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Country Profiles |
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Kelly Rowland Attracts Publicity for FHI-Supported Efforts
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AUGUST 2008 — Kelly Rowland, Grammy-winning sensation and former member of the hit R&B group Destiny's Child, is the 2008 ambassador for MTV's Staying Alive Foundation, an FHI partner that works to empower young people to protect themselves against HIV and AIDS. Rowland, 27, takes her responsibilities seriously, and recently traveled to Kenya and Tanzania to support the foundation's mission. Having lost a good friend to AIDS, Rowland used her star power to publicize the importance of voluntary counseling and testing. CNN and MTV cameras rolled as she visited the Kenyatta National Hospital's HIV counseling and testing center, established in 1997 with FHI support under the USAID-funded IMPACT Project. The cameras chronicled the process of HIV counseling and testing along with Rowland's meeting at the testing center with John Ngugi, 22, who had volunteered to take the test publicly to encourage others to take it. He was grateful for the opportunity to be tested and thrilled to have the chance to talk with the superstar. About 60 percent of the 1,000 people tested each month at the hospital's center are youth. The Positive Youth Initiative The young women interviewed by Rowland shared stories of the isolation, stigma, sexual abuse, and discrimination that many encounter on the road to positive living. Barbra cares for her HIV-positive parents and supports her school-age siblings. Georgina, 26, has been living with HIV since the age of 19. She receives free antiretroviral drugs and proudly notes that her immune system and CD4 count is comparable to that of a person without HIV. She is now working as an HIV counselor, social worker, and an advocate and volunteer for PYI. The Staying Alive Campaign Today, FHI/Kenya and FHI/Tanzania continue the relationship with the Staying Alive Campaign and MTV through ongoing projects that target youth, such as the UJANA Project in Tanzania and the AIDS, Population and Health Integrated Assistance (APHIA II) in Kenya. In the two countries, FHI staff provide mentorship and technical assistance to grantees of the Staying Alive Foundation and facilitate the use of MTV materials by youth-serving organizations. Related Links: CNN coverage of Kelly Rowland's Visit PHOTOS: (Top) Leaders of Positive Youth Initiative, a Staying Alive Foundation grantee, met with Grammy-winner Kelly Rowland during her recent trip to Kenya. From left: Georgina Nakitari, Eunice Diana, Lucy Atieno, and Milka Mmbone. (Bottom) Kelly Rowland shares a laugh with John Ngugi, who also led by example, receiving counseling and testing at Kenyatta National Hospital's HIV counseling and testing center. (Maryanne Pribila, FHI/Kenya) |
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While in Kenya, Rowland took the opportunity to meet with leaders of Positive Youth Initiative (PYI), a Staying Alive Foundation grantee. PYI provides support to young people 16–30 who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. They hold weekly support group meetings, share their experiences, conduct outreach in communities, and plan events.