EVALUATION OF SPEAKER ON HIV/AIDS PREVENTION: NICOLE CHEETHAM, TRACKER #20444

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001060 SIPDIS STATE FOR IIP/T/SV (HSEBSOW); IIP/G/WHA (JMANES; CBARONE); WHA/PDA (OHILTON) EMBASSIES FOR PAO/CAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO HO SUBJECT: EVALUATION OF SPEAKER ON HIV/AIDS PREVENTION: NICOLE CHEETHAM, TRACKER #20444 REF: (A) State 06234 (B) Tegucigalpa 02713 SUMMARY: Nicole Cheetham, Director, International Division, Advocates for Youth, a Washington-based NGO, conducted an intensive and very successful U.S. Speaker program on the prevention of HIV/AIDS from February 22-27. Her presentation on "Communities and Youngsters Taking Action to Prevent HIV," reached young audiences in Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba, Tela and the Afro-Honduran (Garifuna) communities of Sambo Creek, Corozal, Trujillo, Santa Fe, Truinfo de La Cruz, and Tornabe, on the northern coast of Honduras. She reached many more through media events. END SUMMARY. ¶A. Dates: February 22-27, 2004. Fiscal year: FY-04, Q2 ¶B. Objective: Post fully met its objective to reach young audiences, especially the high-risk population in Garifuna communities, with a message on HIV/AIDS prevention. The USG has identified Honduras as a priority country for HIV/AIDS funding. The program enabled the post to address how community-based programs work in the U.S. to promote change. MPP Strategic Goals: Human Rights, HIV/AIDS, Strengthening Democracy, Economic Development, and Mutual Understanding. ¶C. Activities to reach the objective: During her visit, Nicole Cheetham met in informal settings with young Hondurans working on prevention programs, discussing her theme of "Communities and Youngsters Taking Action to Prevent HIV." In Tegucigalpa, she met with a group from the Honduran Scouts Association working on prevention programs, representatives from the Garifuna community, participated in a representational luncheon hosted by the PAO for NGO leaders who work on HIV/AIDS prevention. During the remainder of her program, which took place in local schools and community and cultural centers in the cities of La Ceiba, Tela, Trujillo and Garifuna communities along the north coast of Honduras, she engaged in open discussion with groups of students, teachers, parents, and community leaders and engaged in open discussion about the issues confronting youth and adults in preventing infection. The Press Section arranged a roundtable discussion with print media and local TV channels covered the program in La Ceiba and Tela, taking Ms. Cheetham's message to many thousands more. ¶D. Evaluation/Impact: Excellent. Nicole Cheetham, Speaker on HIV/AIDS prevention, takes message to most vulnerable audiences. Nicole Cheetham's program enabled Post to reach out to a diverse group of young people and adults with the message that HIV/AIDS is here to stay, but that the good news is that we know how to prevent getting it and Hondurans can avoid reaching the high infection rates that exist in other countries. Through this program, the post reached the young Afro-Honduran (Garifuna) population where the disease is the major cause of death. Ms. Cheetham's program provided an opportunity to reiterate the message the entire community needs to get involved in preventing the disease and the danger of ignoring its existence. It is evident that people have the information on how to prevent the disease from speading, but they need to work on changing social patterns to avoid spreading it. Post highly recommends Ms. Cheetham for programs on HIV/AIDS prevention. She has ample hands-on experience and adapts her presentations to her audience. Her excellent Spanish, warmth, and pleasant personality facilitated an immediate rapport with her audience. Ms. Cheetham conducted an intensive program with back-to-back presentations from one community to another, whether in a classroom, a gathering on a cool spot out in the open, or an air-conditioned municipal hall, always encouraging the participants to open up and conducting the participants to an honest information exchange. She is a true trooper. ¶E. Quality of U.S. Support and IIP Offices Involved: Very Good. IIP/T/SV Helen Sebsow proposed an excellent candidate for this program. Pierce