American NGO Ends AIDS Education Campaign In Awutu-Effutu-Senya District

Mr. David Butler, Founder of Safe Haven Project Organization, a US-based HIV/AIDS care and support organisation, has urged Ghanaians especially the youth to change their sexual behaviour to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Mr. Butler said this at separate HIV/AIDS fora in some schools and churches at Winneba, Senya Beraku and Obrachire in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya districts. The fora were organised by Safe Haven Project Organisation and the Charles Aikins' 'Live and Lets Live Foundation also an HIV/AIDS Care and Support Association based in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya district to education the people on the dangers of the pandemic and the need to prevent its spread. Among places visited were the District Assembly Primary A and B, ACM Junior High School, Zion Girls Senior High all in Winneba, Senya Senior and Junior High Schools, Obrachire Secondary Technical, Assemblies of God Central Church and Methodist Church in Winneba. Mr. Butler, the leader of a five-member team of the NGO from the USA, said the aim and objective of the project was to educate and empower the youth and communities with knowledge and tools to stay away from promiscuous lifestyle. Other members of the team were Ms. Denise Ricci, a nurse, Ms. Chelsea Gulden, Reverend Edward Burks and Ms. Tracy Wemet, Youth Mentoring and Public Relations Officer, of the project. Mrs. Josephine Boadi Danquah, Project Co-ordinator of Charles Aikins Live and Lets Live Foundation, expressed concern at the alarming rate at which the virus was spreading. She said at the NGO’s monthly meetings, between four and six people that had contracted the disease were registered and therefore appealed to Ghanaians to avoid indiscriminate sex. Mrs. Boadi Danquah said the fight against the spread of the AIDS virus required the total involvement of all the people and urged them to help in educating their family members on the dangers of the disease and its effects on the society. She said the use of condoms could sometimes reduce the risk of transmission of the HIV/AIDS but not a guarantee of protection against it.