Young Leaders Fund: Supporting Youth-Led HIV Prevention Initiatives

Young people below age 30 account for an estimated 45 per cent of new HIV infections worldwide. Millions more have lost friends or family members to AIDS. Yet, despite this, two-thirds of young people do not see themselves at risk. And although adolescents and young adults have a pivotal – even revolutionary -- role to play in prevention efforts, their voices often go unheard.

To empower young women and men to take a larger and more active part in HIV prevention and awareness activities, the HIV Young Leaders Fund was launched in December 2009. It offers grants to youth-led organizations that serve high risk groups, including injecting drug users, sex workers and migrants.

“The whole idea was to get youth leadership in processes like funding and decision making and policies,” notes Himakshi Piplani, a young HIV activist in India. “What’s unique about the fund is that it’s completely youth led and youth run.”

The Young Leaders Fund is supported by aids2031, Ford Foundation, New Venture Fund, UNAIDS, UNFPA and other donors. The first grant of $300,000 is supporting 23 initiatives around the world.

The 23 groups currently supported by the Young Leaders Fund are involved in advocacy, peer education, community mobilization and care and support services for people living with HIV.

“We really want to fund the ‘unfundable’, which means that very small organizations are funded,” says Shantih van Hoog, an HIV activist in the Netherlands.

“Five thousand dollars at the very grassroots level can do much more than billions invested at the national level,” adds Denis Godlevskiy, a young HIV activist in the Russian Federation.