For more than 50 years CARE has worked to meet the needs of the worlds most vulnerable populations. Today, in more than 60 countries, CAREs staff of 12,000 help strengthen communities through an array of programs that work to create lasting solutions to the root causes of poverty. CAREs strengths lie in its ability to mobilize communities to help themselves and in its multi-sectoral approach to programming.
Since CARE works to fight poverty on a variety of levels, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS efforts are frequently combined with other projects including basic and girls education, food security, water and sanitation, agriculture, micro-enterprise and children's health in order to maximize the benefits to communities and households. Centrally funded projects such as CARE-MoRR (Management of Reproductive Risk) and Child Survival include special initiatives aimed at young people. However, the great majority of CAREs projects are designed and administered at the country level. Some CARE projects that focus specifically on youth include:
Tang HIV and AIDS Project Kenya
The Tang project works in western Kenya to promote and reinforce safer sexual behavior among young women and men. Communities involved in the project examine the cultural factors that can contribute to STI/HIV infection and generate discussion on sexuality and human relationships. Tang aims to introduce young people and others to social activism for mobilizing the entire community to prevent STI/HIV.
Youth Development Initiative (YDI)
Lack of education is a significant obstacle to social and economic progress. The YDI project improves education opportunities for young people, especially girls, in four countries: Cambodia, Ghana, Peru, and the Philippines. Young people participate in non-formal literacy programs that are frequently linked with health, micro-enterprise or civil society programs. Through holistic literacy programs that incorporate many aspects of life experience, youth learn how to read and write as well as to prevent HIV infection, start a business or improve their community. Engaging youth in the program as well as in their larger communities is an integral aspect of the project.
Multisectoral Population Project (MSPP), Peru
CAREs Multisectoral Population Project uses a community extension model to improve access of quality reproductive health services to women and men in rural and suburban areas of the country. The project has begun to address the specific issues and needs of youths. Currently, ten adolescent community centers have been established and are implementing integrated services with over 600 trained adolescent promoters providing outreach services to their communities. Almost 400 teachers and health professionals have been trained to provide counseling and other services for adolescents.
Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI)
CARE is involved in the Hope for the African Child Initiative (HACI) a collaborative effort between CARE, Plan International, Save the Children, the World Conference on Religion and Peace, and the Society of Women Against AIDS in Africa (SWAA). The partners work with African communities to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and mitigate the impact of the pandemic by providing care and support to children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.
To learn more about CAREs work please visit http://www.care.org.
