I knew I needed to do what I could to help so I volunteered with LetsStopAIDS… Working with LetsStopAIDS, I was empowered to help those in need by volunteering my time and energy. I became an HIV and AIDS peer educator and spent my time educating others so they could become peer educators as well. Together, we hope to equip youth with the knowledge and resources to live a safe and healthy life.

2.) How many hours do you devote to your cause a week?

10 hours a week

3.) Pick one word or a sentence that describes what volunteering means to you.

Volunteering is the foundation of community.

4.) Why is your cause so important to you?

Educating young people about HIV and AIDS is important to me because I believe every child has a right to a comprehensive sexual education. Youth need to be equipped with the knowledge and resources that can allow them to make safe sexual choices. In Canada we are lucky to have every possible resource available to learn about our sexual health. People in other countries are not as fortunate.

In Mtubatuba, South Africa, the township I spent my summer volunteering in, youth have limited to no access to information about sexual health and HIV. There is no internet, let alone computers or electricity. There is no library with books to borrow about the topic, little is said at school and young people are not allowed to date until they are 21 years old. In a place with such limited information and resources, misinformation and myths arise which gives way to the creation of stigma against people living with HIV.

Our time in Mtubatuba, gave us the opportunity to educate about sexual health and HIV and AIDS in a comprehensive and unconventional matter. It also allowed us to act as a resource for these youth by answering their many questions about sex and HIV.  A women once told me, “No one told me about HIV and AIDS. No one told me what a condom was or how to use it. If only someone told me.” With LetsStopAIDS, I want to create a network of peer educators so they can be that someone for somebody and prevent the spread of HIV.

Related posts:

1. Beautifulcity.ca Volunteer Sedina
2. Kiwanis Club of North York Volunteer Peter
3. Be a Global Youth Leader Today

Some amazing initiatives have emerged out of these new funding structures which have led to new models of youth leadership and involvement.  Young Diplomats were one of the original recipients of the Youth Challenge Fund and are a stunning example of the power of youth to make change and support each other. Young Diplomats emerged from a community-based research study done by the UN University for Peace in March 2006 which identified the emotional, cultural and identity issues faced by Ethiopian youth in the Greater Toronto Area.

Before Young Diplomats there were no community groups running Ethiopian-specific youth programs and as such the group has become a central hub for the community.  Young Diplomats provides Ethiopian youth the opportunity to access inspiring community mentors, create youth-positive spaces and mobilize around important issues.  Combining social, academic and career mentorship with fun opportunities like the annual YD Summer Leadership Camp, Young Diplomats reaches out to a variety of Ethiopian youth at different life stages to create a web of community support. To find out more about Young Diplomats check out their website and Facebook Group to see their latest projects and get inspired!

Related posts:

1. Generation We
2. Beautifulcity.ca Volunteer Sedina
3. LetsStopAIDS Volunteer Yvonne