East African Business Week Examines HIV Awareness Campaign, Radio Drama Series in Uganda
East African Business Week on Tuesday examined the "Something for Something" awareness campaign and the radio drama series "Rock Point 256" in Uganda, two programs that aim to educate young people about HIV and the risks of engaging in relationships where sex is given in exchange for favors or presents. According to officials from the Uganda AIDS Commission, "something for something" relationships and "sugar daddy" relationships -- in which older men have relationships with and give gifts or money to young, female partners -- are a widespread occurrence in the country. "Something for something love is a real problem in Uganda, but we rarely talk about it," Janet Akao -- project officer for the Young Empowered and Healthy advocacy group, which launched the campaign -- said. According UAC officials, sugar daddy relationships are one of the main factors contributing to the country's high HIV prevalence among girls ages 15 to 24, and something for something relationships often are the reason why girls become sexually active. The Something for Something campaign will run alongside the Rock Point 256, which has been airing since August 2005 on 10 local radio stations in English and several African languages (Mugabe, East African Business Week, 4/11). Rock Point 256 receives funding from a $2.5 million grant from the President's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief channeled through USAID (PEPFAR release, 4/12). It also receives funding from UNICEF and Save the Children and is designed to spark discussion about both transactional and cross-generational sex. It uses fictional places and characters to tell stories about youth who were offered gifts by older people in exchange for sex and incorporates music to appeal to teenagers (East African Business Week, 4/11).
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