Does HIV Look Like Me? International provides a Leadership Training for young people living with HIV or AIDS. Part of our mission is to educate, inspire, empower, and challenge stigma. Intending to provide young people with the skills and opportunities to become leaders in their communities, country and across the globe – to stop the pattern of letting others speak for them!
The Leadership Training will strengthen the local institutional capacity by providing locally-trained young people who will use their voices to address stigma, educate the public, encourage young people to get tested and those who are HIV positive to seek treatment and create a movement within their community with the tools built from this training.
The Leadership Training is providing the skills and tools to young people to lead the movement in their communities and country. It is mobilizing young people to define their disease – in turn redefining their life and ending stigma.
GOALS OF THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING
* To empower YPLHIV/A to become leaders in their communities.
* To instill skills and confidence required in leadership, advocacy and support initiatives.
* To develop tools that address the stigma and discrimination of YPLHIV/A.
* To promote and support prevention with positives activities.
* To create an advocacy, networking and support action plan for YPLHIV/A in their host countries.
THE PARTICIPANTS
The participants of the Leadership Training are young people living with HIV or AIDS under the age of 30. They represent a diverse set of experiences and desires, and reflect the many “faces” of HIV or AIDS in their host country. They are interested in gaining skills and becoming involved in the movement.
THE FACILITATORS
Does HIV Look Like Me? International provides several trainers who can share the experiences of YPLHIV/A from around the world, and examples of how young people mobilize in different countries. We will provide skills-building sessions on developing advocacy messages and tools, reducing stigma and discrimination, and building and strengthening networks. We are committed to seeking facilitators from their local countries that are leaders in the HIV and AIDS movement who will provide a local history of PLHA activism and leadership, develop leadership skills and peer support.
THE OUTCOME
Participants will gain skills in: leadership, advocacy, peer support, challenging stigma and discrimination, facilitation, public speaking, developing advocacy tools, and working with the media. The last sessions of the training will focus on “next steps” and developing a plan of action. It will be up to the participants to decide how they want to use the skills they have gained during the training. Possibilities include developing a YPLHIV/A network, an advocacy team, a speakers bureau and/or a support group. The participants will define their advocacy goals and what kind of support they will need to accomplish them.
NGOs will be involved in supporting the increased involvement of YPLHIV/A and are essential to sustaining their participation and development as leaders. During the training, participants will be linked with local and national NGOs working within the HIV and AIDS movement in their host countries, who will make presentations on their work. Participants will be able to seek advocacy opportunities within these organizations and as well as develop their own networking capacity.
Does HIV Look Like Me? International will create a report including the evaluations of the participants and partner organizations.
Please visit “Our Leadership Work” to read about previous Leadership Trainings.
WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Please contact us at info@doeshivlooklikeme.org with further questions, or if you are interested in hosting, participating , supporting, partnering, or funding a training.