“ADVOCACY EVENING” for “BURKINA FASO KICK AIDS” PROJECT
February 27, 2008-02-24
Comments by Ambassador Jeanine Jackson

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Residence of the Ambassadors of the United States of America for this important event jointly sponsored by AFRICARE, the U.S. Embassy and under the patronage of his majesty, the Larle Naaba.  I hope this event will result in partnerships that will help the youth of Burkina Faso to live long, healthy and productive lives.

Our intention was to create an atmosphere that is both informative and enjoyable. Indeed, instead of a formal meeting, we chose this venue to exchange with you issues related to HIV/AIDS and the future of the youth of Burkina Faso. As with any nation, the future of its youth is directly related to its own development. Therefore if you are concerned about the future of Burkina Faso, you must be concerned with its youth and also with HIV/AIDS.  This disease risks to slow or even halt the development within some nations if the necessary precautions are not taken to prevent its spread. In Burkina Faso, the youth have become the principal victims of this disease, often because of the lack of information.

Having seen the consequences generated by this pandemic in the lives of millions of families in Africa, the international community has mobilized itself to fight this battle. 
The best example of this is the GLOBAL FUND, a result of an agreement among the G8 countries and the United Nations, to fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities.  The Global Fund encourages new and innovative alliances among partners within 138 recipient countries and seeks the active participation of local representatives of civil society and the private sector.  

There are also many bilateral programs and private initiatives in countries such as Burkina Faso. The US government has programs throughout West Africa and particularly in Burkina Faso has focused on prevention, information, maternal and child health as well as HIV/AIDS in the workplace.

For me, the most effective and special US government funded program  was the two year project you have learned about tonight -  “Kick AIDS out of Burkina Faso” - which focused on sensitization of youth. I witnessed the positive effect of this program – on youth and on communities – through sports.  I even kicked a few foot balls during their tournaments, awarded trophies, and saw thousands of youth that benefited from the program.