Since 2005, EFA has impacted the lives of HIV+ youth in Cameroon and Rwanda by promoting HIV prevention, treatment and care, and building young people’s capacity to become tomorrow’s leaders. To celebrate we invite you to chill with us in the Eighteenth Street Lounge’s Gold Room in Washington, D.C. Meet EFA’s Cameroon Regional Office Coordinator, Alim Ousmanou, and learn firsthand how EFA International is contributing to Africa’s better health. We’ll be raffling Cameroonian jewelry, statues, and crafts. Another fundraising happy hour will be held in Boston on May 6.

Alim Ousmanou, EFA's Cameroon Country Representative, was accepted to the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program in January. Alim arrived in the U.S. on April 3 and participated in the program’s Public Health Policy and Practice training, which ended April 24. The training took him to Baltimore, Maryland; San Francisco, California; and New Orleans, Louisiana. After the program’s completion, Alim will remain in the U.S. for two weeks.  Meet him at one of EFA's Fundraiser Happy Hours.

In February 2010, EFA International staff and Peace Corps Cameroon collaborated in conducting a two week training program for 30 young men who are infected or affected with HIV where they learned concretely how to live "positively", the essentials of reproductive health, and the ins-and-outs of HIV prevention. The workshop, called “Men as Partners” aimed to involve and empower men to improve the overall health of their community, particularly as it concerns HIV risk.

During the workshop, participants discussed various topics including how certain notions of masculinity can hinder their health and well-being. Because of their HIV+ status, many of the men have been made to feel as outsiders in their own communities. Yet, after this training, many noted that they now feel like they can play a constructive role in their communities and in their own families. Quite profoundly, a 14 year old participant, the son of 2 HIV+ parents commented that he had a responsibility to protect his family.

At the end, the men talked about strategies for recreating some of the sessions in their communities and developed concrete action plans to fight some of the societal norms discussed over the two weeks.

Sometimes the problems of the world can seem insurmountable. We speak of HIV rates and gender inequity and violence and face difficulty finding solutions. The Men as Partners program found solutions in the 30 participants dedicated to their own health and to the health of their communities.

Since February 2010, the Child Support Center (CSC) in Kigali, Rwanda has been providing educational and nutritional services to over thirty orphans and other vulnerable children in the community. Through the education program, CSC beneficiaries are provided with supplemental English language courses three days a week in addition to homework support and tutoring in Math and Sciences during other days. CSC began a partnership with Orphans of Rwanda (ORI), a competitive university scholarship program for vulnerable youth, where ORI students volunteer their time as teachers for CSC beneficiaries, while gaining practical job experience to help them in their future careers as teachers.

In addition to the education program, program beneficiaries receive hot meals on the weekends and other nutritional supplements during weekdays. All beneficiaries were also provided with health insurance during the quarter. In general, CSC has created a safe space where beneficiaries come even when formal programs aren’t scheduled, learning traditional Rwandan dance ,singing songs, or just passing time together. Next quarter CSC will also launch a mentoring and counseling program to provide beneficiaries with psychosocial support services.

EFA International extends its deepest regrets to everyone who suffered loss from the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January. As we are all affected by these global tragedies, EFA International supports Partners in Health and its sister organization–Zanmi Sante—who have had a positive presence in Haiti for decades to aid the country in rebuilding and ensuring its citizens remain healthy and well.