Programs and Events

HIV/AIDS Awareness Program

Kanté, March 23 2005

In Kante, situated about 400 miles north of Lome, several hundred young people gathered to view a video entitled “Sahel Scenario.”  After the film, the ARS Nouveaux Horizons book, “Sida – Ce Que Les Jeunes Doivent Savoir” (“AIDS – What Young People Must Know”), was presented by the local physician and staff of an AIDS NGO.  The focus of the program was “Girls Confronted with AIDS.”

The film shown at the HIV/AIDS program in Kante was more effective than speeches to convey to young people the causes and effects of HIV/AIDS.  Copies of the ARS book, “Sida - Ce Que les Jeunes Doivent Savoir,” were given out as prizes to students who gave correct answers to questions on how HIV is transmitted.  Due to its popularity, PAS provided additional copies to the library.  In a dramatized play depicting condom as an effective protective measure against HIV/AIDS, a blindfolded person avoided being hurt because he knew where to place his footsteps.

The film underscored the fact that condoms have played a crucial role in the campaigns against AIDS that have been relatively successful, from Thailand's "100 percent condom program" to the efforts in Uganda, Cambodia and Senegal.  The film also stressed the ABC method, which stands for abstinence, being faithful and condoms.