Football for an HIV-Free Generation

The large-scale pan-African initiative uses a three-pronged strategy to mobilise youth:

• Community Based Model: The community-based outreach and services component builds on the models developed by GRS and loveLife that use soccer as a tool for HIV prevention education. The initiative will expand through a social franchising model collaborating with and using peer motivation and youth leadership development to build the capacity of existing local community-based organisations. An initial focal point of the initiative will be to support the educational content of the Football for Hope Centers that are being donated in 15 African countries as part of FIFA's 20 Centres for 2010 Campaign.
• Sustained Media Campaign: The media campaign builds on the commitment of airtime and other resources from the broadcast companies to develop media programming that connects with the synergies of the 2010 World Cup, as well as the ABMP's existing campaign promoting the concept of an HIV-free Generation. About 59 public and private African broadcast media companies with a prospective audience in excess of 200 million have so far committed airtime and production resources. ABMP members have also committed themselves to developing and broadcasting HIV/AIDS-related programming in association with 2010 broadcasts and to sustaining the campaign across their general daily programme schedules. The media campaign is anchored by public service announcements (PSAs) for radio and television which were launched on World AIDS Day, December 1 2008, and will be reinforced by longer-form programming, including the "Imagine Afrika" reality show and talk and magazine shows.
• Advocacy, Partnership, and Resource Development: A concerted advocacy campaign to promote new leadership in support of more concerted HIV prevention and increased resources (in-country and international) will be driven by UNAIDS and CSI+ with the aim of encouraging scaled up prevention across Africa.

Skillz Magazine is a key educational tool of F4. First published nationwide in South Africa on February 1 2009 via the Sunday Times Newspaper and distributed to 2,300 schools throughout South Africa, the quarterly publication features the world's and South Africa's top soccer stars teaching life lessons and encouraging young people to make a positive difference in their communities. Skillz teaches the youth how to follow "3 Skillz" - "Know the Game", "Build Your Team", and "Make Your Move" - to achieve their goals, stay strong when faced with challenges, and protect themselves and others from HIV and AIDS. Skillz' Coach's Corner features a simple activity that teachers can use to teach students about healthy living.

For more information, visit the F4 website.

HIV/AIDS.