The Blog is Back - From Sailboat to Oceanliner SAfAIDS 20 year journey

Twenty Years of Knowledge for Action is surely a reason to celebrate. SAfAIDS was set up in 1994, initially to provide information and support to groups, organisations and individuals responding to the AIDS in southern Africa region. 

SAfAIDS has continuosly adapted to changing needs and emerging priorities and in the process has become a champion of sexual and reproductive health and rights for ALL the people of Africa. 

Just look at the journey we have taken as SAfAIDS, and this is only the highlights- how AWESOME is that. Look closely, there are a lot of firsts in there for SAfAIDS and its HIV partners!

1994 to 1999: Breaking the Silence 

The first steps were critical steps and the foundation stone on Knowledge for Action. Remember our SAfAIDS News magazine? We still get queries for copies to this day and make back copies available for order in our Materials Catalogue. Online versions can be found through the Publications Catalogue on the SAfAIDS Website. We have a brand new Magazine launching this quarter- so watch this space! 

2000 to 2014: An Award Winning Regional Organisation

Information streams alone were/are not enough, people have to get involved along the way and the next five years saw a rapid expansion of the origanisation and its community mobiliations efforts. We have moved into the somewhat HOT area of HEALTH RIGHTS FOR ALL with our key populations efforts going beyond young people, women and girls to include populations in prisons, sex workers and people of varied sexual orientation. 

Look out for our SWAG Bags for sex workers launch in Zimbabwe and South Africa next quarter (there was a quick show-and-tell in Mhondoro, Zimbabwe this month) as well as SRHR materials for exiting prisoners together with policy overview on prison SRHR standards. After all, noone should be left behind if we are to get to ZERO new infections, transmissions and death from AIDS. 

The rest, as they say, is history (or HERstory) as Lois Chingandu took the helm of this ship called SAfAIDS, upgrading it from the small and speedy sail boat to a long distance and durable ocean vessel able to support and reach a whole continent and more!

So that is SAfAIDS @20, thank you for walking with us! Keep walking with us...

Here is how. This year the blog will feature 20 articles on our work in materials development, that is roughly two articles every month. Read and share. It is your story too. 

Stay tuned, stay AWESOME!