It Begins with You

The YOU campaign focuses on the principal drivers of HIV infection such as:

gender inequity,
peer pressure
sexual coercion
stigma, and
lack of hope for the future.

By promoting a sense of optimism and the vision of an HIV-free future, the YOU campaign aims to:

Encourage new leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa
Re-engage all Africans and young people in particular in efforts to combat the epidemic
Increase hope for the future among young people
Promote more open communication about HIV/AIDS between parents and teenagers
Increase demand for information on HIV/AIDS and access to HIV/AIDS-related services such as HIV testing

  *The YOU Campaign is developed and produced with the   support of the Coca Cola Africa Foundation. The ABMP   receives major operational and funding support from the
  Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Additional support is
  provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the
  Nelson Mandela Foundation and Merck & Company.
  Member companies of the ABMP are committed to provide
a minimum of 5% airtime daily for HIV/AIDS-related
programming, as well as other personnel, production and
financial resources in support of the campaign.

ABMP programming is anchored by the first multi-year pan-African broadcast media-led HIV/AIDS public education effort. Using the tagline Imagine the Possibility of an HIV-Free Generation: It Begins with YOU! the campaign promotes a theme of hope and possibility. The campaign emphasizes personal initiative in combating HIV/AIDS and urges all Africans to consider their role in helping realise the vision of an HIV-free future.

The YOU campaign uses public service announcements (PSAs) on radio and television renewed every six months. The PSAs are reinforced by longer form programming such as talk shows, magazine and public affairs programs produced by member companies.

To give added substance to the YOU campaign, in October 2007, the ABMP launched the first authentically African reality show: Imagine Afrika.

Now in its second season, the show features 12 young African achievers selected from more than 10,000 nominations from across the continent, using their initiative and ingenuity to come up with innovative approaches to challenges facing communities across Africa like housing, water supply, food security and HIV/AIDS. Filmed in community locations in different African countries, the series provides a platform for more substantive discussion of the key factors driving HIV/AIDS in the context of overall African development. For more information, go to www.imagineafrika.com.

In 2008, the ABMP also piloted a radio mini drama series Can Tru Love Withstand the Test? Consisting of 2-minute episodes repeat broadcast multiple times, the highly dramatised series features the typical circumstances most young people encounter as they negotiate relationships and the social and economic pressures of early adulthood. Based in the success of the pilot, this series is being expanded and sustained.