1st QUARTER

March 2009

Staying on the Battlefield Conference

NAWGHAAD 2009 themed, “STAYING ON THE BATTLEFIELD” was held on March 21 at the Garner Lion’s Club Hall, 1:30pm to 5:30pm.

AAAA collaborated with YWCA of Greater Triangle, Alliance of AIDS services-NC and Strengthen The Black Family. National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day featured speakers Mrs. Caressa McLaughin and Ms. Lekeshia Reeves on “Women and Girls HIV” and “HIV and Youth” topics respectively. AAAA Outreach Educator, Mrs. Vivian Kwaabia spoke on the importance of Outreach Education in fights against HIV.

January 2009

Print Media

Local newspaper carried AAAA HIV/AIDS related features:

“Weekly Independent”

March 15th, 2008

NWGHAAD 2008 REPORT

SHAW UNIVERSITY, RALEIGH, NC

This year’s March 10 marked the fifth official National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. As part of the national campaign to eradicate the surge in new infection rates, African Advocates Against AIDS of Wake County partnered with Shaw University Student Activities and the YWCA of the Greater Triangle to present a conference on HIV prevention education for adults and a youth workshop on Abstinence. The conference was held on March 15 in the Willie E. Gary student union ballroom with the youth workshops in its adjoining classrooms. The program started from 11am and ended at 4pm. Mrs. Jerelene Carver, Director - counseling Center of Shaw University welcomed everyone to Shaw University for a successful conference and educational enrichment.

Mrs. Florence Masese-Amadi, AAAA program coordinator, with recognition of the national event and its focus of educating the public on the latest depressing statistical data and the need for such a conference to intensify the fight against HIV/AIDS opened the conference. Mrs. Carine Siltz, AAAA Founder and CEO presented an overview of AAAA including its history, mission and vision. An eight minute DVD documenting AAAA’s work in the community was shown.

The conference combined visual presentations, topics on AIDS and conscientious Spoken Word to tackle preventive education. Mrs. Lisa Hodges, program coordinator of OMHHD, paid tribute to the six legends of quality health for minorities under the memorial fund and alerted the state of HIV/AIDS in the Triangle area. Mr.Yebi Apollinaire, a Nutritionist, shared a healthy nutritional program that helps build the body’s immune system as an aspect of fight against HIV/AIDS. Mrs. Carol Burt of Wake County Human Services conducted basic HIV education awareness, testing/counseling and treatment resources. Mrs. Adele Njang, CEO of Nurse to Nurse, spoke on “Healthy Women Build Healthy Communities”. Poetess Trina fired up the conference with a conscientious poetry for our collective action to fight HIV/AIDS.

The Youth Workshop had a presentation by Mrs. Adele Njang on “State of HIV and Impact on our Youth” followed by a video “SCENARIO FROM THE SAHEL” capturing instructive preventive sexual risk behaviors as role models. Mrs. Jerelene Carver, Shaw University Counseling Center spoke on handling “PEER PRESSURE”, and Mrs. Shannon Heinz of Planned Parenthood Health Systems addressed “Abstinence” as the most effective self-management skill for youth to halt STDs and HIV infections.

The “1 Million Dollar Challenge” hosted by Ms. Kerry Waite of YWCA of Greater Triangle was the most exciting part of the Youth workshop on HIV prevention. The workshop broke up into teams of four each to brainstorm and come up with the most creative and pragmatic ideas to fight HIV among the Youth...

TEAM #1 STRATEGY: Donate 1 Million Dollar funds to Senators Obama and Hillary Clinton’s political campaign to travel around nation talking to youths on HIV/AIDS awareness. Message of responsibility must be focus of campaign plus access to medicines.

TEAM #2 STRATEGY: Conduct teen HIV/AIDS prevention with 1 Million Dollars on ways to get the message out while focusing on abstinence and condom use. The team proposed use of billboards, movies, internet, flyers, community churches, radio broadcasts and television to convey and impact fight against HIV/AIDS.

TEAM #3 STRATEGY: Team will invest 1 Million Dollars in mandatory education via courses in public school systems (Educates), create free community centers to provide a safe nurturing environment (Involvement), implement mandatory testing when enrolling in schools (Testing), establish an insurance plan geared towards cheaper medication (Treatment), and start a counseling program to help those infected with HIV/AIDS to cope with their emotional and physical being (Counseling).

TEAM #4 STRATEGY: Invest 1 Million Dollars in production of a reality television show targeting youth audience in partnership with BET-TV; BET to match 1 million dollars. Team to set up a committee composed of a mother, father, physician, pastor, police officer, state representative, and celebrity. The reality show challenges actors as to who can impact community most to win 1 million dollars. In response to public refusal to watch program, the team recognized each face not only a reality but also familiar. Team will establish a summer camp for each representative from highly infected HIV area and employ youth talent to project him or her in positive light as role models.

Team #4 won first place with MP3s as group prizes donated by BEST BUY-Garner; Team #3 won 2nd place for gift card prize from Stein Mart of Cary, and Team #2 won third place for Golden Corral of Garner dinner gift certificates. Team #4 also received AAAA tee shirts for honorable recognition. Free HIV testing was conducted during conference hours and YWCA of Greater Triangle catered lunch.

Mrs. Carine Siltz, AAAA founder, thanked all participants at end of program and invited all for the next AAAA event. The conference attracted 100 attendants with women and girls representing 80% and men and boys representing 20%.

March 10th, 2008

Garner mayor's proclamation for women's HIV/AIDS awareness day

View the News 14 video at AAAA VIDEOS section, video # 8

March 6th, 2008

MAYOR OF GARNER HONORS AAAA WORK

On March 6, 2008 at 11am, the mayor of Garner, Mr. Ronnie S. Smith, signed a proclamation for observation of March 10 as National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in Garner. Earlier in the Town Hall, the mayor, staff, AAAA representatives and members of public watched a video on AAAA work in the community. New infections rate increase in Wake County was a concern. The mayor recognized prevention education as first line of defense despite advances in medical research to reduce infection rate and treatment for those living with AIDS. The mayor offered to team with AAAA in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Garner including serving on its Board of Directors. Mrs. Carine Siltz thanked the mayor for the plaque. Dr. Ephraim Udofia, Board Member and Mr. Vincent Payne, AAAA Public Relations Officer accompanied Mrs. Siltz.

February 29th, 2008

AAAA AT BHM EVENT IN CARY, NC

On February 29, the annual black history month celebration hosted by Ujima Group attracted a good size crowd at the Herbert Young Community Center on North Academy Street in Cary. Mrs. Carine Siltz, AAAA CEO and founder, spoke to attendants on the subject of HIV/AIDS and new data confirming an increased rate of new infections. Mrs. Siltz talked to women about gender pride and self-managemment as strength of mothers to impact young girls in choice behaviors. AAAA offers and trains women free as preventive educators to help family members and community at large. Mrs. Siltz invited the women to attend the National AIDS Awareness Day conference at Shaw University to acquire more knowledge on HIV/AIDS and join the fight against the greatest killer of African-American women.

March 10th, 2007

WOMEN/GIRLS AIDS AWARENESS DAY

The AAAA Office, Garner and AAAA website events listing plus 500 flyers distribution. Educational presentation by Mrs. Joyce Chilongo and Dr. Arcaro video presentation "Aids In Namibia". Cultural presentation by Gustav.