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‘Wize Up’ HIV/AIDS initiative impacting on society
Some of the individuals involved in the endorsement of the Wize Up HIV/AIDS initiative.
Since its official launch several weeks ago, the Wize Up HIV/AIDS Initiative has been impacting greatly in schools and other sections of society, according to Vizion Sounds officials.
Officially launched at the City Mall on October 25 of last year, the project is the brainchild of the Vizion Sounds Promotions officials whose idea it was to fight the epidemic using musicians as instruments to attract and educate youths on HIV/AIDS issues.
Under the theme ‘Wize Up be HIV/AIDS literate’ young entertainers will be visiting schools and communities across Guyana, taking the message of abstinence and responsible sexual behaviour to young people. Brochures, pamphlets, CDs and other educational materials will be distributed.
Vizion Sounds is one of the leading promoters of Guyanese talent and has been producing music in Guyana for more than ten years.
According to one of its executives, the company feels that, having a captive audience of young people, it is their civic responsibility to deliver positive messages to that audience.
The project will see the distribution of CDs in schools and villages where the likes of artistes Edward Neblett, Ballys, Alabama, Typheon Abensette, Girlie Persaud and Fojo would be delivering live performances followed by presentations on HIV/AIDS. Abstinence is the main focus of the project, which will run for one full year.
Using this project, Vizion Sounds is using musicians and entertainment to educate youths against the spread of HIV/AIDS as well as acquainting them with preventative measures and safe sex practices.
So far, the initiative has been taken to the Albouystown district, several other city locations and will also be featured in Linden, Berbice and hinterland areas. If all goes well, the project will head to the Lethem District soon.
Officials at Vizion Sounds have indicated that since its implementation, that project is definitely attracting wide scale attention of youth, particularly those in their early and late teens. According to the Vizion Sounds management team, the idea of using entertainment to educate youths on the epidemic has worked well since most of them are already prone to most of the musical items executed by the Vizion Sound vocalists and are actually fans of the musicians used at each forum.
Musicians are required to give a live cultural performance before launching into verbal educative speeches and messages relating to HIV/AIDS.
Among those involved in endorsing the initiative at the official launch were Alabama, Typheon Abbensette, Girlie Persaud, and Ballys.
This project aims to promote HIV/AIDS awareness within the schools, rural areas and among underprivileged youths within their various communities, and to promote gender equality and address gender norms and relations to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls, involving men and boys in this effort.
It is also geared at promoting widespread knowledge and awareness of how HIV is transmitted and how infections can be averted, promoting the links between HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health, and supporting the mobilization of community-based responses throughout the continuum of prevention, care and treatment.
The project also aims to promote programmes targeted at HIV prevention needs of key affected groups and populations, including women and girls, youth, men who have sex with men, sex workers, people living in poverty, prisoners, migrant labourers (e.g. miners) and indigenous populations.
The focal points of this project is to focus on HIV prevention among young people, focus on HIV prevention among especially vulnerable groups (MSM, sex workers, prisoners, migrant labourers, people of humanitarian concerns, indigenous people), also providing HIV-related information and education to enable individuals to protect themselves from communicable diseases
Confrontation and mitigation of HIV-related stigma and discrimination is also among other objectives as well as where possible, encourage young people to delay sexual activity and practice abstinence.
(Alex Wayne)
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