The young people spilled out of the bus, happy to have reached Côte d’Ivoire. Not only could they stretch their legs following the last leg of their journey, but they had arrived at their final destination, the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA). The Youth Caravan had started with 10 young people in Nigeria, followed by 10 more joining in Benin and a further two stops in Togo and Ghana.
Along the three-day, 1000 km, trip more than 40 young people shared their stories and experiences and talked about HIV, stigma and empowerment of young people in cities along their route.
One of the participants, Jefferson Kudolo from Ghana, couldn’t believe how fun the trip was, despite the distance, “The travelling brought us closer together and we forgot the kilometres,” he said. Another participant, Dayo Sunday from Nigeria, agreed. He loved connecting with people with similar tales from other countries.
Each day, the Youth Caravan led or attended an event, which included screenings of HIV-related films, meeting the First Lady of Benin, debates and an international dance competition.
Mr Sunday said music and dancing not only got the group to unwind, it allowed them to interact with other young people along the way. A peer educator at the Nigerian Teens and Kids nongovernmental organization, he said, “Dancing is one of the best tools to attract people who may be too shy to come to HIV-related events.”
“I know what works, and music definitely works,” Mr Kudolo said, explaining how he and the other participants of the Youth Caravan would distribute condoms and lots of practical advice at the venues. UNAIDS and partners started recruiting participants for the Youth Caravan nearly a year ago.
Kodo Ngabane, UNAIDS Youth and Social Organization Officer for the western and central African region, beamed with pride as the bus pulled into Abidjan. “We constantly say that young people need to be involved, and here is a clear example of doing just that,” he said. “We listened to them and they were in the driver's seat.” Without missing a beat, he added, “Figuratively, not actually driving the bus.”
Eric Gunn, accompanying youth participants from an association of girls in Togo, Action de Soutien au Developpement et l’Education de la Jeune Fille, said he was touched to see such enthusiasm. “A real esprit de corps took hold regardless of country, language, gender, sexual orientation,” he said. “Even us elders joined in the fun and were bombarded with questions.”
The Youth Caravan was welcomed at the ICASA Community Village by the Côte d’Ivoire Minister of Health, Raymonde Goudou-Coffie, King Oyo from Uganda, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé and others.
After a standing ovation and lengthy clapping for the participants, Mr Sidibé addressed the crowd. “We count on you! You are not the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today,” he said. “We will not end AIDS without young people.”
