Teen Club and the International AIDS Conference

9 01 2012

AIDS 2012: XIX International AIDS Conference

As many of you know, we here at Teen Club are working to bring some of our youth to the US of A to attend the International AIDS Conference in July 2012. Our dream is fast becoming a reality, as we have already raised over 1,500 USD to put towards their attendance.

At our Christmas party last December, Teens were able to sign up in order to be considered for a spot in our series of Application writing workshops. We have selected a dozen of our teens, age 15-19, from a pool of 70 eligible youth. We selected these finalists through multiple criteria: good adherence to medication, regular attendance at Teen Club and recognition both for participation at Teen Club, as positive mention by clinical staff with regard to conduct and help with the other kids and teens.

The application writing workshops will allow them to practice filling out the forms before they submit them online, as well as offer them valuable skills for applying to everything from scholarships to jobs. It is our hope that, as a result of these workshops, we will receive three or more scholarships; so that some of the kids will be completely paid for. As a back-up plan, because applications are not guaranteed, we are raising money to ENSURE some of our kids get to go.

We are asking for your help. If you are reading this blog, you already love Teen Club. You love the support we provide, the accepting, safe place we created monthly for over 500 kids, and the positive environment that we build… where these kids can just be normal kids. You love the fact that we create new lesson plans monthly, and that we do it on a tiny budget. You love that we have devoted adult and teen volunteers that come every month to our five locations throughout Swaziland’s four regions; that we ARE psychosocial support for these kids. You love that we love all 1000 plus kids that have ever attended a Teen Club.

If you have already given, we cannot thank you enough. It is through volunteers and donations that we are continually able to provide what we do for the kids and teens that come. If you haven’t, then consider giving. One or two dollars still helps us get to where we want to be. As a volunteer I understand what it is to want for funds, but you can always donate your energy and a small amount of time to tell your friends and family about our goal, and ask them to consider giving.

How to donate… please read carefully:

Go to this page… or click on the “donate now” button at the top of this blog.
Think about how much you want to give.
Enter your donation information.
In the section labelled “Additional Information” click on the drop-down bar that says “Please Choose the Program you Wish to Support” and select SWAZILAND TEEN CLUB. Then, in the comments section write “AIDS CONFERENCE”. If you do not write that, your donation will go to other Teen Club activities. We would still love that, and you by extension, but it won’t help us get our kids to D.C.
Feel absurdly satisfied with your life as a whole. You are amazing. People love you. You rock. You helped do something truly amazing for our kids. Look forward to good karma, mirth, and possibly free ice cream*.

If you like visual instructions more…

Make it look like this

And then this

I dream of a world without Pediatric HIV, where no infant is born with the disease, but before we can get there we have to make sure to teach this generation; to make it OK to be HIV-positive. We must give them the skills they need to be positive deviants during an age of change and growth; how to be leaders; how to be a voice for those who have yet to speak up about their status. We must enrich their lives so that, in turn, they will enrich the generation after them. Our kids will take so much away from this experience, and it will change lives in ways I cannot even begin to imagine.

In siSwati, “kanye kanye” means together, and that is how we can make this happen.

Thank you,

Cameron Price

Peace Corps Swaziland 2009-2012

Teen Club Volunteer since 2010