Success Stories
Read about just a few of our 2006 Award winners' successes to date.
There are many more - may they all continue their great work
Joy Hardt and Richard Edem
Kpando, Ghana
"When HardtHaven Children’s Home received the first installment of the grant from Staying Alive we had nothing and now we have a successfully running orphanage. We had planned on opening during the month of May and we succeeded by opening our doors on May 28th. We now have 10 children living at the home who have all lost their parents to AIDS and one (possibly more) is infected with HIV. We will be bringing the rest of the children in by June 27th and will reach our capacity of 18. We are also providing medical support to 3 HIV+ children who are living with their families but need additional support."
Seis Semillas (Six Seeds)
Guatemala
"As a result of the work done to date, an idea has arisen together with the Civil Integral Development Association of La Estancia Cantel, Quetzaltenango (a group of Kiche and Mayan men and women), which requested the Seis Semillas to provide training with regard to HIV, AIDS and STD. One of the benefits is that we will be able to share the experience acquired and lessons learned with them, although we admit that our scope is limited, so we have not raised any false hopes of joint work. However, we also recognise the importance of the information reaching this rural community, which to date has received no information on HIV, AIDS and STD, making it even more susceptible to infection. Consequently, we shall be taking the first steps to seek joint financing."
Ibiye Lawson - Girls to Mothers Initiative
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
"Girls to Mother Initiative was able to select size (6) project beneficiaries of which three amongst them were to start their training in computer appreciation which would last for three months. The other girls were registered in different education institution in Port Harcourt where they had friends/relatives who offered them shelter and feeding. Modinat is a young girl of sixteen years old, from a poor background, lost her father last year who was a tailor, while the mother hawks petite food stocks, who left with the children to the village to mourn her late husband. Modinat couldn’t stay back in the village but left her mum and three younger ones in the village to come to Port Harcourt to start a trade by selling local gins. By this support and fund of MTV Staying Alive Foundation Award she has now started a six months training in Hairdressing."
Teens Against AIDS
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
"We are glad to report that at most, the Masai are beginning to talk openly about HIV and they are a bit more comfortable to discussing cultural taboos that are contributing to their vulnerability to the disease. Women and children have been able to participate in the trainings and in focus groups. Wives have been allowed to attend meetings with permission from their husbands and mothers-in laws. It is our belief that within a few years the Masai in Bagamoyo area will have enough information to safe guide themselves and their communities from this deadly disease. Not only has the training helped the Masai to talk about other issues that concern their health and wellbeing but they have been able to realize that they hold the key to their own lives and future when they prevent the causes of a preventable disease."
Simukoko Phinheas
Chipata, Zambia
"The Project is on schedule and well timed, activities of community sensitisation on the dangers of defiling a Girl Child and violating her rights and also the myths of having sex with a Virgin Girl as being a cure of HIV and AIDS are flowing as planned. Challenges were faced when dealing with traditional healers and traditional initiators. These leaders, proved to be obstacles in our quest to changing their bad practices and attitudes in their traditional beliefs especially towards sexual behaviour with regards to girl child defilement in relation to HIV /AIDS. However, we engaged in an elderly woman who has a better understanding and experience of the traditional and cultural values as well as the modern information on HIV/AIDS, she is also able to relate with them at the same level, and this has helped us achieve our objectives of sensitizing the youths on the dangers of HIV/AIDS through theater for community action."
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