by Urooj Arshad, Manager, Youth of Color Initiative

Last month Advocates held its Youth of Color Initiative Roundtable  (funded through the CDC’s Division of Adolescent School Health). The participants were grantees who receive seed grants and capacity building services.

This roundtable provided an opportunity for the grantees to share lessons learned as well as strategies around developing and implementing culturally appropriate HIV prevention interventions for young African American/Black and Latina/Hispanic women. Some of the skills-based sessions included: mobilizing youth of color using new media strategies; organizational development; science-based programs; and working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.

Organizations funded through the Youth of Color Initiative occupy a wide spectrum of geographic, infrastructural and programmatic diversity.

by Nicole Cheetham, Director, International Department

Last week Amnesty International released a report on maternal mortality in Burkina Faso.  The report tells us that as many as six women die every day in Burkina as a result of complications due to pregnancy or childbirth.  Poverty, shortages of supplies and trained medical staff, corruption and gender discrimination are reported as underlying causes of high rates of maternal death. 

In 1999, I began working in Burkina where Advocates had a community based program to improve reproductive and sexual health among young people in 20 villages across three rural provinces.   A couple of years into the project, my husband and I decided to have a baby and I became pregnant.  One of my colleagues who was working on the project out of the capital, Ouagadougou, also became pregnant with her first child around that same time.  In fact, my son and her daughter were born within a couple of weeks of each other.   As I came closer to delivering that December in 2001, I remember thinking about her---wondering what kind of care she was going to have access to, particularly if she were to have any complications.  I didn’t want to think that just because of her circumstances, she might not have the same chance as I would to safely bring a child into this world. 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, we've learned about an exciting partnership between Godiva and the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF)!  Learn more in this letter from Scott Campbell, executive director of EJAF.  Then enter the sweepstakes and check out the Limited Edition True Love Gold Heart!

 On February 1, 2010, at a press conference in Los Angeles, EJAF Board member David Furnish and long-time EJAF supporter actress Eva Longoria Parker joined Godiva Chocolatier representative Alison Tryon to announce an exciting new partnership between the world's leading premium chocolatier and one of the world's leading nonprofit HIV organizations.

For Valentine's Day 2010, Godiva is encouraging consumers to open their hearts to loved ones as well as to people in need. Godiva will celebrate the joy of giving back with a special limited edition gift box and an exciting Valentine's Day Sweepstakes inspired by Godiva's partnership with EJAF. As Ms. Tryon stated, "The eternal values of love and sharing, as exemplified by EJAF, have always been staples of Godiva's philosophy, particularly during Valentine's Day. We are proud to honor our shared ideals and support their valuable contributions through this special Valentine's Day sweepstakes. At Godiva, we have long admired the tireless efforts of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and their grant-making programs that bring life-saving HIV prevention education and support services to people in need across the world. We are proud to support them in their endeavors."

by Nicole Cheetham, Director, International Division

A few weeks ago Advocates received a request from its partner organization in Jamaica, the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), to submit a statement for inclusion in their first annual report.  While this may not seem particularly noteworthy at first glance, it is in fact, a cause for celebration.  Why, you may ask?  Well, because the JYAN is publishing its very first organizational annual report---a milestone of sorts, you could say, in the world of organizational development.